As an actor, adaptability—specifically, the ability to transition seamlessly from comedy to drama to musical theater—is Cristin Milioti’s defining feature. (Well, that and her big brown eyes, which serve as vessels of any feeling, big or small, that passes through her characters' minds.) The New Jersey-born performer is as comfortable getting laughs in a throwback sitcom like How I Met Your Mother as she is starring in an off-the-wall tech satire for HBO Max or playing a love-stricken lead in the Broadway musical Once. She has, as the kids say, range.
Milioti’s latest project, The Penguin, a spin-off of the DC film The Batman, 2022, offered her the opportunity to explore a darker dimension. In the limited series, which leans more gangster drama than superhero action story, Milioti stars alongside a barely recognizable Colin Farrell as the daughter of a deceased mob boss who begins as an ally to Farrell’s Penguin and evolves into his formidable rival.
Her character, Sofia Falcone, operates with understated menace. (There’s a scene in which she wordlessly wreaks havoc in a yellow gown and a gas mask that is difficult to forget.) Greed may be her motivation on the surface, but one layer deeper is desperation to be taken seriously and a deep well of grief. Critics have been quick to praise her performance, which has earned multiple award nominations, including for a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Critics Choice Award.
While The Penguin marks a major milestone, Milioti has been carrying films and television shows for longer than the casual viewer may realize. After making memorable turns in smaller roles like that of Jordan Belfort's first wife in the Martin Scorsese film The Wolf of Wall Street, she nabbed the lead in the cult romantic comedy Palm Springs opposite Andy Samberg. Their chemistry fueled the time-travelling, California desert-set riff on Groundhog Day, which broke the record for the biggest sale in the history of the Sundance Film Festival when it premiered there in 2020.
With her next few roles, Milioti continued playing plucky women who somehow manage to make the unpredictable, outlandish situations they’re thrown into feel grounded in reality. In the anthology The Resort, she works to crack an unsolved mystery while vacationing in the Mayan Riviera. In Made for Love, she attempts to escape the clutches of a controlling tech-billionaire husband who has implanted her with a tracking device.
Next up, Milioti returns to the sci-fi series Black Mirror, reprising her role in a sequel to the Emmy-winning episode “USS Callister.” Here, the 39-year-old actor speaks with CULTURED about a poor choice she made in theater camp, her best tip for dealing with rejection, and the biggest thing nobody tells you in advance about life as an actor.
What has been the biggest “pinch me” moment of your career so far?
I’ve had innumerable "pinch me" moments. One of the most surreal and otherworldly? Singing “Changes” to David Bowie is up there. That was nuts.
What do the characters you gravitate towards have in common?
Yikes, I don’t know. I try not to think about that. Brown eyes?
What's the strangest (or most memorable) compliment you ever received about one of your performances?
I was waiting in line before the Joni Mitchell concert at the Hollywood Bowl. A woman in her 70s came up to me, gently touched my arm, and whispered, “I love Sofia. I love her.” Then she smiled and walked away. It meant the world to me.
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, what single experience would it center on?
When I was 11 years old, in a musical at summer camp, I decided to do a pratfall down a flight of stairs. All the kids in the audience laughed. My eyes turned into giant beating hearts, Looney Tunes-style. Alternatively, maybe the movie would be one long take of me fretting over how to choose the single experience to center on.
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given? The worst?
The best advice? "This too shall pass." At times, that has also felt like the worst. Yet, it remains the best and the truest.
Name one film that got you through an important moment in your life.
I saw Kill Bill Vol. 1 when I was 18, and it blew my mind. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Uma Thurman. She galvanized me, she broke my heart. I desperately wanted to be her. I was feverish with the need to be inside of a film like that. Shortly after, I saw her infamous yellow sneakers in a sale bin somewhere. They were a size too small but I wore them for months, even though they hurt. I felt like I was part of her team, like I could look down at them and tap into her courage.
What is your ritual for managing rejection?
Calling my friends and freaking out. Is anyone good at managing rejection? If so, can they call me? One time, I bombed an audition for a job I wanted desperately. As I walked to my car, sniffling back tears, I passed a little jewelry store, went in and bought myself a tiny earring. Now, I look at that earring with fondness whenever I wear it—the job actually ended up being a bullet dodged. Sometimes it’s worth padding rejection with gentle gifts to yourself. Any little bit helps.
When did you learn what it meant to be an actor? What was your biggest misconception about the craft?
The biggest misconception was probably how much time is actually spent acting. I wish the percentage was way higher. As for when I learned what it meant to be an actor, I think that’s something that’s still shifting and changing the more time I spend doing it.
What’s your on-set pet peeve?
People who think that the entire project revolves around them and their performance. Also, cell phones going off during a take.
What is your party trick?
Nervously saying the wrong thing.
What does success mean to you?
Having the ability to be choosy while collaborating with people who make you better.
Pre-order a copy of the Art + Film issue with Cristin Milioti here.
Hair by Ward Stegerhoek
Makeup by Frank B
Nails by Maki Sakamoto
Digital Tech by Jeanine Robinson
Tailoring by Martin Keehn
Production Coordination by Enya Cirillo
Photography Agent: Philippa Serlin
Photography Assistance by Daniil Zaikin and Sergio Avellaneda
Styling Assistance by Moses Moreno and Mary Reinehr Gigler
Hair Assistance by Sean Bennett
Makeup Assistance by Natsuka Hirabayashi
On-Set Assistance by Giuliana Brida
Furniture by Vitsoe NY
Set Design by Happy Massee
