Mary Holland has the kind of face that makes you think, “Oh good, this is going to get funnier.” She’s been stealing scenes for years, whether as the chaotic delight in Happiest Season, the unhinged neighbor in The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window, or the stern-but-saintly sister in Self-Reliance, Jake Johnson’s “dark web reality thriller” that plays like The Most Dangerous Game if it were co-written by Lonely Island and your group chat.
“I crave dabbling in a multitude of genres,” Holland says, sounding like she’s browsing an acting buffet. “This movie is a genre of its own. It’s a comedy, but it’s an action, it’s a thriller… it’s such a unique combination it makes its own genre.” And she’s not wrong—Self-Reliance is a deeply weird, totally original Hulu flick about a guy being hunted by assassins for a reality show no one believes exists. “We are his Touchstone in life,” Holland says of her character and the family unit she’s a part of. “But at the same time, we do not believe him even a little bit.”
Johnson, who wrote, directed, and stars in the movie, also happens to be a longtime friend. “I did an episode of New Girl with him, and he directed a commercial I was in,” she says. “So when the audition came up, I was over the moon.” It helped that their circle overlaps in comedy. Her onscreen husband, Daryl Johnson, “We do improv together in L.A., so it was really fun to get to do this movie with him.” Yes, Hollywood is big, but comedy? “Comedy’s a small town.”
The character she plays—deadpan, no-nonsense, foot-down older sister—is a natural pivot for an actor known for more chaotic roles. “She took on a parental role when the dad left. The mom is manipulatable by all three of us, so someone had to be the disciplinarian,” Holland says. Her sister in the film, played by Emily Hampshire, brings the goofiness. “She’s kooky, mischievous… and I’m just there saying, ‘Stop.’”
Holland lights up when talking about reading the script. “I couldn’t put it down. It has so much momentum. And Jake—he makes everything look effortless. On set, it was seamless, the way he went from acting to directing to just being present.” She pauses. “And I’m such a fan of him. I sort of marvel at him when he performs. I take notes.”
She sees the whole premise as oddly grounded. “It reminded me of that short story, The Most Dangerous Game. Having to rely on connection and relationships to survive a life-or-death situation—what a clever premise.” And she swears the dark web angle makes it feel plausible. “You throw the words dark web in there, you can do anything.”
That includes having Andy Samberg randomly show up in a limo to offer you the chance of a lifetime. “If Andy Samberg rolls up in a limo, you get in, right?” Holland asks rhetorically. “Say yes to the dress. Or the death game. Whatever.”
She knows a thing or two about spinning high-concept stories into something grounded. As co-writer of Happiest Season, she gracefully handed over the reins when it came time for director Clea DuVall to take over. “I respond really well to authority,” she deadpans. “Somebody says, ‘I’m in charge,’ I’m like, ‘Great!’” Chalk it up to her improv background: “You can’t be precious about anything. It all shifts.”
Asked about the possibility of a sequel to Happiest Season, Holland lights up. “I would love it so much. Just to be in that world again… it’d be such an honor.” Until then, she’s juggling a few other things—like a surreal rom-com called Niagara Falls, and a Lance Bass/Danielle Fishel prom-night biopic that she’s co-writing with her best friend Lauren Lapkus. “It’s about friendship and self-discovery. And yes, it’s real. Lance took Danielle to her prom.”
If that sounds like 90s nostalgia bait, that’s because it is—and Holland’s here for it. “The 90s are having a moment,” she says, eyes wide. “And it’s not just fashion—it’s feelings.”
She closes with a smile: “If you get the chance to make something strange, with people you love? Get in the limo.”
Watch the interview above and then check out the video below.
