Sophia Michaels
Jason Bateman and Laura Linney had a tight bond as “Ozark” costars. Aside from starring on the show, Bateman was also the executive producer and director of nine episodes of “Ozark.” During a 2019 interview with GoldDerby, Bateman was asked about collaborating with Linney and their costar Julia Garner. When discussing Linney, Bateman mentioned the ease of communication between him and the “You Can Count on Me” actor.
“With Laura, there’s a brevity of conversation. We finish each other’s sentences,” Bateman said. He later added, “Her taste is very much in line with mine. I rarely need to say a thing to her or wanna say a thing to her. She’s got so many great ideas and self-directs.” Linney spoke with journalist Larry King on “Larry King Now” in 2017 and revealed that she and Bateman were friendly before “Ozark.” “I had met Jason several times. We’re sort of fond acquaintances,” Linney said. Furthermore, Linney praised Bateman’s directing skills in a 2018 Emmy Magazine chat, per the Television Academy. “Jason is a great director. He’s not just a good director. He’s a really, really, really good director. He enjoys it, he’s great with the crew, [and] he’s great with the company.” Following the end of the series, Bateman and Linney reflected on this chapter of their careers.
