Yellowjackets showcases some of the most remarkable ensemble casting in contemporary television, but the chemistry between Liv Hewson and Lauren Ambrose stands out as particularly exceptional. Initially, the character Van Palmer was not intended to survive the treacherous wilderness. However, due to Hewson’s captivating screen presence and creative energy, it quickly became evident that Van deserved a more extended narrative arc. Consequently, the showrunners altered their plans, allowing Van to survive a harrowing wolf attack in Season 1, Episode 7. Furthermore, in Season 2, audiences were introduced to Ambrose’s modern iteration of Van, confirming her survival and enriching the storyline. This development has facilitated an extraordinary connection between the two talented actors, enhancing the storytelling of the series.

However, as of Season 3, Episode 9, titled “How the Story Ends,” the duality of Van Palmer’s character has reached its conclusion. Instead of succumbing to her cancer diagnosis, Van meets a tragic fate when she is stabbed by Hilary Swank’s character, the current-day Melissa. This devastating turn of events marks a heartbreaking end for a character beloved by fans. Ambrose confesses that this outcome lacks closure, which may have been the intention all along. Nevertheless, she personally finds solace in the belief that she was merely passing the character back to Liv Hewson, highlighting the collaborative nature of their performances.

With the entirety of Yellowjackets Season 3 now available for streaming on Paramount+, and the show’s Emmy campaign gaining momentum, I had the pleasure of welcoming Ambrose to Collider Ladies Night. During our insightful 40-minute discussion, we revisited significant milestones in her career, many of which underscored her profound appreciation for the rehearsal process. Notably, Ambrose revealed that her passion for rehearsing played a critical role in her and Swank’s exploration of Van’s death, ultimately delivering a scene that feels “crackling and real and exciting and weird.”

Discover What Makes ‘Can’t Hardly Wait’ a Timeless High School Comedy

“They fought for me. They believed in me.”

One of Ambrose’s earliest films, Can’t Hardly Wait, hit theaters in 1998 and has since earned its place as a beloved teen comedy classic that continues to resonate with audiences today. This high school romantic comedy unfolds during an unforgettable graduation party, where the lives of various characters intertwine in humorous and poignant ways.

“You can’t find a production that doesn’t have somebody from that movie in it. Deb [Kaplan] and Harry [Elfont] directed it, and they were this duo, and I think both actors, and they were given a chance to make this movie that they’d written. And they really fought for their actors. I remember I had to fly out and do a screen test, and they fought for me because I really hadn’t been in anything except for In & Out, and an indie or something. They fought for me. They believed in me.”

While exploring the elements that contribute to Can’t Hardly Wait’s unique charm, Ambrose emphasized a recurring theme throughout our conversation, particularly regarding fulfilling collaborative experiences: the importance of rehearsal.

“Everybody took it very seriously. Even though it was a silly teen movie, it was serious business [and] everyone was up to trying to make something good. And then me, of course, I was overly serious about everything. [Laughs] I was like, ‘What are we doing, guys?’ And I remember rehearsing, rehearsing in hotel rooms. We did a lot of rehearsing, actually.”

How ‘Six Feet Under’ Empowered Ambrose in Her Acting Career

“I am always excited when I see anybody unleash the power of their rage on film.”

Following her role in Can’t Hardly Wait, Ambrose secured a transformative part that would significantly shape her acting journey. In 2001, she began her five-season portrayal of Claire Fisher, a role that garnered her two Emmy nominations and critical acclaim.

“I always say it was like acting boot camp because I didn’t go to four years of acting school or do it that way. I did more learning on my feet and had amazing teachers along the way. But that was the first time that I got to go to work every day for many years as an actor with incredible colleagues, like Frances Conroy, who played my mother on that show, from whom I learned so much. [And] of course, the guys who played my brothers. And then the directors that we had, the Alans, and Kathy Bates was a director on our show. She was amazing.”

Among Ambrose’s cherished memories while working with Bates is an experience when Bates directed an episode, listened to Ambrose’s input on a scene, and chose to support her creative vision.

“I remember it was like the second time she directed, and the crew and cast, we all loved her so much because she was just part of the gang. It’s a difficult job to be a TV director. You kind of come into this thing. But she was also an actor on the show, so she came in and directed us. Peter Krause and I did this scene, some weepy scene about our dad, or whatever it was. We were sitting on the washing machine talking to each other, and there was this beautiful two-shot that she just did. It was a normal two-shot, and it was like, ‘Okay, that was so beautiful, guys. Oh, that was great.’ Really, something happened. It was really exciting because something happened in the scene between Peter and me. She was like, ‘Okay, let’s go in for coverage,’ and I said something like, ‘Oh, it’s a shame that we even have to because it really felt like we were just doing a play and something real happened.’ And she said, ‘You know, you’re right. Let’s move on. Let’s move on. We did that scene.’ So, that’s just what’s in there.”

Ambrose added, “She knew what she was doing, and she had the confidence to say, ‘Moving on,’ confidence in her [and] in everyone’s artistry.”

