EW's Editor-in-Chief Patrick Gomez interviews Chloe Coleman, Aria Mia Loberti, Taylor Zakhar Perez, and Maddie Ziegler for EW and SCAD Savannah Film Festival's 2023 Breaking Big Panel.
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00:00 Hello, hello, hello. Thank you all for being here. And thank you to the SCAD Savannah Film
00:08 Festival for having us. We are thrilled to present the Breaking Big Awards to these four
00:13 fantastic people. We're going to dive into what Breaking Big even means, and all of that.
00:21 But before you could even break big, you had to have a beginning, an origin story. So we're
00:25 going to start at the very beginning because a very wise woman once said that was a very
00:29 good place to start.
00:33 Is this on?
00:34 Yes.
00:35 Okay, Julie Andrews is my favorite person in the entire universe. That's her quote, right?
00:38 Yes, I was trying to decide if it was cheesy or not to say that. So I'm glad I did, though.
00:42 So we're going to start at the beginning. And I'd love to hear from each of you about
00:47 how you even came to fall in love with acting. And when did you decide this is something
00:51 I want to dedicate my life to? Chloe, why don't we start with you, since you're right
00:55 here?
00:56 First off, how's everybody feeling? I'm so happy to be here. Ever since I was really
01:05 young, I've always been a very curious person. I always wanted to know how things worked
01:11 growing up. I wanted to know the details of everything. And I would watch shows and movies
01:15 and televisions over and over again. And for example, Sound of Music, maybe I've at least
01:20 seen it 300 times, my favorite movie ever. And part of me really wanted to be a part
01:27 of what I was seeing. And so when I started experiencing acting, I really didn't want
01:32 to stop. And each character is kind of its own experience. And there's nothing else I'd
01:37 really rather be doing with my time. I've come to have a really big passion for storytelling
01:42 and a love for it. And it's just a part of who I am now.
01:45 I love that. And how about for you?
01:48 So I've been acting for about a year and a half. So it's been a very long time. So thank
01:54 you for having me at something like this, because that's really validating, because
01:59 I never knew what I wanted to do with my life. I was an academic, and I was in the middle
02:04 of getting my PhD. And I went to basically an online Zoom cattle call audition. And here
02:12 I am now. That was my first audition. I wasn't represented. I didn't have any experience
02:16 with what the industry might be like. And I wasn't expecting to find anything more than
02:21 like have fun doing a self tape, you know, and then no one would ever see it again. And
02:26 so it was extraordinary that people actually saw it. And now 300 million people are going
02:31 to see it next week, which is kind of insane. So I'm just very grateful. I spent my entire
02:38 childhood wishing I could be an actor, but feeling like for me that that would be the
02:45 equivalent of being a fighter pilot, because I was like, well, people would never have
02:50 someone like me be an actor. This is something that you have to stifle. So the six year old
02:56 girl who would line up family, you know, at family gatherings would line up chairs and
02:59 put on a one woman show. I memorized really quickly. I would memorize every movie I saw,
03:04 every dance routine I saw. I would put together a thing and perform it for my family. And
03:08 then when I got old enough, I think many of us from marginalized communities might be
03:12 able to relate to this is like the world tells you what they expect of you. And as someone
03:16 with low vision, the world is always telling you that you are nothing. And so to be able
03:22 to have the only person counting that narrative was my parents, to be able to have that and
03:26 now see that hundreds of millions of people are going to realize the potential of a community
03:31 that has been not, you know, not represented, don't even say underrepresented in the past
03:36 is extraordinary. And, you know, we always hear that art imitates life, but life imitates
03:41 art too. And it's so valuable and important to be authentic in the stories we tell. And
03:46 I am more honored that I could say to be the anchor of change for my community. And I'm
03:51 really grateful for all of you for being change in yours. So thank you so much. Thank you
03:55 for having me.
04:01 There was so much beautiful there, but I also just want to say it's amazing that you looked
04:04 at a self tape as fun because they're not not all actors do so.
04:10 Next question. No, I would say Saturday Night Live is what made me want to be an actor.
04:17 I have seven siblings. Two of them are here today. And we would just do skits that we
04:24 saw every Saturday night live. And we would take it back to my parents and obviously,
04:31 you know, not say the swear words, but like it makes it so much better when you say them.
04:36 And we just were thrown into the theater as kids. My mom was over carting us around to
04:41 all of our sports. And so one summer she's like, you guys are all going to theater camp.
04:47 I'm dropping you off in the morning and I'll see you in the afternoon. And my brother and
04:50 I were like, what theater camp? And so my sister was like, Miss Performer. She still
04:56 is. And my brother and I were like, what do we do? We did I did lights and audio. Yes.
