Speaking candidly about his favorite collaborators across a multi-decade career, the Golden Globe-winning actor singled out Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan as the single greatest actor he has ever shared a set with.
“Nobody compares to her in my book,” Isaac shared when reflecting on Mulligan’s extraordinary talent. “She’s incredibly funny, deep, and soulful. She’s both intuitive and also incredibly precise. It’s a real magic trick with her.”
High praise coming from an actor who has shared scenes with the likes of Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaac’s Star Wars castmates, Jessica Chastain, and Ethan Hawke. But for fans who followed their shared history, Isaac’s admiration comes as no surprise.
Where Have Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan Worked Together?
Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan have co-starred in two major feature films, and now on the second season of Beef, cementing a professional dynamic defined by sharp chemistry, quiet intensity, and mutual respect.
Drive (2011)
Their first onscreen pairing arrived in Nicolas Winding Refn’s cult-classic neo-noir thriller Drive.
Isaac played Standard Gabriel, a newly released ex-con trying to go straight for the sake of his wife, Irene (played by Mulligan), and their young son.
Though Isaac’s character meets a tragic, violent end midway through the film, the quiet domestic scenes shared between Isaac, Mulligan, and Ryan Gosling (who played the unnamed Driver) provided the film with its grounded emotional core.
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
Their most iconic collaboration came just two years later in Joel and Ethan Coen’s critically acclaimed period drama Inside Llewyn Davis.
Isaac took center stage as the titular Llewyn Davis, a struggling, cynical folk singer navigating the 1961 Greenwich Village music scene. Mulligan starred as Jean Berkey, a sharp-tongued fellow folk musician who is married to Llewyn’s friend (Justin Timberlake) but harbors deep resentment toward Llewyn after an affair leaves her pregnant.
Their back-and-forth banter provided the melancholic film with its sharpest, funniest, and most emotionally raw moments. Beyond their verbal sparring, Isaac and Mulligan showcased their musical talents together, performing authentic live folk duets—including a memorable rendition of “500 Miles”—that highlighted their seamless artistic harmony.
Beef Season 2 (2026)
Their most recent and explosive collaboration arrived in the second season of Lee Sung Jin’s critically acclaimed Netflix anthology series Beef.
Stepping into the lead roles of the anthology’s second installment, Isaac plays Joshua “Josh” Martín, a country club general manager, opposite Mulligan as his interior designer wife, Lindsay Crane-Martín. The season chronicles an escalating, toxic feud between them and a younger couple (played by Cailee Spaeny and Charles Melton).
Playing a married couple whose relationship is unraveling under the pressure of status, secrets, and financial strain, Isaac and Mulligan delivered masterclasses in high-wire emotional tension and dark comedy. Their intense off-screen trust allowed them to dive into the season’s most explosive, unvarnished scenes, earning both actors widespread acclaim and Primetime Emmy nominations.
Whether trading caustic insults in a 1960s Greenwich Village café, sharing quiet moments in a neo-noir thriller, or tearing each other apart in a high-stakes dark comedy, Isaac and Mulligan’s collaborative magic remains a high-water mark for both of their decorated careers