Zoey Deutch, Richard Linklater, and a Decade-Long Journey to ‘Nouvelle Vague’
So there’s been a lot of quiet but fascinating buzz around Richard Linklater lately, and it’s all tied to Zoey Deutch, Nouvelle Vague , and the wider awards conversation that’s already starting to heat up. And honestly, this story feels less like a standard film promotion and more like a long, patient creative journey finally paying off.
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Zoey Deutch recently opened up about her experience playing Jean Seberg in Nouvelle Vague , Linklater’s deeply personal homage to the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless . What makes this especially compelling is that the role wasn’t something Deutch chased in the usual way. It was planted almost casually more than a decade ago. While working together on Everybody Wants Some!! , Linklater made an offhand comment about her resemblance to Jean Seberg. Nothing formal was promised, nothing was locked in, but that single remark stayed alive in the background for years.
What followed was a slow-burning process that reflects how independent filmmaking actually works. The film wasn’t instantly greenlit. It wasn’t guaranteed. In fact, it remained fragile until the very last pieces of financing were secured. Deutch herself has said the moment it truly became real was when Linklater finally gave her permission to cut her hair. Until then, everything was still uncertain.
Once filming began, the challenge only deepened. Deutch wasn’t just playing Jean Seberg. She was playing Seberg as herself, Seberg as Patricia, and Seberg playing Patricia in Breathless . That meant switching voices, rhythms, and emotional tones constantly. Improvisation, something Deutch often relies on, was mostly removed. The performance had to be precise, controlled, and rooted in history. It was described by critics as sparkling and mischievous, but behind that ease was intense discipline.
One of the most powerful moments came near the end of production. Facing weather issues and permit problems while shooting a key scene, Deutch suggested visiting Jean Seberg’s grave, which happened to be nearby. As they arrived, the clouds reportedly parted, the sun came out, and the team was able to finish the scene. Whether coincidence or something more poetic, it became a defining memory of the shoot.
What really stands out is how Deutch’s relationship with film history evolved through this process. New Wave cinema once felt intimidating to her, like a closed club for elite cinephiles. By living inside it, she came to see it as rebellious, personal, and deeply human, which mirrors Linklater’s own filmmaking philosophy.
As Oscar predictions swirl around Linklater’s peers and collaborators, Nouvelle Vague feels like a quieter, more reflective counterpoint. It’s not just about awards momentum. It’s about time, trust, and honoring artists who came before, something Richard Linklater has always done in his own, unmistakably patient way.
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