05:07 And my brother was a stage manager. And it was quite a summer. And I think after that,
05:14 I just kind of was really excited about it and started auditioning more and more. And
05:19 I think that's what lit the spark in me to just continue. I think comedy. I just loved
05:24 doing comedy with my family and then translated over to, you know, TV and film. And and I
05:30 like how it can make people feel like it can take people up from the depths of depression
05:36 and just, you know, inspire them and excite them. And I think that's why I still like
05:41 doing comedy. So I think that's my my origin. For me, I started as a dancer and I quickly
05:49 realized I think I was about 11. I started doing music videos and I realized that I was
05:55 playing characters in all of these different music videos and even performances that I
05:59 was doing. And I didn't realize how much backstory I was creating and all this prep I was doing
06:06 for these characters into my dance routines. And so when I was about 11, I didn't I guess
06:11 I started auditioning randomly. And it was really fun for me at first, too. I was like,
06:16 I really enjoy this so much. And it was just so cool because it was a different form of
06:21 what I was already doing. And I'm very lucky that I had dance to transition into acting.
06:26 But I really enjoyed it because I knew how to help. I knew how to hold myself in front
06:31 of a camera. I knew how to hit my mark and do all of those things. So it felt like almost
06:36 an easy transition for me. But it was it was so much fun. And I didn't realize how much
06:43 acting would impact my life now and how it's the main focus of what I do now. And I still
06:47 love dance so much, but they kind of go hand in hand. And it's fun to differentiate kind
06:53 of how much I have to project for an audience when I'm dancing versus having all the nuances
06:57 of being an actor and keeping everything a lot more intimate for the camera. It's a really
07:01 fun transition for me. And yeah, mine's not as exciting as everyone else's. But dancing
07:07 is what made me fall in love with acting.
07:09 We're going to play that back for you later and you're going to realize it's just as interesting.
07:13 But there was a lot of talk about community or doing acting with your siblings or that
07:19 sort of thing. It takes more than one person to get you seated here today. Who are the
07:25 people that were giant mentors to you? People that you worked with or just people that you
07:29 looked up to in terms of wanting to emulate as you started to develop your career? We
07:35 don't have to go back down the line. Anyone can chime in.
07:37 I was going to say you caught the eye. So go ahead.
07:41 Eyes gone. I would say growing up with Ryan Reynolds and Oscar Isaac, I'd say those are
07:51 two of my favorite actors because I think that Ryan does such great comedy and Oscar
07:55 does such great drama that I was like, "Oh, I feel like I could be the love child of them."
08:00 And people that I've worked with that I've just... I did production for a long time.
08:07 So I was in art department. And so I would come in with my uncle and we would build sets.
08:11 And basically after the talent got there, you would hide behind the wall flats and just
08:15 be invisible and only come in when they ask you for something.
08:19 And after doing that for five years and just auditioning and going to class and working
08:23 on your craft, you meet incredible people that are on these covers of magazines that
08:30 are winning Oscars. And you also meet some really not so nice people.
08:34 And I always thought to myself, "I don't want to make anyone feel how that actor or actress
08:42 made me feel on set." Making me feel smaller because I was a PA at the time, even though
08:47 I had great aspirations to be an actor.
08:52 And I've been lucky enough to work with great actors like Uma Thurman, who... She's done
08:59 so much work. And when you get on set with her, you're equal. And it was surprising because
09:07 it was my first legend in my mind to work with. And I was like, "Whoa. Okay. Yeah. We're
09:14 going head-on-head right here. This is awesome."
09:17 And I would also say Joey King because she's just awesome. She just taught me how to be
09:24 with... Be on set, be with fans, just always lead with kindness. And I think that's what
09:31 I gravitate towards.
09:33 And who else? Who else? I love Harris Dickinson. I met him and I fanboyed. And he was like,
09:41 "Who are you?" No, I'm kidding. He was like, "Hey, so nice to meet you." And that was great.
09:45 And yeah, I think those are my... Oh, and I met Hugh Jackman. That was a life changer
09:52 right there. I think we were shooting The Hollywood Reporter and he just came in with
09:56 all this energy.
09:57 And that's how you arrive on set. That's how you make everybody be excited to be there
10:04 for the 12-hour workday, even though you've been prepping the job for four days. Before
10:09 that, he came in, was a professional. Everybody just was so happy to be there. So yeah, I
10:15 like working with people that like to be there.
10:21 My first initial thought was we had a minivan growing up and my mom... You know how the
10:28 little TVs come down in the minivan? Yeah. My mom, I just constantly was watching Shirley
10:35 Temple 24/7. And I think the dancer in me and just the actor and the little girl in
10:41 me, I was just like, "That's exactly who I want to be." And so I very much admire her,
10:47 especially when I was really little. And that was just constantly playing in my head.
