The best roles of Chloê Sevigny

The gaze of Chloë Sevigny is something you can’t invent; you either have it or you don’t. Seemingly shy, with her face tilted upward from below, her crystalline eyes both scrutinize and seduce, captivating and unsettling you at the same time. The glances of the actress—born in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1974—have become her signature, piercing through the screen and into the hearts of viewers. Fans from the youth revolution that Sevigny was part of in the late 90s, during the early stages of her career, have elevated her to a muse for some of the most significant filmmakers of tomorrow, such as her friend Luca Guadagnino. Goddess and demon, angelic and diabolical, we discover Chloë Sevigny in her top ten works in cinema and TV. 

Kids (1995) by Larry Clark

This was the first feature film for Chloë Sevigny, director Larry Clark, and screenwriter Harmony Korine. Kids gave a jolt to indie American cinema in the 90s, overturning the status quo and shaking the industry as only “monelli” (the Italian subtitle, meaning "rascals") can. The film is a 24-hour journey into the lives of a group of teens dealing with the grime and decay of New York City, indulging in wild drug use and uncontrolled escapades. Nothing is sugar-coated, and as expected, the film wasn’t immediately well-received, particularly by those unwilling to delve into the grittier sides of cinema. A foundational piece of the cultural shift of the 90s generation, Sevigny played the role of Jennie, alongside another newcomer, Rosario Dawson. 

Gummo (1997) by Harmony Korine

Only two years after *Kids*, Sevigny returned as a lead in another project by Harmony Korine, who this time also directed. The film, Gummo, marked the directorial debut of the Californian filmmaker and, much like the pink bunny ears worn by the protagonist, became an iconic title. The story centers on the amorality of its characters, who revel in boredom and brush against the abyss of nihilism, set against the backdrop of a town destroyed by a devastating tornado. 

Boys Don’t Cry (1999) by Kimberly Peirce

Chloë Sevigny cemented her status as a 90s icon with the trio of Kids, Gummo, and Boys Don’t Cry, the debut feature by Kimberly Peirce, which earned Hilary Swank an Academy Award for Best Actress and Sevigny her first (and so far only) Oscar nomination. The film tackles transphobia at the turn of the century, exploring the painful experience of being born into a body that doesn’t align with one’s identity. The story focuses on Brandon, whose outward appearance belies his enduring sense of being male, in a narrative that delves deeply into the search for self. 

American Psycho (2000) by Mary Harron

The actress continued to feature in films that became cult classics. Such is the case with American Psycho, an adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s novel, co-written for the screen by Guinevere Turner and director Mary Harron. The protagonist, Patrick Bateman, played by Christian Bale, is infamous for his obsession with business cards. Sevigny portrayed Jean, a young woman longing for a loving relationship, but as we know, things never end well for the women Bateman dates. 

Dogville (2003) by Lars von Trier

By 2003, the macabre still lingered in Sevigny’s career. It’s hard to say no to Lars von Trier. Sevigny starred in Dogville, the story of Grace (played by Nicole Kidman), a woman fleeing from gangsters who seeks protection in the titular town. Initially, Grace notices nothing unusual, but soon she is ensnared in a web of pain and violence. The film, a blend of theatricality and experimental cinema, is a harrowing piece that aligns with von Trier’s bleak worldview. 

Russian Doll (2019–2022)

Moving to television, Sevigny became one of the stars of Netflix’s Russian Doll, co-created by lead actress Natasha Lyonne. Once again, Sevigny played a challenging parent, this time brought to life through the memories and recollections of Lyonne’s character, Nadia Vulvokov. The series revolves around time loops and their inherently circular nature, teaching that it’s impossible to escape your past—or worse, your mother. 

We Are Who We Are (2020)

A major leap forward in Sevigny’s career came with roles for directors like Jim Jarmusch, David Fincher, and Werner Herzog. By 2020, she starred in Luca Guadagnino’s eight-episode series We Are Who We Are, portraying Sarah Wilson, a colonel tasked with leading a new military base where she relocates with her wife Maggie (played by Alice Braga) and their son Fraser (played by Jack Dylan Grazer). The series is visceral, emotional, and above all, as fresh and intense as youth itself. Like many of Guadagnino’s works, the show is captivating and dynamic, with Sevigny’s character embodying the type of adult who watches from the sidelines as the younger generation carves its path. 

Bones and All (2022) by Luca Guadagnino

Guadagnino returned to cast Sevigny in another maternal role in 2022’s romance-horror film Bones and All, where she played a problematic and detached mother. Sevigny shared a heartbreaking scene with her on-screen daughter, Taylor Russell, in which their confrontation underscores a parent’s inability to provide love to their own child. 

Feud: Capote vs. The Swans (2024)

Although in 2024 she appeared in Monster: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez, the second season of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series, the must-watch title of the year is Feud: Capote vs. The Swans. Based on Laurence Leamer’s Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era, the series explores the time when Truman Capote mingled with his “swans,” high-society Hollywood women immersed in glamour, fashion, and gossip. In this, Sevigny plays C.Z. Guest, a writer, actress, and fashion designer, known as the inventor of preppy style and one of the most elegant women in American history.