Ozark Season 4 Star Reveals Bizarre Inspiration For Ruth's Intense Scream
Warning: Spoilers ahead for the first seven episodes of Ozark season 4.
Ozark star Julia Garner reveals the bizarre inspiration for Ruth's intense scream in season four episode seven. After almost two years since the release of Ozark season 3, the show finally returned for its fourth and final season last month. With season 4 split into two seven-episode parts, Netflix dropped only part one of the popular crime drama series, with no word yet on when fans can expect part two.
The show, which chronicles the Byrde family's money laundering schemes for a notorious Mexican drug cartel, reached new levels of intensity with its mid-season finale, seeing cartel leader Javi (Alfonso Herrera) shockingly kill both Darlene Snell (Lisa Emery) and her new husband, Wyatt Langmore (Charlie Tahan). Upon discovering the death of Wyatt, one of her few remaining family members, Ruth flies into a rage, confronting Marty and Wendy Byrde (Jason Bateman and Laura Linney) at their home. In one of the season's most intense and memorable moments, Ruth screams that she's going to kill Javi despite the danger it will pose for the Byrde family and that if they want to stop her, they'll have to kill her.
During a new interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Garner reveals that there are actually some strange inspirations for her scream in the final episode of part one. Garner cites the chaotic artwork of Caravaggio, several pieces in particular, as inspirations for Ruth's headspace, but also presents an image of boxing legend Mike Tyson mid-scream as something else that inspired her. Check out Garner's full comment below:
"I'm very visual and I get inspired from different things, and I really kind of just wanted the spirit of a Caravaggio painting, and the darkness. And, you know, I feel like Caravaggio paints intensity and chaos so well.
But that wasn't really doing [it]. I got inspired by it, but there was still something missing. And then I realized Mike Tyson is also another inspiration for me."
Mike Tyson is legendary for his intensity and the photo Garner presents was taken at the fighter's infamous match with Evander Holyfield in which he bit a portion of his opponent's ear off. Referencing the photo, Garner says, "Mike Tyson – this face – could be a Caravaggio painting." She also joked, "I think he was very mad there, too." While the Caravaggio painting and a photo of Tyson screaming might seem like peculiar inspirations for Garner's performance as Ruth in Ozark season 4's part 1 finale, they clearly allowed her to get into the headspace necessary to capture such an intense and destructive moment for her character.
While Ozark is rife with strong performances, Garner is particularly noteworthy for her portrayal of the foul-mouthed Ruth Langmore. With part one of Ozark season 4 ending on a cliffhanger, it remains to be seen what will become of Ruth and her quest for vengeance. In a show as brutal and ruthless as Ozark, the events of part one suggest that Ruth won't stop until either she or Javi is dead, creating a significant problem for the Byrde family. With the upcoming part two promising a bloody and intense conclusion to the Byrde family saga, it wouldn't be surprising if Garner has to revisit the Caravaggio and Mike Tyson inspirations she drew from for the ending of Ozark season 4, part one.