The scene Julia Garner refused to shoot for 'Ozark'

While Ozark‘s Julia Garner has primarily been associated with the crime and thriller genres since her breakthrough, she has convincingly showcased her versatility and range throughout her successful career. Yet, her journey is far from reaching its zenith.

Whether it’s acclaimed espionage drama The Americans, the haunting Martha Marcy May Marlene, the sinister The Assistant, the jet-black miniseries Maniac, the true crime anthology Dirty John, or the ripped-from-the-headlines Inventing Anna, Garner can always be relied upon to underline her status as one of the industry’s brightest young talents.

Without question, her most memorable role by far is that of Ruth Langmore in Netflix hit Ozark, which netted her three Primetime Emmys for ‘Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series’ and a Golden Globe for ‘Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film’ across its four-season and 44-episode run.

During the ongoing story of the Byrde family’s increasingly futile attempts to balance a chaotic home life with having their fingers hooked into the criminal underworld, the dynamic between Jason Bateman’s Marty and Garner’s Ruth is pivotal to the entire overarching narrative as their tenuous alliance continues on in a constant state of flux.

Ruth is no stranger to dropping a foul-mouthed tirade, fantastic one-liner, or even a body or two on occasion, but Garner couldn’t cope with having to confront her biggest fear on set. In fact, she was so terrified that she requested a double be drafted in for something as innocuous as an insert shot.

When asked by The Independent to name the most challenging moment of shooting Ozark, the star responded in kind by naming a scene that she didn’t even end up filming herself. “You’re going to laugh, it was the scene when I held the mouse in season 1. I have the worst fear of rodents. I can’t stand them,” she said. “They had to use a hand double – I couldn’t breathe and I nearly got a panic attack. I’m like the least badass person on the planet.”

Garner’s fear and phobia of rodents runs so deep that not even a beloved animated movie is going to get a pass in her eyes. “I can’t even watch Ratatouille! It’s a cartoon rat, but it’s gross. It cooks. That’s disgusting,” she exclaimed. “They kept saying: It’s not a big deal. It’s like a phone charger, like spaghetti. And I’m like, I’m never going to charge my phone again.”

Ruth has no problems getting her hands dirty in Ozark, but for Garner, even the thought of handling a live mouse for a brief scene – where she tests out a device intended to be used for murder – was something she flat-out refused to be involved with.