Kathryn Hahn Is Embracing the Wisdom of Aging

Kathryn Hahn, 51, made a splash as Agatha Harkness on the hit Disney+ series WandaVision when it was revealed that she was not just a meddling neighbor but in fact a powerful, centuries-old witch with a devious agenda. Hahn says that she was hopeful she’d get to “pop in here and there” as Agatha on other Marvel projects but tells AARP that learning she would headline a new Disney+ show, Agatha All Along, premiering Sept. 18, was “a complete surprise.” Hahn shares the real-life superpower she’d love to possess, her advice for younger actors and how she feels about aging in Hollywood.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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How did you prepare for the role of Agatha?

As the actor, it’s a lot about really fun research. For this character in the Marvel world, it was about taking every piece of her image or lines of dialogue in any of the Marvel comics that she had been in and trying to wrap my brain and my arms around her, how she’s been represented. And then lastly is Jac’s script. [Jac Schaeffer is the head writer of WandaVision and Agatha All Along.] Jac really gave me all that I needed. Then we put the costumes on, and I had a movement coach. The thing about these Marvel projects, which I love so much, is that it is such a team effort. These characters are born of so many artisans, and I loved collaborating with all of them because it’s a real new world for me.

Were you already a Marvel fan before landing the role?

I came up with Marvel alongside my kids [Leonard, 18, and Mae, 15] — mostly my son. I would go to all the movies with him, and I really was impressed.

Hahn stars as Agatha Harkness with, from left, Sasheer Zamata, Joe Locke and Debra Jo Rupp in Disney+'s "Agatha All Along."

Courtesy Marvel Television

You’ve said you watched WandaVision with your kids. What did they think?

There were so many questions during WandaVision, and the kids wanted to know [plot spoilers] — everyone wanted to know — and I was, like, “No.” Because I really took it seriously, so we were able to watch it every Friday night as a family, which we haven’t done since they were so little. And they got invested, so when that big reveal about Agatha happened, they really did not see it coming. It was really legitimately just fun to see an honest reaction to it.

In real life, if you could have a superpower, what would you choose?

I live in Los Angeles, so I would like to teleport over the 405. [I-405 in Southern California is one of the most congested interstates in the United States.]