If Delilah Dixon from the ABC hit show A Million Little Things looks familiar, that's because
the actress that portrays her, Stephanie Szostak, has been in multiple blockbuster films over
the years.
From The Devil Wears Prada to Iron Man 3, Szostak is recognizable for a reason.
In The Devil Wears Prada, Szostak played the chic French editor Jacqueline Follet.
The actress was shocked when she got the role, as she explained to Backstage,
"I had never done a studio movie, and I got the call and I was like, 'Oh, my god, I'm
opposite Meryl Streep.'
I was in the waiting room so nervous and thought I didn't do anything great, but then I got
a callback with the director."
However, Szostak didn't always have her heart set on Hollywood.
She left France after high school to attend college in Virginia.
She was a top athlete there, competing in varsity golf at the College of William and
Mary.
She explained to Backstage,
"As actors, our instrument is our body.
We have to warm up, like a dancer - a dancer would never start dancing without warming
up.
There's the confidence aspect of it, and how your mind can affect your performance.
I played golf in college, so you're by yourself and there's a lot of room for thoughts to
creep in and psych yourself out.
It's the same as acting, in a way.
Concentration is really important, and [so is] being in the right place in your mind."
After graduating, she started working at Chanel in New York and was asked to model for one
of their in-house brochures.
Szostak said at that moment that she decided to take a risk and started pursuing modeling
at age 26.
A few years later, she took her first acting class and knew she had found her ultimate
passion.
Szostak told Elle,
"I think I became me in New York City.
It is here that I found my love for acting in my first class taught by the incredible
Sondra Lee."
Soon after her decision to move into acting, she landed roles in hit television shows The
Sopranos, Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Blacklist, and
Younger.
Showing her acting range, Szostak made a move into feature films when she took on roles
in Dinner for Schmucks in We Bought a Zoo.
In the latter, Szostak played the deceased wife of Matt Damon's character, who buys a
zoo that needs a lot of work.
Bringing the zoo back to life becomes a project for his family and children, who heal together
in the process.
Whether it's a serious or a comedic role, Szostak enjoys all aspects of exploring a
character, as she told MyDomaine,
"To me, acting doesn't feel like a job; it's really a passion and something I love and
that I keep learning and growing from.
Every experience is new, so every job is new - that's the beauty of it, in a way.
You keep doing the same thing, but there's no sameness in each job."
Her role in A Million Little Things has Szostak growing as an actress in a new way.
The show features a group of friends from Boston who have bonded through unexpected
circumstances.
Some of the friends have become successful, while others are struggling.
Ultimately they all feel stuck in life in some way.
However, after one of them dies unexpectedly, it spurs the rest of the group to really start
living, and to value the important friendships they have.
"It sort of pushes them to face their own disenchantments and reexamine their relationship
with one another."
In the show, Szostak portrays a mother and a wife who is dealing with the grief of losing
her husband.
Her character, Delilah, is in such distress that she finds it hard to face reality, as
she told Backstage,
"She's in this grief and dealing with all of these conflicting emotions and trying to
ease the pain of her children and not knowing what tomorrow is going to be like, and it's
hard sometimes to be objective."
A Million Little Things marks the first time Szostak has worked as a lead in a network
series, and she's loving every minute of it.
Of the dream role, Szostak told Backstage,
"It's such a lovely, lovely cast, as well as producer and creator."
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more List videos about your favorite celebrities are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.