Shades of success; On the brink of superstardom, Michelle Williams talks about her big-sky childhood, life with Heath, and the thrill of playing a glamorous femme fatale.

Byline: Gaby Wood

As the escalator descends into Times Square subway station on a Friday night, a curious sight comes into view. A large area has been cordoned off with yellow tape, as if to mark a crime scene or a bomb scare, but no one is panicking. Instead, crowds of ordinarily unruly New Yorkers stand transfixed. Quietly, the object of their mesmerized gaze appears: She is supremely blonde, beguiling, Bacall-like, dressed in a cinched white wool coat, black fishnet stockings, and stacked heels. Cameramen get into position. A shout comes from a corner of the platform: "Action!"

This scene is the first audiences will see of Michelle Williams in The ...