Although notable female actresses such as Reese Witherspoon and Jena Malone make up the ensemble for Paul Thomas Anderson‘s Inherent Vice, the director still hadn’t found a co-lead for Joaquin Phoenix — that is, until tonight. According to Deadline, The Master helmer has locked in the lead female actress, who’ll also be joining Sean Penn, Owen Wilson, Benicio Del Toro, Martin Short and Kevin O’Connor,
After bit roles in Michael Clayton, Taking Woodstock and Robot & Frank, Katherine Waterston has booked the coveted role in the film, playing a former lover of Phoenix’s character named Shasta Fay. Described as a”free-spirited hippie chick who turns straight for real estate mogul Mickey Wolfmann,” our lead character is tasked with protecting her from Wolfmann and his new wife.
The daughter of Sam Waterston, she’s also lined up a few major projects this year, most notably one part of The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby with Jessica Chastain and Joel Edgerton, as well as Kelly Reichardt‘s Meek’s Cutoff follow-up Night Moves. We’d expect both of those to be on the fall festival circuit, while the 1970-set Inherent Vice shoots all summer for a 2014 release.
Have you seen Waterston in anything? Are you looking forward to her break out role?