10:51 But I think now, I mean, obviously there's so many people that I reference and so many
10:56 people that I look up to acting-wise. But two people that specifically stand out are
11:01 two women that I've had the opportunity to work with. Megan Park, who's a writer and
11:05 director who I've worked with, and also Molly McGlynn, who I just recently did a project
11:10 with who she wrote and directed as well.
11:13 I'm so grateful that I've had the opportunity to work with female directors and writers.
11:19 And I don't know how I got lucky that it's just been in a row I've worked with female
11:22 directors. And it's just been such an honor. And it's such an understanding that doesn't
11:28 have to be communicated between the two of us. And I'm so lucky to have had the opportunity
11:33 to work with such badass women like them. And they're so strong and powerful. And they
11:40 fight for what they want. And I just very much as not only an actor, but as someone
11:45 who wants to direct in the future and have my own production company, I very much admire
11:49 them in a lot of ways.
11:51 Chloe, Aria, Aria, go ahead.
11:56 I think, you know, as I was growing up, like I said, I never I really had to suppress the
12:00 desire to act. But I was always watching old Hollywood. I love that era. So my icon that
12:09 I always go to is Audrey Hepburn. Maybe the hair and the makeup is pointing to that. So
12:15 I'm sorry if that's really obvious and boring. But I really, really appreciate her ability
12:20 to tell stories on screen that have reached so many of us generations later, but to also
12:25 be an advocate and to use her voice and her power to speak up and create change. So I
12:30 can appreciate her in both of those aspects. But I think, you know, as an artist, like
12:36 I said, like I don't have the like the prolific careers that the other panelists have had.
12:40 I've only been doing this for a little bit and I've only done a couple of projects. But
12:46 I think what really struck me about learning to be an actor and learning to be an artist
12:52 for the first time is that everyone you meet in life, whether they're kind to you or whether,
12:57 like you said, they're not, you learn something because that is what being an actor to me
13:04 and creating art is all about is understanding humanity and being human and noticing the
13:09 behaviors, the mannerisms, the emotions that we can create to tell stories and coming from
13:15 those vulnerable places and coming from places of joy. So like I can walk by someone on the
13:20 street and watch something that they do or listen to a speech pattern and be inspired
13:25 for something that I am going to create. But in terms of a mentor, someone who I've been
13:30 able to work with, my first director, I'm trying to go carefully around the strike here,
13:39 is Sean Levy. And he was exceptional. He's done so many incredible films that I grew
13:43 up watching, like then at the museum and later on Stranger Things, which I love. I'm a big
13:48 fan of. And I had never been on a set before. I'd never acted before. And he brought me
13:53 out to our filming location about a month in advance and he taught me everything. He
13:59 let me shadow him. He let me experience every part of filmmaking from his job as director
14:05 and executive producer all the way through everyone on set. I didn't know what craft
14:10 services was. I didn't know any of this. I didn't know what a trailer was. I thought
14:14 that was some like fictional thing that you saw in movies for actors. I didn't think that
14:17 was a real thing. So like he taught me everything from the mechanics of set to the mechanics
14:23 of using your behavior and your vulnerability to tell a story. And so I am profoundly grateful
14:29 to him for introducing me to this career, but for also giving me, you know, unlimited
14:35 supplies of inspiration for, you know, how I can use my instrument, my body, my voice
14:40 to create something special that has meaning to people. So he's really awesome. And I am
14:46 just trying to always draw inspiration from stuff. And it's really great. It's really
14:50 cool.
14:51 That's a fantastic bootcamp for you. Other than Julie Andrews, is there any others that
14:55 you may have?
14:57 Someone I worked with recently, Emily Blunt. I met her for the first time and I was nervous.
15:05 She was in one of my favorite films and musicals, Into the Woods. And I was, I was so excited
15:09 to meet her. And from the moment I met her, she just radiated with this kindness that
15:15 immediately made me feel so comfortable and welcoming. And like, she was so welcoming
15:20 just to me and to everyone. And like her, her, her staff that she had, her hair and
15:25 makeup were her friends, people she really loved. And she just made everyone feel so
15:30 comfortable. I always loved coming to set. I mean, every second I spent with her was
15:35 so enjoyable and she's such a well-rounded human and she's a great professional too.
15:40 And I really admire that trait in a person because I feel like respect is so important,
15:45 especially to all the people you're around. You know, when you're on set, it's like everyone
15:50 is doing something and sometimes it can be stressful and just extra acts of kindness
15:54 to me are so important. And she was a really sweet person. So I appreciate her.
