One of the facets I have come to learn about leading a creative life and pursuing your dreams is tapping into your potential. When did you realize you could tap into your potential to pursue what you loved?

It was all in stages since I started at such a young age. I was always interested in performing—in ballet, theater, or music—it was always my passion. I saw my older siblings doing it and I just wanted to be a part of it. As soon as I started taking lessons, a light went off. All I ever wanted to do was something in the arts, particularly the performing arts, for as long as I can remember. It's what came naturally to me and it's what made me happy. I was lucky I had a family who supported me in that my parents found opportunities to pursue to nurture that in me. I was lucky I had that. I was always in dance, singing, or acting classes.

So you're the triple threat–you can sing, dance, and act?

Well, I can try to do them all and I like to do them all.

above Mary is wearing a Jason Wu top and skirt; Intimissimi silk bra; Alice Pierre earrings.

How did you make the transition from ballet to acting? Did you get to the point in ballet where it was just too hard on the body?

I was fortunate in the sense that I was always doing a bit of everything. So when I gave up ballet to focus on acting, it didn't necessarily feel so abrupt. When I was a little girl, I thought I was going to be a ballerina since it was my first love and my focus. I was always the kid with my hair in a bun at school because I had to rush off to a rehearsal or something straight from school. I also loved every part of performing. So when I got to the age where I realized I didn't want to put my body through that in an ongoing way. I could see the older dancers around me and see what they were going through. I thought, I love so many things about performing and this doesn't have to be it for me. I can pivot to something else. So that's when I started focusing on acting. I knew I could put that love and passion into something else.

what have you cherished the most as you've grown in the industry? Has there been something you've appreciated about yourself or an opportunity that helped you get to where you wanted to be?

There have been so many opportunities. It's been all these small experiences that have added up to leading to this great life, which is the life I had always hoped for. It’s being a professional actor and being able to support myself financially, being able to live my life creatively, and making acting my work was always my dream. It was a slow progression for me. I went from job to job from a young age, and each job led to the next one, and each one was more fulfilling than the last. It's been this gradual step-by-step process of deepening myself in terms of my abilities and my professionalism and the combination of those two things, that led to more fruitful opportunities. I've been lucky in that way.

above Mary is wearing an Ulla Johnson dress; Alice Pierre earrings.

I think sometimes people want overnight success but sometimes it takes longer to get the most payoff.

I wouldn't have it any other way because I've been able to focus on myself and my progression. I think had I been famous early on, I wouldn't have had that time and that ability to be still and focus on just doing a good job. There'd be so many other things to worry about, so I'm actually super grateful for that.

above Mary is wearing Another Tomorrow trench coat and blazer; Mayson The Label shirt; Thierry Lasry sunglasses; Stella McCartney handbag.

What's been one of the most meaningful roles you've ever played? Your breadth of work is so incredible.

My usual answer for that is this small film that I did called Smashed. It was pivotal for me in terms of taking things into my own hands. Up until that point, I had been taking whatever jobs came my way, which was great, and I was happy to do them and have the opportunities. But I did reach a point where I thought, what is it that I actually want to do, and, do I have the ability to make that happen for myself? I started beating down doors and saying, I just want a great role in a small movie where people are just trying to make something good. We were not trying to make money, we were just trying to make good work and create. That was the first film that came my way when I started focusing. Before, I had made somewhat of a name for myself, but mostly in genre films. I was known for horror and action films. They were so much fun to do, but I was ready for something a bit deeper. I longed to have a character who I could connect with on a deeper level. I had a meeting with the producer who was doing a bunch of indie films, and he said, I have this script, I don't know if it's for you. I read it and I was just like, yes, yes, please! It was just the most amazing experience, and it affected me so much as an actor and a person. It was a pivotal turning point for me in my life as an actor.

Have you received any advice that you have leaned on as you've progressed in your career?

You get so many bits of information and knowledge from so many different people. The best thing for me is always learning through watching people rather than being sat down and told, you should do this or you shouldn't do that. Typically the kind of people who I emulate are the ones who don't do that so much, they lead by example. The people who I've worked with over the years, you watch and you just go, that's leadership, or, that's how you walk onto a set—you're kind to people and you put your best foot forward. The thing I've taken with me the most is watching how people are able to lead a set with kindness and professionalism while also bringing their creative gifts and being able to hold all those things at once.

now to talk about ‘a gentleman in Moscow’ which is based on the fantastic book by Amor Towles. Can you give a quick snapshot of the series?

