Laura Linney talks Ozark final season including her directorial debut

As fans brace for the arrival of the very last season of Ozark, set to drop on Netflix on April 29, actor Laura Linney, who stars in the show as Wendy Byrde, opens up about the remaining episodes and her official directorial debut towards the end of the series.

"I will truly miss playing Wendy," Laura said to Parade in a new interview. "You think she’s one thing, and then she turns into something else. And then you realize how complicated she is. She’s deeply flawed and challenged and smart and effective—and very immature. She’s been a joy to play."

The 58-year-old actor took on the part when Ozark first premiered to critical acclaim and much fanfare back in 2017. Four seasons in, the second and last part of the final season of the series is set to debut on the streaming giant in just a few days and Laura will make her directorial debut on episode 11 of 14.

Details about the episode that the four-time Emmy Award winner will direct are being kept under wraps, but if Laura’s devotion to the show and her character are of any indication, we’re undoubtedly in for a memorable time. 

"When a show is well-run and you like the people you’re working with, it doesn’t matter how heavy the material is, you just feel good," the actor said about the series as a whole. "You're happy at the end of the day."

In the interview, Laura also opened up about aging in Hollywood, refreshingly calling life " a privilege." 

"Particularly when I was filming The Big C, I would get very irritated when I would hear people complain about aging," Laura said, mentioning the 2010 Showtime series about a teacher diagnosed with cancer. "I know it's not pleasant. It's not fun. It's frightening. But I have a lot of friends who are no longer with us who would trade places with anyone whose back is hurting a little bit or someone who feels like their face doesn't look like it did when they were 20. It puts things in perspective pretty quickly."

On Ozark, Laura stars opposite Jason Bateman, who takes on the role of financial advisor (and Wendy's husband) Marty Byrde. On the show, the husband-and-wife duo moves with their kids Charlotte and Jonah from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks, where they launder money to placate a drug boss. 

Full of drama and tension, Ozark is one of those hold-your-breath shows that we suggest you don’t watch before going to sleep—but that you should certainly catch up on before the final season premieres soon.