Lucire
The global fashion magazine February 12, 2025 
Jessica Pohly Jessica Pohly in knitwear by the Elder Statesman
 

Bringing humanity

Living
Jessica Pohly has impressed audiences in Fargo, part of a journey that has drawn on training in many disciplines in the arts. Jack Yan talks to her
Photographed by Josh Fogel
Make-up by Beth Follert/Rex Agency using Ere Perez and Sisley
Hair by Dionah Austgen using Kevin Murphy and T3 Micro
From issue 49 of Lucire

 

 

Jessica Pohly in profile Jessica Pohly with stool Jessica Pohly seated Jessica Pohly
White blouse by the Kit Vintage

 

Readers will recognize Jessica Pohly from her role as Agent Myer in Fargo, the FX drama series based on the acclaimed 1996 Coen Brothers film. Agent Meyer and her partner Tony Joaquin (Nick Gómez) find themselves investigating Dot Lyon’s (Juno Temple) case.

Now having finished its fifth season, it was nominated for three Golden Globes, among other highly praised series, including the triumphant Beef. Pohly, meanwhile, proves again she’s one of the US’s most versatile actors, having been formally trained in dance, ballet, modern dance, mime and acting. An alumna of Théâtre de l’Ange Fou in London and the Atlantic Theater Company, her credits include guest roles in lesser known shows such as Welcome to the Family, better known ones such as Modern Family, before she appeared as Pepper, the head of an all-girl gang of bank robbers in Pee-wee’s Big Holiday in 2016. Her personal style is very much like her career: she calls it ‘Choice and change. Both/And.’

Pohly originally grew up in Manhattan, which she called ‘an incredible education.’ She saw a lot of theatre and dance while living there, absorbing it from a young age.

‘I have learned more about art and humanity just from walking around New York than I have in any classroom.’

In fact, it was in the Big Apple where Pohly had the epiphany that acting was the career she wanted to pursue, after performing in Three Sisters during high school and walking home across Central Park. ‘It felt calm, clear and really good,’ she recalls. ‘It’s the only area of my life I’ve ever felt that sure in. I’ve definitely had moments of exhaustion and despair—but I’ve never fundamentally questioned what I feel called to do and what I’ve spent my life doing thus far. If at some point I do, then I’m sure I’ll make a change. For me, in work, it’s important for my feet to be where my heart is.’

She recalls Broadway performances by Enid Graham in Honour, and by John Leguizamo in Freak, his one-man show where he played multiple characters. In a 2016 interview, she singled out Frances McDormand’s Oscar-winning performance in the 1996 Fargo as being an influential film role. And by following her passions, she trained in a multitude of disciplines, starting in dance and taking ballet seriously. ‘For me, for the kind of work I want to do, and the things I want to create, it was important. But I only see that in retrospect, it wasn’t a plan of action. I just followed my interests and my gut and it led me to these varied and wild places.’

At college, she did theatre work and came across corporeal mine. Her teacher, Thomas Leabhart, invited her to go to Paris to work at his studio, which she did, followed by a stint in London at the Théâtre de l’Ange Fou, which had been created by the last assistants of the father of modern mime, Etienne Decroux.

Pohly calls her time in the two capitals as ‘Beautiful and lucky! I love both cities and I’m so inspired by the dedicated artists I’ve met and trained with there.’

From there she returned to New York and studied for several years at the Atlantic Theater Company, where she worked with Pulitzer Prize finalist, novelist and playwright Adam Rapp. ‘I loved the ATC training in Practical Æsthetics. It was a methodology that really worked for me with how my brain processes story and character. I worked with Adam Rapp at the Flea Theater [in Bingo with the Indians] and it was a wonderful experience. His work is raw and exciting and it was a thrill to be in the originating cast and see how things developed.’ She also toured with Shakespeare companies out of college and studied at the Groundlings Theatre once she moved to Los Angeles.

‘I really wanted to explore the film and TV industry in addition to theatre, and at the time that was where most of the jobs were,’ she says. ‘Once I found Groundlings I also felt like I had a theatre-home in LA so that is where I stayed.’

In Los Angeles, Pohly began getting herself credits in television and film. She says that it’s ‘weirdly tough’ to describe whether theatre has helped prepare her for film. ‘My answer is probably different on different days. In some ways they are experiences that have gone hand in hand, and in other ways they are opposites when it comes to the technicalities.’

She is fond of her role as Pepper in Pee-wee’s Big Holiday. ‘It was such an honour to be associated with Paul Reubens and his brilliant work in any way. This was one of my first jobs and I loved every second of it.’ Reubens’ subversive style of humour probably appealed to Pohly, who tells Lucire that she is drawn to work that is more antiestablishment. But there is no limit to where her acting could take her: ‘I’m interested in all kinds of roles. I love the diversity of content out there and I want to always keep growing and stretching myself in different ways.’

As her profile increased, Pohly has met her heroes in her profession, which she describes as ‘exhilarating and weirdly calming,’ adding, ‘People are fascinating.’

Agent Meyer has some similarities to Pohly herself, though not completely. ‘Yeah, she is definitely direct and determined. I could say I’m quite determined and I’m really working on being more direct. I now have read receipts on my text messages as a sort of social experiment in being more of a straight-shooter. I’ll keep you posted.’

Pohly’s latest film is The Arrangement, a short that she wrote, produced and stars in. ‘I absolutely loved the journey of creating my own work for film. I have done this for the stage at Groundlings and transferring that agency to film was a huge and rewarding challenge. I’m currently working on my second film.’ She has already won Best Actress for it at the LA Underground Film Festival, and wants to continue writing and exploring.

As someone who loves her craft, and creates fully fleshed-out characters, it will be a joy to see more of Pohly’s work, behind and in front of the cameras. Our expectations are high: here’s someone who has chosen roles that surprise and delight us, has the training that demonstrates true dedication, and has followed her passions in her career. She expresses so much humanity on screen. We cannot wait to see more of Jessica Pohly. •

 

Jessica Pohly Jessica Pohly Jessica Pohly

 

Jack Yan is founder and publisher of Lucire.

 

 

 

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