The Director of ‘Hamnet’ on the Oscars and Her Midlife Crisis | The Interview

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Chloé Zhao’s latest film, “Hamnet,” received eight Oscar nominations on Thursday, including for best picture and best director. It is the second time Zhao has been in the running for an Academy Award for her directing — she won in 2021 for “Nomadland.” Now 43, with five feature films under her belt, she has established herself as one of cinema’s most distinguished and distinctive directors. That success doesn’t make awards season easy, even for Zhao. She talks here about how she is working to overcome her deepest fears and open her heart. And she explains why a midlife crisis can be “the best thing that can happen to you.” Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/magazine/chloe-zhao-interview.html [00:00:07] Chloé Zhao’s Career and Oscar nominations for ‘Hamnet’ [00:02:01] How Awards Shows Make Artists Feel [00:04:55] How She Works as a Director, Embracing the Chaos [00:07:20] We All Have a General and a Priestess Within Us [00:10:59] Training to Be a Death Doula [00:13:00] A Midlife Crisis Is the Best Thing [00:17:33] Fears of Abandonment and Rejection [00:24:27] Did Shakespeare Take Mushrooms? [00:31:07] Taking Inspiration from Director Terrence Malick [00:34:44] Art and Storytelling Help Us Remember Who We Are [00:40:42] Why Does Zhao Say She Has a Problem With Connection? [00:45:47] Why She Trained as a Death Doula [00:51:42] Learning to Handle the “Compost,” or Difficulties of Life “The Interview” features conversations with the world’s most fascinating people. Each week, co-hosts David Marchese and Lulu Garcia-Navarro talk to compelling, influential figures in culture, politics, business, sports and beyond — illuminating who they are, why they do what they do and how they impact the rest of us. Subscribe to “The Interview”: https://www.youtube.com/@theinterviewpodcast Download the New York Times app: https://bit.ly/4gZdoip #theinterview