16:00 They say job hunting can be one of the most stressful things that a person goes through
16:05 in their life. And most people only do that, hopefully a handful of times in their lives.
16:11 Actors basically spend any time they're not acting, applying for jobs through the form
16:15 of auditions. Do you, as was mentioned, some people are still in love with, with the self
16:22 tape or auditioning. What are your feelings about auditions? And I'm sure they don't all
16:27 go fantastic. Do you have any horror stories that you feel like you learned from or, or
16:31 didn't learn from?
16:32 I have one. So this was about a couple of years ago. I'm from LA and there was this
16:42 huge, as LA has, heat wave, 118 degrees outside. Two days before a chemistry read that I was
16:52 going to be having on zoom, my AC went out. So I was basically half alive. It was so hot
16:59 in my house. We were outside in our garage where the only AC was working. It was miserable.
17:05 I could not think. And so, you know, I was like, okay, you know, this chemistry read
17:09 is coming up. I'll be fine. And it was a chemistry read with Adam driver on a zoom meeting. And
17:18 you could tell I was tired and it, and it didn't, it showed. And I really regret not
17:25 stepping out of the house. I should have gone to a space that had AC where I could have
17:29 been well rested and I was prepared and ready. And so I still did end up getting a role on
17:36 that project. I got to play his daughter, which actually was very enjoyable. And I,
17:41 and I loved that role. So in a way it worked out well, but I think making sure you're in
17:46 a good mindset in a good space before you do a chemistry read, especially on zoom make
17:51 sure you're comfortable and not don't do what I did. Cause that, that was not, it's
17:56 not a fun process, not a fun experience.
17:58 You get to your body, be good to your mind. Anyone else have any particularly, uh, hairy
18:03 auditions? I, this is, I mean, it's not terrible, but I had just been on a world tour, uh, as
18:15 a dancer with Sia and we were doing, um, our tour and we recently had just performed. We
18:21 did like two nights at the Hollywood bowl. And I think it was, I had like a day or so
18:25 off in LA after those shows. And I went into an audition with, uh, a very scary casting
18:35 director. Uh, and I walked in and I felt so prepared in that moment. And so I was like,
18:42 I'm going to kill this. I was obviously tired due to being on tour, but I was like, I felt
18:47 very ready and prepared in that moment. And she was like, I actually just watched you
18:50 perform at the Hollywood bowl last night. So don't mess it up. And I was like, in that
18:55 moment, I literally lost every line in my head. I was like, I, I, my mind went blank
19:00 because I just was so intimidated. And I was 14 and I was so nervous. And within that moment,
19:05 I literally lost everything and I didn't have my pages in hand and I was just like staring
19:11 at her with nothing. I was like, I, I'm so sorry. And then she handed me lines and I
19:16 was so embarrassed in that moment. There was nothing I could have done, but I, I don't
19:22 know. I just think that's a little intimidating for someone to do. And I don't know. It's
19:26 just scary and not something that like, I don't like when people like, I think a lot
19:30 of people in the industry sometimes purposely try and mess with you to see if you can still
19:34 like be on and ready. And in that moment I totally crumbled. So yeah, it wasn't great.
19:41 How many actors are in here? Okay. All right. A few. All right. Yeah. Do you guys all go
19:50 to SCAD? Okay. Sweet. I just made me sure. I don't know if there's any outsiders here.
19:56 You're going to go on a lot of auditions, like a ton of auditions, like before, before
20:02 self tapes really existed. Like when you got a self tape, you're like, Oh, okay. Yeah,
20:08 this is nice. And then you get six at a time and you're like, Oh my gosh, like, how am
20:11 I going to do this? But I would say you have to kind of just be ready for everything, every
20:18 situation. I remember once I was telling my family this morning, I was auditioning for
20:24 a horror film and I was waiting in the lobby, then was taken to the next lobby. And then
20:32 it was time, you know, to have the appointment and the casting director or the associate
20:37 took me into an active office like this, just with, you know, lots of desks and stuff. And
20:43 then we're in a corner. And so everybody's still going about their day, making phone
20:47 calls, chatting. And I'm in the corner, like about to do this, like screamy, the omen type
20:54 of project. And she's like, okay, just right here. And I was like, what? Like just here?
21:00 She's like, yeah, yeah. Just between the sheets and like just two sheets on the wall. And
21:06 I'm like, okay. And I, I did it, you know, but it was one of the, it was like a scary
21:12 moment because there's like 30 people in the office, you're screaming, there's like a fake
21:17 something chasing after you. There's sheets that like have been torn off the wall because
21:21 you're on the wall. And so you just kind of, you just have to be ready for all this stuff.
