Jennifer Jason Leigh says she would do a "Hateful Eight" prequel

Jennifer Jason Leigh knows how to make an entrance.

Ten minutes into "Fargo" season five, she makes quite a memorable one when her character Lorraine Lyon descends the stairs of her palatial Minnesota home and purrs, "I'm here."

Moments later, she's barking orders at her employees and outfitting her family — young grandchild included — with semi-automatic rifles for their annual Christmas card photo. "It's about strength," she explains. "A projection of our values as a family."

The manic energy that roils beneath the surface of Lorraine's steely demeanor is classic Leigh. In her more than four decades in Hollywood, she's made a career out of playing women who are hardened but more than a little bit unhinged, from the deranged and deadly fugitive Daisy Domergue in Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight," to psychotic roommate Hedy Carlson in "Single White Female," to the drug-addicted punk rock singer Sadie Flood in "Georgia," to name only a few.

So Leigh is right at home in Noah Hawley's crime drama anthology "Fargo" as the stone-cold matriarch and CEO of a billion-dollar debt collection agency who learns her daughter-in-law Dot (Juno Temple) isn't quite what she seems.

Going toe-to-toe with Temple is an early highlight of the season, as the two have a tense confrontation in which Lorraine's iciness cracks Dot's Minnesota-nice façade. "I love the shift that happens in that scene and the discovery, the surprise," Leigh told Business Insider.

While there's no love lost between Dot and Lorraine, Leigh said Temple is an all-star scene partner.

"She's incredibly alive and generous and true," she said. "We spent a lot of time together before that scene. But it doesn't matter how many times we did it, it always felt like I was in it for the first time. And that's because of Juno."

In the first installment of Business Insider's "Role Play" series, Leigh talks about another extremely generous scene partner, making a best friend on the set of "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," and almost being cast in "The Terminator."

On the movie set that spoiled her — and introduced her to her lifelong best friend

"Fast Times at Ridgemont High" a breakthrough role for you. It also featured several other actors who later became huge stars. What was it like on that set? Did you know you were about to become very famous?

We didn't know that at all. But I mean, listen, I met my best friend to this day on that movie, so that movie will always be very special.

Your best friend being…?

Phoebe Cates. We had what they call a two-banger trailer, and we would always just keep the door open. And she would stay over — I still lived at home, I was a kid, and she would stay over at my mom's house all the time.

She and I met and it was an effortless, real, and very deep friendship. I think we were very well cast in terms of our dynamic as friends, which we still sort of have. She's just one of the wisest, funniest people I know.

Have you re-watched "Fast Times" recently?

I haven't watched it recently. I think the last time I watched it was probably 10 years ago or something. Long time ago.

It definitely holds up. It was before its time.

It kind of spoiled us, in a way, because it was so well done and was such a fun, good movie. And it was such a success to have that right out the gate and you think, "Oh yeah, that's just what making a movie is." But then you realize later, no, it's kind of rare.

But we had a great time making it, as I recall. I love that movie. I don't know that that movie would even be made today.

In 2020, there was a celebrity virtual table read of "Fast Times" for COVID relief and Julia Roberts played your part, Stacy.

Oh, really? I didn't see that.

You're not familiar with that?

No, I mean, I heard about it. I didn't know who played what parts, though.

What did you hear about it?

I just heard that it was a big thing where the celebrities sat down and they read it out loud.

On the enjoyable experience of getting punched by Kurt Russell

I remember hearing that you were handcuffed to Kurt Russell for five months filming "The Hateful Eight."

It was a long time, but I mean, who better to be handcuffed to?

Fair enough. If you had to pick another costar to be chained to for that long, who would it be?

No, always Kurt.

Always Kurt?

I'd always pick him for anything. I wouldn't trade him for anything. I loved him and I felt so safe with him. I mean, this is someone who had to basically punch me every other day. I never worried he was going to actually hit me. I was in such good hands.

If I were to slip or anything, because it was always cold [filming], he would catch me. And for that final scene — he'd lie there dead on the floor for me for weeks when we shot that final scene. They had a dummy that looked exactly like him — we have all these videos of people on set torturing the dummy — but he was there for me the entire time. And it means so much to me.

In a way, it's like the characters kind of love each other in some crazy, horrible way. But yeah, I love Kurt Russell.

On losing out on Catwoman — and the other role that got away

You've had a prolific career. With over 100 credited roles, what's one project you were in that you wish people paid more attention to?

It got a lot of attention in its day, but I really love "Georgia." Because it was a very personal project to me. And I loved "Anomalisa," and "Miami Blues."

What's the role that got away?

Tim Burton. I was close to getting Catwoman.

Oh, wow.

I didn't get it because Michelle Pfeiffer was offered it, and it's okay. But I had met him a couple times and I'd seen some sketches of costumes and all of that.

And I had also auditioned a few times for "Terminator." I have a 13-year-old, so we're watching these movies now and they're really significant to him. To imagine being in that... because I haven't made that many films that a child can watch.

Is he aware of that? Was he like, "That could have been my mom," when you're watching it?

I'm not sure, but he's aware that I haven't made very many movies that he can see. And now he's also getting to the age where he doesn't even want to see stuff. I mean, because I think it's weird to see your mom in something.

On the flip side, what's a role that you memorably turned down, and why?

That I never like to say, because I've turned down so many good things that just make me seem like an idiot. And also, I ended up loving the movies, and if I had been in it, it wouldn't have been that film.

I've always liked the actresses that ended up playing the part. I feel I can watch the movies, and there's never any bitterness or anything. I just forget even that I turned it down. Except when I think about it in retrospect, and then I don't feel great about my choices.

What's one movie of yours that you'd want to see rebooted with a different actor in your role?

That's fun. Maybe "Anniversary Party."

Do you have an actor in mind for that?

That's an even harder question, but that would be fun to see somebody else play that part. There'd be so many people that could do it so well.

What's one role you'd want to revive yourself?

I mean, you can't really do "Hateful Eight" again, but that was such a pleasure to work on. We could have shot that another six months, I would've been happy. But of course, she's dead, so I don't know how! I guess you could do a prequel.

"Fargo" season five airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX, streaming the next day on Hulu.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.