So, “The Unforgivable” … what a great cast. With, of course, Sandra Bullock at the center. What was it like working with her? And did you learn anything from her?
She’s obviously really talented and just really lovely and smart. And she was there every day that I was working, and just generally speaking. Even on the days she wasn’t acting, she was there watching the monitors, coming up with ideas if we needed them. She was obviously always very respectful of Nora Fingscheidt, our director, but she was very collaborative and hands on and really cared about the project. I thought it was really amazing that she was there every day because it was quite an intense role for her, so to come in on her days off too was pretty cool. So, it was really lovely to get to work with her.
As you mentioned, her “Unforgivable” character is very intense, and I just read that this film may be her last drama because she wants to focus solely on comedy in the future. Was she funny on set?
She’s really fun. Like, very upbeat and lighthearted. Obviously serious when she needs to be when she’s doing her work, but very warm and supportive and caring. I love her in her comedies, but I also think she’s an amazing dramatic actor too, so I hope that maybe that’s just for a while. But who knows? She has done her fair share of things, so whatever she wants to do next, I would go and see it. But, yeah, it was a very intense role. So maybe she’s still metabolizing that.
Did you get to meet everybody that you didn’t have scenes with, like Vincent D’Onofrio, Viola Davis, Jon Bernthal, etc.?
No. But I got to meet Rob Morgan, which was great. I tried to be calm, cool, and collected, but I think he’s a really amazing actor. I was like, “Oh my God, there’s Rob Morgan!” So, yeah, I got to meet Rob, and obviously [the actors who play] my family. But I didn’t get to meet Vincent. And I didn’t get to meet Viola. When I heard she was part of the project, I was praying I got a scene with her. But sadly that wasn’t part of the story. But I feel very lucky to be part of a film with such a cool cast.
Now, did anyone on the set, including Sandra, give you any advice about maneuvering through Hollywood, whether directly or indirectly?
No, not really. I think what I’m finding out is that people can give you advice, but everyone’s trajectory and everyone’s career path is so vastly different. Like, even the way people get into acting. When people ask me, “How can I get into acting?” I’m like, well, there are many ways. So, it’s strange.
Not that I’m on the level of some of the other cast members in this film, obviously. But even when people ask me for advice, I say I really feel like I’m still figuring it out myself. I’m still coming up with things that seem really new and trying to navigate things. I always think, “Oh, when I get to this level … or when I’ve done a film like this it’ll be different and there won’t be as many surprises.” But that’s not true. Every step that you make, there is a whole new list of challenges and things to navigate.
So, I think you can just kind of be supportive of each other and maybe share similar stories that have happened. And, of course, you can give some advice. But there’s not really a manual for how to navigate this crazy career that we’ve all chosen.
