EXCLUSIVE! Superman’s Rachel Brosnahan Reveals Her Family’s Hilarious Thanksgiving Tradition—And What She Hopes Is Next for Lois Lane
Rachel Brosnahan knows a thing or two about playing strong, outspoken women. After winning an Emmy and two Golden Globes for her role as the quick-witted Midge Maisel in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, the actress traded stand-up comedy for superhero action, taking on the iconic role of Lois Lane in 2025’s Superman. And while she can certainly hold her own alongside the Man of Steel, Brosnahan has plenty of other things keeping her busy off-screen, especially with the holiday season right around the corner.
In an exclusive interview with Reader’s Digest, Brosnahan gave us a peek into how she gets ready for the holidays, as well as the family traditions she looks forward to every year. She also revealed which of her famous on-screen characters she thinks would cause the most chaos at a holiday dinner party. (Spoiler alert: Midge Maisel would definitely keep things interesting.)
But don’t worry, Superman fans: We didn’t forget about Lois Lane! Brosnahan also shared what it’s really like working with David Corenswet and what she hopes is next for her character in Man of Tomorrow, which hits theaters on July 9. And trust us—you’ll definitely want to hear what she has to say. Read to find out that and more.
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This interview took place on Oct. 27, 2026, and has been edited for length and clarity.
Reader’s Digest: You’ve played so many memorable characters, from Midge Maisel to Lois Lane. If you could invite three characters you’ve portrayed to a holiday dinner, who would make the guest list, and who would bring the most drama?
Rachel Brosnahan: Midge Maisel would bring the most drama for sure. She could come. She’d keep us all entertained. I would also invite Lois Lane. I feel like she would be very practical, and she’d make sure that we had everything we needed.
I play a character named Eve in a film that will likely come out sometime next year called Saturn Return. I would invite her because she’s a deeply soulful person who I feel would bring some kind of conversation starter game and really bring the heart to the gathering.
Reader’s Digest: You’ve partnered with Ferrero Rocher to celebrate the holidays and the brand’s new limited-edition cinnamon spice chocolate squares. What drew you to the collaboration, and how does its message connect with the way that you personally celebrate this festive season?
Rachel Brosnahan: The holidays are made by the people that you spend it with. For me, I love the holidays. It’s my favorite time of year, and it’s such a wonderful opportunity to slow down and just spend quality time with friends and family, with your neighbors. And I feel like it’s the only time we ever get to all slow down together at the same time, and so I’m so grateful for that part of it.
I’ve also been such a fan of Rocher for a long time. My dad used to bring back the trays of pralines from business trips, and they made me feel very fancy. It was a year-round thing in our household, not just for the holidays. But I have such fond memories of that particular flavor, and it’s been really fun to get to try some new ones that I hadn’t tried yet, like the new cinnamon flavors. I love dark chocolate, and it just feels like the holidays in a square.
Reader’s Digest: I love how you talked about bringing the family together. Is there an unforgettable or hilarious moment from a holiday gathering that your family still talks about today?
Rachel Brosnahan: I’ve been celebrating the holidays with my same group of extended family since I was a little kid, and it’s been such a beloved tradition. Thanksgiving is our holiday, so we’ve all grown up together and gone from being children to adults.
Now we’re at a stage where everybody is of drinking age in the family, so we have started a beloved holiday tradition to find the drunkest cousin every Thanksgiving. Whoever ends up the drunkest cousin has to get up at the end of dinner and give a very heartfelt speech.
Reader’s Digest: We’re so excited to see you return as Lois Lane in Man of Tomorrow. What is one thing about playing her that surprises you, and is there a side of Lois that you’re hoping to explore next?
Rachel Brosnahan: I constantly get surprised when I get introduced, mostly by the fans, to different comics that I hadn’t seen before. I’m kind of a research nerd, and I did a a pretty extensive deep dive ahead of shooting the first film. But every so often, I’ll get tagged in something or DM’d a comic that I hadn’t seen before, and it’s just so fun to see different artists’ interpretations of the character and different adventures that she goes on.
James Gunn, our wonderful writer and director, knows this, but I’m dying for Lois to fight some bad guys and do a little more flying—maybe in the next one.
Reader’s Digest: What is it like working with your co-star David Corenswet, aka Superman?
Rachel Brosnahan: He is one of the most incisive and smart actors I’ve ever had the privilege of working with. He really sees both the whole picture and also the tiniest detail at the same time, and he’s such a wonderful collaborator. This probably wouldn’t surprise people, but he’s an accent connoisseur. You can hear many different accents in a day coming from David.
Reader’s Digest: For some people, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Superman are comfort watches. Do you have a favorite comfort watch during Thanksgiving or Christmas?
Rachel Brosnahan: I love the film Love Actually. We watch it every year. I also love Miracle on 42nd Street. The Holiday is another one! I love all the old holiday movies. We don’t have a physical TV in our apartment, so I miss being able to turn it on and let whatever movie is on play back-to-back for a week straight. It’s one of my favorite parts of the holidays that we’ve lost a bit in the digital age, but maybe we can recreate it in some way this year.
Reader’s Digest: What’s an unpopular holiday opinion that you’re willing to defend, even if it might cause an argument at the dinner table?
Rachel Brosnahan: I think my unpopular holiday opinion is that you can cancel your attendance to a holiday party last minute. It’s a crazy time for people. People are navigating so many different things, and I feel like people get very sensitive about last-minute cancellations to holiday parties.
Reader’s Digest: If your family and your closest friends were asked to reveal one thing about you that would completely surprise your fans, what do you think they would say?
Rachel Brosnahan: This is not new information, but it’s the first thing that comes to mind because I feel like people keep getting surprised by it. Before I ran around in skirts for a living, I was an athlete, and I was on my high school wrestling team. That remains a fairly surprising fact.
Reader’s Digest: As you head into the new year, what are you most looking forward to?
Rachel Brosnahan: I’m sitting on so many secret updates that I can’t yet share, but I have a number of different projects that will become clearer toward the end of this year and into early next year. I’m also looking forward to the holidays this year as an opportunity to slow down, catch my breath and reconnect with people.
Rapid response with Rachel Brosnahan
Reader’s Digest: Dogs or cats?
Rachel Brosnahan: Dogs.
Reader’s Digest: Mornings or nights?
Rachel Brosnahan: Nights.
Reader’s Digest: What’s your favorite book?
Rachel Brosnahan: Right now, it’s Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking.
Reader’s Digest: What advice would you give to your younger self?
Rachel Brosnahan: Invest in Microsoft.
Reader’s Digest: Would you rather travel to the past or the future?
Rachel Brosnahan: The past.
Reader’s Digest: If you weren’t an actress, what would you be doing?
Rachel Brosnahan: I think I’d be a teacher of some kind for first-graders.
*Editor’s note: Reader’s Digest does not endorse any specific products or services.
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