Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas Talks ‘Sentimental Value,’ Bad Bunny’s ‘Moving’ Super Bowl Moment and the ‘Constructed Reality’ of Awards Season
There are different ways to say “I love you” in Norwegian and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas is teaching us.
It wasn’t in the script for her to say it to her co-star Renate Reinsve in one of the most pivotal scenes of the best picture nominee “Sentimental Value.” Some versions are reserved for spouses, family members, etc. But when asked which Norwegian version of “I love you” would apply to recent Super Bowl Halftime sensation and cultural juggernaut Bad Bunny, Lilleaas delivered playfully, using the “spouse” version.
“I watched it on my way home,” she says of the performance that captivated millions worldwide. “It was amazing. It was so moving. I was so incredibly moved.”
Her takeaway from that moment, which is a through line in her approach to her craft, was heartfelt: “Love is stronger and will always make its way to the top. I think it’s more our nature to be good to each other than to be bad to each other.”
It’s a reminder that, for Lilleaas, art, whether in music, cinema or language itself, is about emotional connection, not accolades.
When the actress heard her name called on Oscar nomination morning for her supporting turn in “Sentimental Value,” the moment didn’t land all at once.
“It’s such a big deal,” she says on the newest episode of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast. “It’s not something that I’ve ever thought was possible. But it is just this marker of the top level of acting in a way.”
The 36-year-old was still celebrating co-star Elle Fanning’s nomination when her own name followed. “I was still in Elle mode,” she recalls, laughing.
If her performance as the quiet, watchful sister in Joachim Trier’s family drama feels fully formed, it’s because Lilleaas has been building toward it her entire life.
Listen below!
In “Sentimental Value,” Lilleaas plays Agnes Borg Pettersen, a woman who absorbs the emotional shrapnel of her fractured family. It’s a performance of micro-gestures and internal shifts — the opposite of what Oscar pundits often describe as “big” acting.
“I definitely lean more toward the subtlety and the intimacy rather than demonstrating anything,” she says. “I don’t like that as an audience.”
Her character survives by receding. “She’s a very subtle person in the family. She has to be, because she has to take a step back to let all the other big personalities act themselves out. And that’s her function in the family — to keep them all together.”
That instinct toward restraint is personal. Though trained in physical theater in Norway — “very expressive and very far from who I am as an actor” — she discovered the body leads her process.
“You have to listen to what the body is saying,” she says. “You, as an intellectual, are not the leader in the situation, because then you’re dictating what the result is going to be. And that’s none of your business as an actor.”
The film’s emotional crescendo comes in a bedroom scene between Lilleaas and co-star Reinsve, who plays her sister Nora — a hug that wasn’t fully scripted.
“We knew it was an important, pivotal scene in the movie,” she says. “Everyone was so attentive, and it was this very emotional, intimate vibe on set. That gives you confidence and a feeling of being held, which makes it so much easier to be vulnerable.”
After a strong take, Lilleaas felt an impulse. “I felt this need to hug her,” she says. “And I was hesitant, because improvisation can also ruin a good take sometimes.”
Trier sensed it. “He said, ‘Just go hug her.’ And I went to the bed, and we hugged. And I just felt so filled with love for sisterhood and for these characters.”
The moment culminates with a declaration of love in Norwegian — a phrase reserved for the deepest bonds. “It’s what you say to your husband when you get married,” she explains.
Like many international breakouts, Lilleaas has been thrust into the whirlwind of awards season.
“I definitely did not know how it works,” she says of the months-long campaign trail. “You see people promoting movies, but you never really think much of it. Now I’m like, OK, that person was in three different countries in three different days. How’s that even possible?”
She laughs at the race’s vocabulary. “‘Snub’ is also a new word. I think it’s insane.”
While she’s grateful for the recognition — including Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations — she keeps it in perspective. “My value as a person is not reliant on me being nominated for anything or being snubbed,” she says. “It’s such a constructed reality. It’s not a real competition. We made something months ago, and now we’re putting it in a pot, and somebody’s going to choose one.”
Growing up in Norway, Lilleaas fell in love with movies early. Her parents ran a local theater production company, introducing her to performance as a communal act. One English-language performance left a particular imprint.
“I remember seeing ‘Erin Brockovich’ and being struck by the acting,” she says. “I think Julia Roberts is amazing.”
For all the new doors opening — including the possibility of English-language films — Lilleaas remains cautious.
“It would be lovely to try to work in English,” she says. “But it is something different. You lose a little bit of the intimacy sometimes, because a lot of that is in language.”
She isn’t chasing specific collaborators. “I want to work with people who want to work with me,” she says. “I’m not the kind of person who scratches at people’s doors. I will go where I’m wanted.”
It’s a philosophy that extends to motherhood and career. “When you look at their childhood versus your career, what matters most is their perception of you as a parent,” she says of her children. “Their needs will always win.”
Before the Oscars ceremony, she’s already onto her next project — a new Norwegian film beginning production Monday. The specifics are under wraps, but the direction is clear: more complexity, more truth.
Doing “Sentimental Value,” she says, “made me hungrier for those kinds of roles — more complex characters.”
In a season obsessed with volume and victory speeches, Lilleaas’ ascent has been defined by trust, vulnerability and the radical act of listening. For an actress who thrives in the smallest movements, that may be her greatest strength.