Ambrose’s time on Six Feet Under provided her with invaluable artistic growth. Reflecting on her experience, she shared, “I don’t know if I can remember the first time. A couple of things come to mind.” She then reminisced:

“On Six Feet Under, we were doing some scene in an office, like a guidance counselor’s office or something, and I had to throw a coffee mug or something, and Rachel [Griffiths] was either there or commenting on it, and she was like, ‘You know, you’re able to be so angry, and that’s great because a lot of women just don’t do that.’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know if that’s a compliment. I’m not really sure how to take that.’ As in, ‘Put a lid on it, kid?’ [Laughs] No. Maybe that’s what she meant, but I do take it as a compliment, because it’s good, and I am always excited when I see anybody unleash the power of their rage on film. Maybe she didn’t mean it to, but it gave me the confidence to do that more. [Laughs]”

Ambrose further developed her confidence by advocating for her characters during the rehearsal process. She explained:

“And then I think of rehearsing, specifically rehearsing Romeo and Juliet, which was a play that I did at the Public Theater and Shakespeare in the Park. The process of rehearsing that play was when I really understood rehearsal. I always kind of felt like I loved that stuff and loved the time in the rehearsal room, but that was the time when I was like, ‘Oh, this is what it is to really, truly have it be unbridled possibility in the rehearsal room.’ And advocating for Juliet, even though Shakespeare does a good job of doing that already, but advocating for that character and the time to rehearse it, and then having that segue into taking time in other projects, like, ‘Hang on, hang on. We gotta actually clear out some space and take some time to try to let something real happen.’”

One instance where Ambrose put this into practice was during the filming of her character’s death scene in Yellowjackets.

How Lauren Ambrose Mastered the Portrayal of Van’s Death in ‘Yellowjackets’

“What level of bananas are we at here?”

In Season 3, Episode 9, “How the Story Ends,” Van Palmer’s journey takes a dramatic turn. (At least concerning the present-day narrative.) In Episode 7, “Croak,” Van’s cancer diagnosis worsens significantly. She begins to cough up blood and is urgently taken to the hospital. However, two episodes later, she encounters her younger self (Hewson), who provides her with “a little something for the road,” telling her she’s off to “get the treasure.” This quest leads her directly to Melissa’s residence.

As Van pauses outside, Melissa discreetly closes the chimney flue, causing the house to fill with toxic carbon monoxide. While Van manages to rescue Taissa (Tawny Cypress) and Shauna (Melanie Lynskey), she wrestles with the temptation to kill Melissa to appease the wilderness and secure a few more moments of life. Ultimately, her inherent goodness prevails, and she cannot follow through with the act. Overwhelmed and frightened, Van exclaims, “Why can’t I be that?” To which Melissa responds, “You don’t want to be,” before delivering the shocking twist. Melissa seizes a knife, stabs Van, and declares, “But I do.”

“In doing all this kooky dying business for Van, you get the script and it’s like, okay, this is going to be really hard because I’m lying in a hospital bed and then I’m leaping up with an oxygen tank, and there’s carbon monoxide poisoning? [Laughs] And then Hilary Swank is meant to be stabbing me. How are we gonna do this? I don’t really know! Is it going to make sense? Is this gonna scan? What level of bananas are we at here? It’s like a leap of faith. ‘Okay, fine though. This is the script and this is the bible that we’re working from.”

For Ambrose and Swank, the key to successfully executing that scene lay in their commitment to rehearsal. Ambrose elaborated:

“With Hilary that day, I was like, ‘Okay, everybody out. We gotta just try to make some space, literally.’ And Ben [Semanoff], the director, was lovely and said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ And our lovely AD team literally cleared all the people walking through with equipment and producers and video village, and all that stuff, and it was just the actors and the script and the director, and maybe the DP, the amazing Shasta [Spahn], who is so incredible, and we just rehearsed it like a play and tried to make something real happen, and I think that we really did. I think Hilary and I, I even said to her, I was like, ‘This feels really hard, and I’m really glad you’re here, and that we can try to figure this out together.’ She was like, ‘Okay, we will,’ because that was one of her first days, too, actually. It was just cool because it was the end of this thing for me, but it also felt like we got to something crackling and real and exciting and weird, and weirdly intimate, so, at the end of the day, I felt good about it.”

Ambrose Discusses the Absence of Closure in Van’s Story

“I think it’s meant to be quite jarring.”

Given Van’s popularity among fans, the uproar surrounding her character’s demise was entirely expected. Personally, I felt quite disheartened when the moment transpired, forcing me to grapple with the reality that we have witnessed the conclusion of Van’s journey and that Ambrose would not return for future episodes. However, the silver lining in this heartache is the testament to the profound impact that Ambrose and Hewson brought to the series through their performances. Additionally, as I often remind myself, particularly regarding television narratives, closure may take time. In this instance, we may find complete understanding only when the overarching mystery is unveiled, potentially adding greater significance to Van’s departure.

But what about Ambrose? As the actress embodying the character, did she leave the set with any sense of peace or closure concerning Van’s narrative conclusion?

“No, because I don’t think that it really ends with closure. I think it’s meant to be quite jarring. Like that wasn’t supposed to happen, I think. I don’t know. That’s how it felt. It was like, ‘What? This is happening?’ And then, of course, my older version of the character on the plane with Liv’s beautiful, younger version of the character saying, ‘No, no, this is how it has to be, and I’m so sorry that this is how it has to be,’ but there really isn’t this understanding until the very last shift of the scene. I don’t exactly know how it ended up being in the final cut of it, but we sort of played it that it was really like, ‘No, you weren’t supposed to do this to me,’ and it was really quite angry. ‘This wasn’t supposed to go like this.’”

Ambrose continued:

“It was just like, ‘Come on. Come on, come on,’ and that was like, ‘Oh, okay, okay. What do I have to come on with? What do I have to get on board with?’ And then just the unknown of what it all is for. So, I don’t know. I don’t particularly feel any closure. Although it was nice because we shot those scenes on the actual last day that I was there in Vancouver doing that work. The crew was really lovely and gave us a nice round, and we got to take a nice bow together as co-creators of the character. And I felt like I was just handing it back to Liv.”

To discover more about Ambrose’s journey on stage and screen, along with her experiences portraying Van in Yellowjackets, you can watch our full conversation in the video at the top of this article, or listen to the interview in podcast format below:

Yellowjackets Season 3 is available to stream in full on Paramount+.

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