Inde Navarrette, 25, thought she had blown her second audition for Obsession, she told W Magazine‘s Lynn Hirschberg in an interview published Oct. 15.
In Curry Barker’s supernatural horror film, she plays Nikki, whose friend Bear, played by Michael Johnston, breaks a magical object called the One Wish Willow to make her fall in love with him. His wish succeeds, but Nikki’s behavior becomes increasingly dangerous.
The film crossed $500 million worldwide in August, TheWrap reported. It is Focus Features’ highest-grossing release.
Navarrette’s recent work also includes Gap‘s fall “Denim on Your Own” campaign alongside Malcolm Todd, as well as an appearance in a music video by Sombr.
Getting the Part Made Her Confront Her Anxiety
“My heart sank to my butt,” Navarrette recalled of the phone call telling her she had won the role. She said it made her realize she needed to work on her anxiety, and described the casting as “kismet.”
Her previous television work included Sarah Cushing in Superman & Lois and Estela de la Cruz in 13 Reasons Why.
The independently produced film premiered at TIFF on Sept. 5, 2025, in its Midnight Madness program. Focus acquired worldwide rights afterward and opened it in U.S. theaters on May 15, 2026.
Focus is also mounting a best actress Oscar campaign for Navarrette as part of a broader awards push for the film, according to Variety.
She Wears Wigs to Hear How Audiences React to Nikki
Navarrette told W that each time she has seen the finished film, she has watched with an audience. She has disguised herself in wigs for screenings, allowing her to listen without being recognized.
Different crowds respond to different moments, but a scene involving a sandwich made from a dead cat reliably gets a reaction, PEOPLE reported.
Navarrette said she sometimes did not want to look in mirrors or watch footage back during filming because seeing herself as Nikki was disorienting.
On an Air Canada flight to the Toronto International Film Festival, she noticed a passenger looking in her direction. When she passed his seat, she discovered he was watching the scene in which Nikki walks backward. She joked that seeing the woman from that scene on the same plane would have horrified her, too.
In an interview published by PEOPLE in May, Navarrette said she and her mother were limiting the feedback she read online. She was only seeing social media reactions passed along by family or her team, while appreciating the chance to thank people who complimented her in person.
Gemma Chan Surprised Her With a Compliment of Her Own
#Obsession’s Inde Navarrette talks navigating her newfound fame and reveals the actress that left her starstruck! https://t.co/0IxgGVtbnK
— JustJared.com (@JustJared) October 16, 2026
Navarrette began telling Gemma Chan how much she admired her Crazy Rich Asians character, Astrid, when they shared an elevator at TIFF. She explained why Astrid’s decision to leave her marriage had meant so much to her.
Chan responded by saying she was a fan of Navarrette’s work. The younger actress jokingly asked her to stop turning the conversation toward her accomplishments because she wanted to keep talking about Chan’s.
At an earlier DC event, Navarrette wore a shimmering orange bodysuit and became flustered when Jessica Chastain complimented her appearance.
Natalie Portman’s performance in Léon: The Professional had influenced her long before those encounters. Navarrette said she struggled to identify with the lives she saw on Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, while Portman’s work showed her another kind of acting she could connect with.
Her Offscreen Favorites Include Burlesque and Drag Race
Burlesque, the 2010 musical starring Christina Aguilera and Cher, remains such a favorite that Navarrette knows its dialogue and songs by heart. She recently visited the Crazy Horse cabaret in Paris and bought a pink wig, describing the trip as her own version of the film.
She also named RuPaul’s Drag Race, particularly All Stars, as a favorite and singled out Bianca Del Rio for her humor and directness. When Hirschberg suggested she might be invited to judge, Navarrette enthusiastically volunteered.
Navarrette recounted taking Polaroids at an old Victorian building whose owner claimed to hear music and dancing in its ballroom. She interpreted orbs appearing in the photographs as evidence of ghosts.
She also believes some vivid dreams have anticipated later conversations. She said she and her Latino styling and publicity team burn sage to cleanse before events. They also avoid walking on opposite sides of a pole because they believe doing so would bring bad luck.
Asked what age she feels, Navarrette answered both nine and 75. She associated the older version of herself with wisdom and self-care, and the younger one with the chance to play.
Her W Cover Shoot Put Her in Dior Haute Couture
For W’s shoot at Milk Studios in Los Angeles, Navarrette arrived wearing glasses, loose clothes and ballet flats before changing into pieces from Dior Haute Couture, Versace and Dolce & Gabbana. Frank Lebon photographed her, with styling by Allia Alliata di Montereale.
She acknowledged that the attention can sometimes be overwhelming, but told W, “Every day feels like the best day of my life so far.”
The interview appears in W’s Volume Five issue, scheduled to reach newsstands Oct. 27, 2026, Just Jared reported.