21:25 It's like, like Emma Stone in La La Land. It's kind of like that. The amount of outfit
21:31 changes you have to bring in your car, because you need a car in Los Angeles. Don't even
21:36 try it without one. Four outfit changes a day, commercial outfit changes. If you're
21:41 doing a go-see, you have to have like, you know, a model outfit. So it's, it's a lot.
21:46 So I would just say the nightmare is auditioning.
21:51 There's also nothing like having to play like a possessed character in a self tape. You
21:55 feel so crazy. I don't know. I can't pull from real experience.
22:00 Like your friend is watching you and they're like, that was good. That was good. Just like,
22:03 can you like have your eyes roll behind your head? Like at that moment, you're like, Oh,
22:07 like at this part, like, yeah, but there's really no dialogue. It's just like tons of
22:12 stage direction. You're like, okay. Yeah. Like they give you a page for your audition
22:18 with two lines and the rest is like, just find the white space. So yeah, it's just,
22:22 it's tough.
22:23 I do all my self tapes in my bedroom, like with my best friend and like we have our setup.
22:29 It's not like that to me. She's very supportive. Yeah. Wait, have you been in a casting room
22:35 yet? No, I guess I've only joined the industry post COVID. So I've only done zoom ever. Like,
22:41 cause it's just not an option. Everything I've done is on zoom. And so it's usually
22:45 she's either my reader or the casting director is the reader. And I'm like everything. Everyone's
22:50 been lovely. What the hell? Yeah. Okay. No, I'm scared.
22:55 They could just be having a bad day and then they make their bad day. You, your auditions.
23:00 I think Ari is just saying you need better friends.
23:02 Yeah, actually. Yes. Okay.
23:05 Well, even if the audition goes well, you can, you can even book a job that you really,
23:09 really wanted. And unfortunately it's industry things can fall apart for 900 different reasons.
23:15 How do you handle the ups and the downs? How do you celebrate the ups? How do you make
23:19 sure that you don't get too far down on the downs?
23:24 Friends, family, your dog. I would say those three things are very important. You know,
23:32 I remember, Oh gosh, I did a, I've never said this publicly. I was cast to do this project
23:40 and it was like some streaming or social media thing, but it was, it was scripted and I did
23:47 the day and I got fired and it was, it was just a, it was a new, a director that had
23:55 come from music videos. He was not good with direction. And I just was like, Oh, okay.
24:01 They told me they're going a different direction. That's okay. Three months later, I'm on watching
24:06 something on YouTube. The trailer comes out for said project. And it's the same scene
24:12 that I did just with a different person. And I, you know, in that moment, like my stomach
24:19 dropped like, Oh my gosh, this is, this is terrible. Like I was fired. They weren't going
24:24 a different direction. They like, they wanted a different human actor altogether. Like I
24:29 just, I didn't cut it. Then silver lining, because I'm getting to the silver lining.
24:34 I went to dinner with a friend and the guy that was in that project showed up and I said,
24:41 dude, you took my role in that project. I wasn't mad. I was just like, I just, how,
24:46 how was it? And he goes, dude, you are so lucky you got fired because that director
24:55 made me cry the entire time I was on set. And I was, you know, in that moment I was
25:00 like, I'm so sorry, but also I'm so grateful. Like, yeah, you know, the universe works in
25:07 mysterious ways and you know, I've been lucky enough to find projects where, you know, like
25:13 you just have incredibly happy people on a set or, you know, um, very wonderful, uh,
25:20 co-stars that you're working with. So I think that, uh, sometimes when you, when a project
25:27 passes you by another one is about to, you know, pop up.
25:33 I feel like I've only, apparently only experienced good stuff. So that's good. But, um, I feel
25:39 like we're just scaring. Um, no, stick with me kid. We'll talk about it. But, but like,
25:47 you know, the, the couple of projects I've done, the sets have been remarkably supportive.