The series is about Count Alexander Rostov— this amazing character—who is of the aristocratic class in Russia. The show starts in the early 1920s just after the Russian Revolution. He is banished to exile in the Hotel Metropol to live out the rest of his days for the crime of being an aristocrat. He has to live his life within the walls of this hotel, and he does so with charm; he refuses to be beaten down by his circumstances. We get to watch him grow as a person over the course of three decades. We see this revolving door of people coming in and out of his world, but he always stays in the same place. It's a fascinating look at him as a character, Russia at the time, and also just the human spirit, humanity, and how we all connect with one another. It's an incredibly beautiful story.

ROSE & IVY Introducing May Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead .jpg

above Stella McCartney dress and mules; Celeste Starre earrings.

Your character, Anna, comes and goes from the hotel in these fabulous outfits, might I add. Talk to me about playing her. What did you love the most?

I loved everything about playing her. I mean, in the early episodes, getting to be this fabulous diva actress who luxuriates in confidence and oozes with her sex appeal—she puts all of that out front and center. It was fun and liberating to play someone so free with themselves. There's also this tension and vulnerability underneath because to be an actress of that time you could easily be in favor one moment and out of favor the next. What does that mean in a time period when so much is changing and so many people are going through so many terrible atrocities. So there's that underlay of tension behind it all, while at the same time trying to be this fabulous, larger-than-life performer. She was a wonderfully complex person to play.

Could you relate it all to her storyline since you're an actor playing an actor? It was unfortunate how the theme of ageism was still relevant even back then.

I think probably even more so back then because if you were past your twenties, you had to wait until you were a grandma to be able to play a grandma. There was nothing in between. I could absolutely relate to that feeling and to many different things they talk about in the show. I was so impressed by their ability to write something that resonated so much with me as an actress, particularly scenes talking about navigating relationships with men. So many of the people in her world are men in terms of the people who are giving her jobs. We've all talked so much more in the past several years about the Me Too movement; so many stories came out and so many women were talking about their experiences in this industry. I don't think there's an actress around who couldn't relate to that conversation, and I was impressed with Ben’s (Vanstone) writing.

You star alongside your husband, Ewan, and it is not your first time working together. When you're working with your significant other, does it improve your work because you have a vulnerability safety net where you can just really lean into your character?

I do think there is a difference in the comfortability walking on set. There aren’t any walls to come down and there’s nothing to try and overcome. You are just there with the person who you trust the most in the world. So it makes it easy to just be together and just play the scene and see what comes out. And there's no embarrassment and everything is effortless—it’s wonderful in that way.

One of the things I specifically loved was how Alexander befriended the little girl Nina. It was just so pure and so sweet. It warmed my heart so much.

Yes, I know. I'm so glad all of that connected like it did when we were shooting it. It's such a nice thing to see. It teaches people to lend a helping hand and about reaching out to people for those connections. The show is a call for connection about what actually matters and gives us purpose in our lives. Even if you're trapped in a hotel and you can't leave, it's a silver lining.

What are you most proud of about the series?

I'm overcome with pride about it. It's so beautifully done, and I'm so proud of everyone involved, first and foremost, Ewan, because he did such amazing work. I think it's one of his best characters and it makes me so proud to watch him in it. And then Sam (Miller) and Ben (Vanstone) and the elegance in terms of the way it was executed. I always felt so safe and at home with them and the way they went about things. They had this calm and respectful energy. When I saw it, I was overwhelmed and just so happy and proud of them, of just like, wow, look what you guys made. I could go on and on, but every single actor on the show and every moment is just so nuanced and specific, and I love them all.

How do you stay inspired between jobs? Are you always doing something behind the scenes or do you take breaks to recalibrate between projects?

It's changed a bit over time. I've gone through periods where I'd actively be working on developing things in between projects or looking for things actively. But now, because I'm a mom, I just go to mom life and then I wait and see what comes my way. Sometimes I wish I would be a little bit more proactive. It's hard, but at the same time, I love the time I have at home. I love it so much. So when I'm home, I just try to be present there. And if a script comes my way that I love, then I go, okay, here we go again. I pull up my bootstraps and figure out how to do this. But in the meantime, I read things and if it doesn't strike me, I just go, okay, more time to be home and live this part of my life.

Is there anything else that's coming up that people should know about?

It seems like we're going to be doing another season of Ahsoka, which is really exciting. We are waiting to get more information about it but the scripts are being written and the second season is being developed. And then, who knows? I'm waiting to see what sparks, and in the meantime, I'm at home being a mommy and enjoying life.

stream episodes of ‘a gentleman in moscow’ with new episodes every friday on Paramount+

A special thank you to this team.

Introducing May Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead