The Reason Julia Garner Has Watched Each Season Of Ozark Twice

Ever since her breakout role at the age of 16, actress Julia Garner has been lauded for her empathetic portrayals of people living on the edges of society. Those who follow her career weren't shocked when she was cast as scrappy criminal Ruth Langmore on the Jason Bateman and Laura Linney starring Netflix original series Ozark. And those who were unfamiliar with the actress were likely surprised to learn that she grew up in Manhattan, not Missouri, and her accent on the show couldn't be farther from her normal speaking voice. When it comes to fully inhabiting her characters, Garner is just that good — and even won an Emmy in 2019 for her portrayal of Ruth.

Garner's uncanny ability to give fully fleshed-out performances isn't all raw talent (though she has plenty of that). The actress takes her craft seriously, and has a critical eye toward her own work. In a video interview with Variety, the actress opened up about how she views the shows she is in — specifically, Ozark. Garner admitted that, like many Netflix obsessives before her, she's watched every season of Ozark twice through — for one very specific reason.

During her interview with Variety's After-Show, Garner dished on why she's watched Ozark twice. It isn't out of a vain urge; in fact, it's quite the opposite.

"I usually like watching things twice, just because I'm so nervous about if I'm bad or not. So the first time I see it... I just watch and like, 'Oh, I hope this is at least passable,'" the actress said. Garner clarified that she finds she learns a lot about her performances when watching them back, and even sometimes watches them with the sound off to focus on her physicality and body language.

She went on to add that the purpose of doing a second viewing is so she can enjoy the series the same way the rest of us do. On The Los Angeles Times' podcast Can't Stop Watching, Garner elaborated on her method for watching her own work: "I still have a hard time watching myself, I cover half of my face when I do, but I keep one little eye open, kind of." That certainly explains why she needs to watch it one more time to actually take in the show itself.

Garner's TV watching habits are partially informed by working on her craft, but the actress is also just a fan of the medium in general. During the Variety interview, the 26-year-old got into the other Netflix shows she's been binge watching lately.

After discussing her Ozark viewing ritual, Garner revealed what else was in her "Recently Watched" tab on Netflix: "I've been watching Tiger King, I've been watching Love Is Blind." When the interviewer pressed her for her thoughts on Tiger King subject Carole Baskin, the actress didn't have a confident answer for whether she thought the Big Cat Rescue owner was involved in any nefarious activities. Instead, she pointed to the proliferation of memes about Baskin, saying, "There's ten percept of the truth in jokes."

As for Love Is Blind, Garner didn't hesitate before naming her favorite couple on the reality TV series: Cameron and Lauren. The actress said she was relieved that the couple didn't split up after getting engaged without ever having seen one another (the premise of the show is to see if love truly is blind), and added that she had sympathy for Love Is Blind participant Jessica, who faced harsh criticism from her fellow cast members during the reunion special.

The Variety interview wasn't the only time Garner has opened up about what shows she can't get enough of. In fact, the actress has never been shy about naming her favorite shows, whether they be high-brow, or low-brow. In multiple interviews, she's even cited one reality TV series in particular as an all-time favorite.

When Garner is asked what TV shows she likes to watch, one series comes up over and over: The Real Housewives. As Garner explained on the Can't Stop Watching podcast, it's a love affair she's been having for a long time: "I've been watching The Real Housewives since season one."

So, now the question every other Housewives fanatic has: What franchises are her favorites? Garner named The Real Housewives of New York City and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills as her top picks. She did also give a shoutout to the one that started it all: "[The Real Housewives of Orange County] I still watch because it's the original."

In another interview with Fashion Magazine, Garner got more specific about her Housewives viewing habits. When it comes to her favorite series, she doesn't even need to actually see it. The actress said, "I don't even have to watch, I can just go to the other room and just hear them banter, I love it."