25:51 And I think that's been the best way to celebrate the highs is that everyone wants to be there
25:56 no matter what role they're in, whether they're on or off screen. Everyone I've worked with
26:00 has been so excited about telling the stories that we're telling. And so that helps me really
26:06 celebrate. Um, but you know, I, when I, you, you said it first, when that was picking up
26:12 my mic to say the same thing, which is friends, family, and your dog. Um, cause if you know,
26:16 whatever form that would take for you, I think that's what I just feel like I'm, I can see
26:22 in my parents' faces and in their reactions that, you know, they sort of were like, this
26:28 is what she should be doing. And that gives me a lot of joy to keep going when it feels
26:35 really hard or when I'm like, I'm not gonna, I'm sure at least someone in this room can
26:40 relate to like the feelings of like self hatred and like having to struggle through that with,
26:46 you know, my own mental health and feeling like I was thrust. I had a social class change,
26:51 a career change. And then I moved to another country to work on a movie set that I've never
26:56 done before. And I'm like, I needed to like, remember that some days I'm going to feel
27:01 like I didn't do enough and I'm going to feel like, Oh my God, like I'm not good enough
27:06 to be doing this. I can't be doing this. Like, why did they pick me? And I have to remind
27:11 myself that they picked me. And if I'm disrespecting myself and I am hating on myself and talking
27:20 myself down, what I'm really doing is talking them down. And I would never do that because
27:24 I'm grateful for the gift that they gave me to be here and to have this job and find the
27:28 career that I love. So that's the narrative I always have. And that's how I kind of deal
27:32 with the lows is I look at all the people who helped me get where I am from my parents
27:37 who have tears in their eyes every time I talk about my job to someone like Sean, who,
27:44 you know, literally got me by the hand and is, and is like, we're going to Europe, let's
27:48 do this. And I appreciate everything that they give me. And that helps me not talk myself
27:54 down. You know, I had a choice between one movie or the other. And I was like, what do
28:01 I pick? I don't know. Is this going to be the right choice? Like, what if I regret my
28:04 decision and I ended up making the right choice and it can be a life changing, wonderful experience.
28:09 And especially if, you know, I don't know, being, being nervous going into audition when
28:15 you, you know, you really want the role and there's something you're like, I want to go
28:19 after this. I really, really want this. Just putting your whole self into it. And in the
28:24 end it'll end up working out for you. I don't, I don't know about you guys. How do you feel
28:27 about, you know, does everything you think happened for a reason or no? Yeah, no, 100%.
28:33 Yeah, no, I felt like every, every step that got me here was a mistake, something falling
28:41 through in my life, my former adult career, and then coming together to create what life
28:50 I was supposed to have that I never would have chased. So I feel like every, everything,
28:55 even like something really incidental ends up shaping. So I think you're exactly right
28:59 shaping your story. So, yeah, I think you create your reality and you just have to keep
29:04 seeing your future. You know, I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro a few years ago and we would wake
29:13 up, see the top of the mountain, the clouds would come through and then I wouldn't see
29:19 it again until nine o'clock that night when the moon shone on it. And I was like, wow,
29:27 this is, this is life. You know, you like, you have to wake up with that goal, which
29:31 my dad always taught me. He's like, wake up with that goal, see your goal, go through
29:34 the day with it and go to bed seeing it or else you're not going to get what you want.
29:39 And I will say, because a lot of you are students and I think it took me a while to get to this
29:45 point is that like, we're talking about like chemistry reads and testing and producer sessions
29:50 and stuff that, you know, it will take, I mean, for some of us took years to happen.
29:57 And so when you guys are auditioning after each one, go celebrate yourself, get an ice
30:05 cream cone, get fast food. I don't know, like go to the beach, do something that your body
30:12 and mind can associate with a feeling of goodness. Because if you just keep hating on yourself
30:19 and beating yourself up for, you know, a terrible audition, you'll go crazy. And, and I find
30:25 that like, you just have to be kind to yourself and the amount of auditions, again, you're
30:32 going to go on as is insane. So every time I would go on an audition, I would like take
30:37 myself out to eat. You're like, I can't afford this right now, but like, I'm going to go
30:40 here because I did a great job. And also know that you getting the audition, you putting
30:46 that thing on tape, you going into, you know, to have the chance to act is such a gift.
30:54 And I think we all get in our head. I mean, talking from experience, we all get in our
30:57 head because we're like, Oh my God, I have to book this job. It's like you and 150 other
31:00 people, okay. Like 300 other people, you know, thousands of people, I think for Kissing Booth,
31:06 they went international to find, I mean, great. I can't talk about this. I'm sorry. Never
31:10 mind.
31:11 There's been projects you've worked on that they have looked internationally.
31:14 They've looked internationally for them and, you know, wound up coming back to Los Angeles.
31:19 And so just, wow, that threw me. Fran Drescher, don't come for me. Sorry. My point is putting
31:36 in the work every day for what you want, sitting with those sides, working out, reading that
31:42 script. At the end of that audition, you're going to be a better actor and we'll have
31:48 learned something from that experience. And it's all about incremental change, all about
31:53 incremental growth.
31:56 You know, that matters because each one of those auditions, each one of those times you
31:59 go to class, each time you interact with another actor and talk about stuff, like that's what
32:04 gets you to the next level. And yeah, so sorry, just keep on going.
32:16 It's now almost a requirement that actors not only bare their souls on camera and on
32:24 screen, but share the rest of their lives through social media, through going on talk
32:31 shows, all that sort of stuff. And it becomes 24/7. You know, there's sometimes casting
32:36 calls that they say, "We only want to look at people that have a million followers or
32:40 more." That sort of thing.
