Woman Crush Wednesday: Time To Worship ‘The Path’s’ Michelle Monaghan

Happy Wednesday! You know what that means. It’s that time of the week where you can unabashedly declare which ladies you’ve been hardcore crushing on. At Decider, we like to make a weekly point of saying ‘YAAAS’ to a badass member of Team Woman, and today our queen is one of the stars of Hulu’s creepiest original additions, The Path’s Michelle Monaghan.

When it comes to The Path, everyone has been talking about Aaron Paul and Hugh Dancy for all sorts of sexy reasons. However, Monaghan needs some love for standing as the heart and conscious of this insane series. You probably have a good idea of who Monaghan is even if you don’t recognize the name right away. Genre-wise, Monaghan has been all over the map, starring in everything from rom coms to high-octane action flicks. She’s a dynamic actress who can flip every switch there is — funny, dramatic, introspective, sassy, and a thousand more. Though we’re celebrating her primarily for her portrayal of the conflicted Sarah Lane, there’s a lot to love about this versatile acting force. Consider this your introduction to the cult of Monaghan.

WHO’S THAT GAL?: Michelle Monaghan

WHY WE’RE CRUSHING: First of all because she’s Michelle freaking Monaghan. She’s like a cinematic chameleon what always give amazing performances. Secondly, Monaghan has been crushing it as Sarah Lane in Hulu’s drama all about cults, The Path. Monaghan plays a highly-regarded leader of the movement who has to balance her husband’s supposed infidelity, her son’s lack of faith, and the underlying sexism of the movement she loves. The actress handles all of this with a refreshing balance of strength and vulnerability that feels believable for the complicated role. Think of Sarah Lane as a likable Skyler White.

WHERE YOU’VE SEEN HER BEFORE: Several places, though you may not have realized it. Monaghan’s first big role was when she played Kim in The Bourne Supremacy, but she’s probably better known for playing Harmony Faith Lane in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Monaghan has also been in Mission Impossible III, Made of Honor, Source Code, and starring alongside Holes-baby / professional performance artist Shia LaBeouf in Eagle Eye. She was also unfortunately in Pixels, which we’ll forgive.  However, you probably know her best for playing Maggie Hart in the one season of True Detective that you actually enjoyed watching.

WHERE YOU’LL SEE HER NEXT: Monaghan has two movies on the books, both of which look to highlight her more dramatic and action-heavy side. The first is Sleepless Night, in which she’ll be co-starring alongside one of our other WCW obsessions, Gabrielle Union. The second is Patriots Day, which chronicles the events leading up to and following the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing through the eyes of the Boston police force. This one also stars Mark Wahlberg and John Goodman. Wherever you go, Monaghan, we will follow.

[Where to stream The Path]

Photos: Everett Collection