Variety Awards Circuit: Oscars
Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, hosted by Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangcay, Emily Longeretta 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.
It wasn’t in the script for her to say it to her co-star Renate Reinsve in one of the most pivotal scenes of the best picture nominee “Sentimental Value.” Some versions are reserved for spouses, family members, etc. But when asked which Norwegian version of “I love you” would apply to recent Super Bowl Halftime sensation and cultural juggernaut Bad Bunny, Lilleaas delivered playfully, using the “spouse” version.
“I watched it on my way home,” she says of the performance that captivated millions worldwide. “It was amazing. It was so moving. I was so incredibly moved.”
Her takeaway from that moment, which is a through line in her approach to her craft, was heartfelt: “Love is stronger and will always make its way to the top. I think it’s more our nature to be good to each other than to be bad to each other.”
It’s a reminder that, for Lilleaas, art, whether in music, cinema or language itself, is about emotional connection, not accolades.
When the actress heard her name called on Oscar nomination morning for her supporting turn in “Sentimental Value,” the moment didn’t land all at once.
“It’s such a big deal,” she says on the newest episode of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast. “It’s not something that I’ve ever thought was possible. But it is just this marker of the top level of acting in a way.”
The 36-year-old was still celebrating co-star Elle Fanning’s nomination when her own name followed. “I was still in Elle mode,” she recalls, laughing.
If her performance as the quiet, watchful sister in Joachim Trier’s family drama feels fully formed, it’s because Lilleaas has been building toward it her entire life.
Listen below!
In “Sentimental Value,” Lilleaas plays Agnes Borg Pettersen, a woman who absorbs the emotional shrapnel of her fractured family. It’s a performance of micro-gestures and internal shifts — the opposite of what Oscar pundits often describe as “big” acting.
“I definitely lean more toward the subtlety and the intimacy rather than demonstrating anything,” she says. “I don’t like that as an audience.”
Her character survives by receding. “She’s a very subtle person in the family. She has to be, because she has to take a step back to let all the other big personalities act themselves out. And that’s her function in the family — to keep them all together.”
That instinct toward restraint is personal. Though trained in physical theater in Norway — “very expressive and very far from who I am as an actor” — she discovered the body leads her process.
“You have to listen to what the body is saying,” she says. “You, as an intellectual, are not the leader in the situation, because then you’re dictating what the result is going to be. And that’s none of your business as an actor.”
The film’s emotional crescendo comes in a bedroom scene between Lilleaas and co-star Reinsve, who plays her sister Nora — a hug that wasn’t fully scripted.
“We knew it was an important, pivotal scene in the movie,” she says. “Everyone was so attentive, and it was this very emotional, intimate vibe on set. That gives you confidence and a feeling of being held, which makes it so much easier to be vulnerable.”
After a strong take, Lilleaas felt an impulse. “I felt this need to hug her,” she says. “And I was hesitant, because improvisation can also ruin a good take sometimes.”
Trier sensed it. “He said, ‘Just go hug her.’ And I went to the bed, and we hugged. And I just felt so filled with love for sisterhood and for these characters.”
The moment culminates with a declaration of love in Norwegian — a phrase reserved for the deepest bonds. “It’s what you say to your husband when you get married,” she explains.
Like many international breakouts, Lilleaas has been thrust into the whirlwind of awards season.
“I definitely did not know how it works,” she says of the months-long campaign trail. “You see people promoting movies, but you never really think much of it. Now I’m like, OK, that person was in three different countries in three different days. How’s that even possible?”
She laughs at the race’s vocabulary. “‘Snub’ is also a new word. I think it’s insane.”
While she’s grateful for the recognition — including Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations — she keeps it in perspective. “My value as a person is not reliant on me being nominated for anything or being snubbed,” she says. “It’s such a constructed reality. It’s not a real competition. We made something months ago, and now we’re putting it in a pot, and somebody’s going to choose one.”
Growing up in Norway, Lilleaas fell in love with movies early. Her parents ran a local theater production company, introducing her to performance as a communal act. One English-language performance left a particular imprint.
“I remember seeing ‘Erin Brockovich’ and being struck by the acting,” she says. “I think Julia Roberts is amazing.”
For all the new doors opening — including the possibility of English-language films — Lilleaas remains cautious.
“It would be lovely to try to work in English,” she says. “But it is something different. You lose a little bit of the intimacy sometimes, because a lot of that is in language.”
She isn’t chasing specific collaborators. “I want to work with people who want to work with me,” she says. “I’m not the kind of person who scratches at people’s doors. I will go where I’m wanted.”
It’s a philosophy that extends to motherhood and career. “When you look at their childhood versus your career, what matters most is their perception of you as a parent,” she says of her children. “Their needs will always win.”
Before the Oscars ceremony, she’s already onto her next project — a new Norwegian film beginning production Monday. The specifics are under wraps, but the direction is clear: more complexity, more truth.
Doing “Sentimental Value,” she says, “made me hungrier for those kinds of roles — more complex characters.”
In a season obsessed with volume and victory speeches, Lilleaas’ ascent has been defined by trust, vulnerability and the radical act of listening. For an actress who thrives in the smallest movements, that may be her greatest strength.
Variety Awards Circuit: Oscars
Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, hosted by Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangcay, Emily Longeretta 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.