Williams Felt the Shift

Michelle Williams didn’t need awards buzz or critic reviews to realize Brokeback Mountain would leave a mark she saw it in the eyes of the audience before the film even premiered.

During a recent appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Michelle Williams opened up about a powerful moment from the Brokeback Mountain press tour that has stayed with her. Reflecting on the film’s early reception, she recalled witnessing raw emotion from unexpected audiences. “Seeing grown men in tears that’s not something you experience often,” she shared. “That was the moment we realized this film meant something deeply personal to people.”

Released in 2005, Brokeback Mountain told the story of a decades-long secret romance between two cowboys, played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger — Williams’ then-partner and father of her daughter. Williams and Anne Hathaway portrayed their unsuspecting wives, caught in the emotional fallout of hidden love.

The film became a cultural milestone and earned multiple Oscar nominations. But its Best Picture loss to Crash remains one of the Academy’s most talked-about decisions. In a 2024 interview, director Ang Lee revealed he had been told to wait by the stage during the ceremony everyone expected Brokeback Mountain to win. “Stay here, just stay here,” he was told, just before Jack Nicholson opened the envelope and named Crash the winner instead.

Now, Williams is channeling her instinct for meaningful stories into a new role. She stars in Hulu’s Dying for Sex, a bold and intimate series based on the real-life story of Molly Kochan, a woman who embarks on a journey of self-discovery after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Comedian Jenny Slate co-stars as her best friend, bringing humor and heart to the emotional journey.

Williams said she was immediately drawn to the project after hearing the podcast it’s based on. In an interview with Women’s Health, she described being “a puddle on the floor” after listening — twice.

From emotionally raw performances to deeply human stories, Williams continues to be a performer guided not just by scripts, but by soul.