32:41 So how do you all handle the aspects of the job that go beyond auditioning and getting
32:47 the role and getting to actually act and create that community on set? How do you deal with
32:52 the whole rest of what comes with a career of being a public persona and actor? Maddie?
32:57 Yeah, I think for me, it was slightly different because I didn't start as an actor. I started
33:02 on a reality show. So everyone knew my life before I even formed real feelings, I feel
33:08 like, because I was seven. And so I was professionally working so young that I didn't really have
33:15 the opportunity to decide what I wanted and what I didn't want on the internet or what
33:19 I wanted, you know, online. And as I've gotten older and things have come out, especially
33:27 in that phase of my life, I'm like, "Okay, we're gonna dial it back in and do something
33:32 else." Because I don't know, I've learned that my personal life is very sacred and important
33:38 to me. And work is so fun. And it is amazing to share all of the cool accomplishments and
33:44 the cool projects that you've put your heart and soul into with the world. And having the
33:48 support is absolutely the best feeling. Getting to share that with community and with other
33:54 people is genuinely such a rewarding and amazing feeling. And to see how people receive things
34:00 and relate is seriously the best part of the job, I feel like, in a lot of ways. But I
34:07 really look up to Zendaya in the way that she carries herself. She's very private. I
34:13 feel like we don't know that much about her, but her jobs and what she does is obviously
34:19 that's what you get to enjoy. And then she keeps her personal stuff to herself. And I
34:23 really admire that. And I've really kind of taken that as someone that I look up to in
34:29 that way. I think you have to differentiate because what becomes personal at that point?
34:34 You have to have a work life and a personal life. And I'm trying to find that as I get
34:38 older. I think it comes with age and you realize what you want to keep to yourself and what
34:42 you want to put out for the world. Did that make sense?
34:45 - It made total sense.
34:47 - Yeah, okay. Cool.
34:50 - I'm the youngest one here, so I've only been using social media for not that long.
34:55 And I feel like there's still so much we don't know about it. But I think I try to keep most
34:59 of my life private because I feel like not everyone needs to know everything. But I've
35:04 had times where I've used social media and you get addicted sometimes. It's really easy
35:10 to get sucked in and use it. So I tried my best to distance myself and I try to take
35:16 breaks, not to be on it constantly, but it's also a great way to promote and get to know
35:22 people, stay in touch. And it can be a great area of communication. But I also feel like
35:28 sometimes little short bursts, not to be on it so much. For me personally, especially
35:33 as a young teen when there's so many teenagers out there who when they use social media,
35:38 it affects their whole mood in their life. They can see one post, one image, and it can
35:43 really change how you feel so quickly. And it has a big effect, I feel like, on younger
35:49 people. I don't know, maybe even you guys as students too, maybe you feel that way.
35:54 But I try not to use it all the time, but every now and then.
36:01 - This is such an interesting conversation for me to hear because only in the last week
36:07 or so have I started to get recognized and people will send me photos of billboards of
36:13 my face that takes up the whole side of the building. And I don't know how to deal with
36:18 this yet. And it's very new to me. I spent my entire life trying to be invisible, so
36:24 that's fun. And I was just not confident in myself. And over the last several years, pre-getting
36:31 the career change and all that stuff, have started to come into myself. And now here
36:37 I am representing this population that's not been represented before ever, really. And
36:42 then this project, oh God, that I can't talk about. Please no one FaceTime, Fran. Sorry.
36:51 Hashtag Franken. Okay. So no, I think I hold myself responsible for being the face of something
37:04 that means something to a lot of people, whatever that might be. You can read between the lines
37:08 with the strike on that one. But I am adjusting to what do I want to share? What do I want
37:14 to make sure people know versus not know? What is my personal life and how do I want
37:20 to keep it to myself versus how do I use my platform to create change and do good in the
37:26 world, which sometimes is putting yourself in a vulnerable place because you're advocating
37:30 for change. In my case, oftentimes, like stuff that I've been through in my life. And I want
37:35 to tell that story, but how do I do it and protect myself? Now, right now, I probably
37:39 have like 8,000 followers on social media. So that's not been crazy, but I'm now appreciating
37:46 that a lot of people are going to be finding me and listening to my voice for the first
37:50 time. And I want to make sure that whatever I do, I leave things better than I found them.
37:56 And that seems really ambiguous right now. And I don't know how that's going to change.
