Steve Zahn’s journey to beloved character actor began as a munchkin in Mankato, Minnesota.
“The first play I did was ‘The Wizard of Oz’ in elementary school,” says Zahn (who is now known for his roles in “The White Lotus,” “That Thing You Do!”, and “War for the Planet of the Apes”). He smiles. “I loved being a munchkin.”
As he moved through high school, Zahn left behind football, fishing, and hunting, and joined an improv group, watched Laurel and Hardy movies with his father, and appeared in plays. But it wasn’t until a school trip to London with his classmates from Robbinsdale Cooper High School that Zahn decided he was actually going to pursue acting as a career. “I was sitting in the audience, watching ‘Les Misérables’ in London on the West End. I just hadn’t seen theater that remarkable. All I wanted to do was be one of the guys holding a flag. That would have been good enough for me.”
Over the last 32 years, Zahn has emphatically hurdled his initial ambition. Following his breakout role in 1994’s “Reality Bites,” Ben Stiller’s cult romantic comedy about Generation X, Zahn has repeatedly drawn plaudits for his likable persona and ability to go from serious to comedic, all while being vulnerable and naturalistic. He’s stolen scenes in “Out of Sight,” “Captain Fantastic,” and “Dallas Buyers Club,” while elevating the likes of “Employee of the Month,” “Sahara,” and “Daddy Day Care.”
Zahn insists it’s taken a long time for him to feel comfortable as an actor. “It’s been a long road. It’s been many years and all of it has been very gradual. It continues to be,” he says. Earlier this year, Zahn trod unknown creative territory with the release of “She Dances.” The comedy-drama was the first film he’d ever co-written, which he did with an old friend, Rick Gomez. Zahn also plays the lead role of Jason, a struggling father looking to reconnect with his daughter, Claire, as she enters a prestigious dance competition.
“She Dances” began during COVID, when, in an attempt to remain stimulated, Gomez and Zahn started riffing on a story that became more and more personal. “I wasn’t bored with acting at all,” insists Zahn. “The film just emerged organically. We just couldn’t stop thinking about this story and talking about ways to make it better and better. It’s so weird that, six years later, it’s finally out into the world.”
The pair—who have since started their own company, Macaroni Art Productions—was joined on this venture by esteemed actors Ethan Hawke, Sonequa Martin-Green, and Rosemarie DeWitt, whom they’d previously worked with on various projects. Collaborating with friends made shooting the film even more enjoyable for Zahn, especially since the cast was rounded out by Zahn’s daughter, Audrey, and 21-year-old Mackenzie Ziegler. Their youthful energy, hunger, and talent took the material to a higher echelon, insists Zahn.
While Zahn didn’t write “She Dances” for Audrey, it became obvious as they were working on the script that, as a former competitive dancer and actress, she was perfect for the part. “As we wrote the script it became clear that only Audrey could do it. Thankfully she really responded to the material.”
Zahn might have been involved in filmmaking for several decades, but even he was shocked at just how long it took for “She Dances” to go from script to screen. He recalls having endless meetings with people who, it soon turned out, didn’t actually have any money to finance the film. This lengthy process reminded Zahn that “it’s literally a miracle just to get to set the first day.” He adds, “I knew it would be hard, but I didn’t know it would be that hard.”
Ultimately, though, he’s just delighted to have made an “honest and simple movie about human beings” that feels like a throwback to the films he grew up on. Zahn has been able to revel in the response to the film up close and personal. After it premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2025, Zahn traveled to film festivals in Boulder, Palm Springs, Savannah, Newport Beach, and New Mexico to introduce “She Dances.” “I love sitting in an audience and just seeing the beautiful responses. People have told me they never cried so much [at] a comedy. I’m just really proud of it and the experience we had making it.”
When it comes to the subject of whether or not this marks a new chapter in Zahn’s career, where he focuses more on writing and producing, he’s quick to proclaim that he’s “not bored with acting at all.” In London at the time of our interview, he reiterates how lucky he is to be working while staying in the plush Rosewood hotel in the English capital. “There are so many people that have trouble finding work, so I feel really fortunate to be able to work on so many projects. I don’t think I’ll ever shake that feeling I had as a young actor, where you pound the pavement worrying that this will be your last gig,” he says.
Even though many of his peers moved behind the cameras in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, Zahn is happy to have waited until his late 50s to have done so. “It feels like a natural progression.” In fact, working on “She Dances” only underlined what he loves most about acting. “I just love being on set and working in such a carnival atmosphere among other circus freaks that are really funny and smart.”
Whenever he has the urge to feel grounded and reconnect with his roots, Zahn speeds back to Minnesota. Once he’s done filming in London, his plan is to immediately return to the state to help his mother plant some flowers. “Minnesota is at the core of who I am,” enthuses Zahn, who adds that—while he’s not exactly sure what he’ll be making after his interlude of gardening—he wants to keep tapping into the artistic energy that made “She Dances” such a fulfilling and inspiring experience.
“I just want to make more stuff with Rick, Macaroni Art, and my other friends and family. That’s when I’m really happy, and I want to make more movies that people respond to, then tell their friends about. That’s what makes a movie a success to me.”
