Chase Infiniti is living the dream she never fully believed would come true.
The 24-year-old Indianapolis native makes her feature debut in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another,” stepping into the role of Willa Ferguson, a teenager caught between family legacy and personal identity when a group of ex-revolutionaries reunite to rescue her after an enemy resurfaces 16 years later.
“It’s half Paul and half me,” Infiniti says of Willa’s character. “Half of her comes from his writing, and the other half I brought from my own life and experiences.”
Infiniti’s path to Anderson’s sprawling militia epic wasn’t straightforward. Raised in Indianapolis, she studied musical theater at Columbia College in Chicago. Despite her passion, she didn’t land many roles in college productions, instead finding opportunities in summer stock and community theaters. “I never thought this would happen. I would’ve been happy with even one line in a movie,” she says, recalling her early dreams.
Infiniti introduces herself to Hollywood, and the rest of the cinema loving world on the season 12 premiere of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast. Listen below.
Her name, a mash-up of Nicole Kidman’s Chase Meridian from “Batman Forever” and Pixar’s “Toy Story,” feels oddly prophetic for an actor now stepping into Hollywood’s spotlight.
Chase Infiniti in “One Battle After Another”
©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
In “One Battle After Another,” Willa is no stock teenager. With a purple belt in martial arts and a razor-sharp sense of agency, she emerges as one of Anderson’s most compelling young protagonists. “She’s assertive, but not pretentious. She’s hopeful. I think she represents the possibility of a better future,” Infiniti explains.
Infiniti prepared for the role by traveling with Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio (who plays her father) to Eureka, Calif. “Meeting people in that town helped me lock Willa in. I noticed how communities interacted, and that grounded her for me.”
Infiniti shares the screen with DiCaprio, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor and two-time Oscar winner Sean Penn. A key sequence with Penn, in which Willa undergoes a tense DNA test, became a lesson in restraint and reactive acting. “It felt like sparring,” she describes. “He’s intimidating, but Paul [Thomas Anderson] encouraged us to lean into that raw, natural reaction. It was exhilarating.”
Infiniti is particularly effusive in her admiration for both Hall and Taylor during our sitdown. Speaking about Taylor’s performance, she said she was “so amazing” in bringing the character of Perfidia to life, making her “even more colorful” than what appeared on the page.
When it came to Hall, Infiniti emphasized how much strength and subtlety she brought to the role of Deandra. “Deandra is a quiet character in a sense, but she’s not quiet,” she asserts. “She really is the most central force of strength that’s in the film, and she does a fantastic job of almost honing in every character and being a mother to Willa — a mother that she never got to have.”
Despite the starry company, Infiniti admits she’s still adjusting. “Half of me thought I could be here, half of me thought I couldn’t. I had no industry connections, no on-camera work before this. Paul literally hired me without seeing my first job,” she says. “Now I’m on this press tour and it’s surreal.”
Infiniti’s real-life parents, meanwhile, are taking it all in. “My mom cries every time she sees the trailer. There’s a shot of Lockjaw holding Willa’s baby picture and she always says, ‘That’s my baby.’”
Though she’s only just arrived, Infiniti is already dreaming of future roles. She’d love to work with Greta Gerwig or Steven Spielberg — and she’s vocal about her passion for movie musicals. “If they ever adapt ‘Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812’ into a film, I don’t even need to book it. I just want to be seen for Natasha,” she declares.
As for advice to her younger self, Infiniti borrows wisdom passed down to her: “You have nothing to prove, but everything to show.”
©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
Rapid Fire Questions with Chase Infiniti
Favorite Paul Thomas Anderson film (other than “One Battle After Another”)?
“Boogie Nights.”
Favorite Leonardo DiCaprio performance?
“Catch Me If You Can.”
Favorite Benicio del Toro movie?
“The Usual Suspects.”
Favorite horror film?
“Get Out.” (though she admits she’s a self-described “scaredy cat.”)
Movie that makes you cry every time?
“Toy Story 3.”
Funniest movie of all time?
“One Battle After Another.” (“It’s an action comedy!” she laughs.)
Director you’d most like to work with next?
“Steven Spielberg, Greta Gerwig, or the Daniels. Honestly, anyone who wants to see me.”
Also featured on this episode is Dwayne Johnson, star and producer of Benny Safdie’s dramatic biopic “The Smashing Machine.”
Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, hosted by Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangcay, Emily Longeretta, Jenelle Riley and Michael Schneider, who also produces, is your one-stop source for lively conversations about the best in film and television. Each episode, “Awards Circuit” features interviews with top film and TV talent and creatives, discussions and debates about awards races and industry headlines, and much more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or anywhere you download podcasts.