38:00 And you can talk to me exactly one week from today. And it may be a very different world,
38:07 whether it's the social media following or just the level of exposure. But it's something
38:12 that I also appreciate, like to Maddie's point, I was an adult with a job when this happened
38:21 to me. So I was able to be a person and be a fully formed person and make the choice
38:27 of what I share, what I don't share. And for those of you who didn't have that choice,
38:31 I have to applaud you because that takes tremendous strength. And so it's really something to
38:37 like hear that side of the story. And I'm really excited to get to share what I create
38:42 with everyone and hopefully use it to help make things better for everyone. And so I
38:47 love when people are like the last week really have started to come up to me and like familiar
38:52 with the stuff that I'm doing. And I love celebrating that with them because it's stuff
38:58 that I'm proud of. And yeah, it's really great.
39:01 As you should be. Okay. Two things. First thing, addressing
39:08 your question about someone with a million followers getting a role over you. That was
39:13 a big thing I would say over the last, maybe like five plus years ago when social media
39:20 was really taking off and they wanted more eyes. And I'm so happy that talent beats out
39:30 following because there are so many non-actors that they were trying to catapult into either
39:38 a streaming platform scripted show that tanked. And I wasn't applauding that it tanked, but
39:43 I was like, there's so many actors that are working their butt off that don't have that
39:48 recognition, that facial recognition when you see the show, even though the show was
39:54 terrible. And the more I think we see them flop, the more actors are just being able
40:02 to be actors and just be there for the craft and for the art and for storytelling.
40:10 I've definitely lost out early on, on people with bigger followings. And I find that when
40:16 people just lean on their following and stop working on why they started acting in the
40:22 first place is like the end of a solid footing in their career.
40:29 Secondly, where are we? Advocacy. Yes. I think advocacy is really important. And I mean,
40:40 I couldn't imagine having social media or TikTok, Instagram. Every time I say TikTok,
40:46 I sound like an old man. I'm like, "Hey, TikTok. Everyone's on TikTok." But seriously, I don't
40:51 truly understand TikTok, but my nieces and nephews are on it and they are on it all the
40:56 time. They go to bed watching it. They wake up watching it. And it's insane.
41:04 I think the reason why I put out a lot of stuff on social and environmental sustainability
41:10 or equal rights, human rights, women rights. I mean, my mom and I went to the Masa Amini
41:17 protest in downtown LA. And it's because if you can cut through that noise of what these
41:22 kids are watching for entertainment, that really is not adding anything to their brains.
41:28 I would say it's taking away from their brains and distracting them from education. I am
41:32 going to try and break through it. But I try to do it in a fun way where it's like, "Hey,
41:37 come with me on this journey to a textile mill." And it's like, I'm excited to learn
41:42 about it because I only know maybe 30% of what I finally know when I leave.
41:48 And I just think it's a great place. Social media is a place where you find what you're
41:53 looking for. And so if you're trying to find entertainment and education, you'll find it.
42:03 We talk a lot about the best advice. And if you do have some that you haven't shared yet,
42:08 feel free to share that too. But I always like to also ask, what was the worst advice
42:13 you've gotten in your career?
42:20 For me, the best... Do we say just the worst?
42:23 You both.
42:24 I think the best advice, obviously, I mean, there's two things that I can think of. One
42:29 is just, and I'm sure we can all relate to this, is just you are always going to get
42:34 a lot of no's, but just keep pushing through because something really special is going
42:40 to happen for you if you want it. And if you're hardworking and if you manifest that, I think
42:44 you will always get what you want in some capacity. So just keep going despite the no's.
42:49 I think another thing is that I've learned, which is the best advice, is to be really
42:54 specific about what's authentic to you and what you want to do and choose projects that
42:58 make you happy and make you feel inspired. I think oftentimes you can get in this mindset
43:04 of like, "Okay, I'm going to do this just because... I don't know. It's right in front
43:09 of me." But sometimes you have to make the hard decision to be like, "I don't know
43:12 in the long run if this is the best thing for my career or if this is necessarily the
43:17 right thing for me." So saying no sometimes is actually a really amazing thing and to
43:24 be able to stand your ground and know what you want to do and really do it because it
43:28 makes you happy and not for anyone else.
43:31 I think the worst advice... This isn't really about career specifically, but I remember
43:34 I was on a Zoom audition and the feedback I got after I did the scene was, "You're
43:44 just... You were too natural." Which was really weird to me because I feel like that's what
43:48 I've worked my whole time as an actor doing is trying to be as natural as possible. But
43:52 yeah, I've never gotten that before and I thought that was really interesting. And in
43:56 a way I was like, "I kind of feel like that's a compliment, but that's besides the point."
44:00 But yeah, I thought too natural. I was like, "My biggest fear is someone telling me that
44:03 I was too much." So anyway, maybe I'm still bitter.
44:13 Any other nuggets of good or bad?
44:15 Yeah, I think the worst advice I ever got was literally the word "cry." You're on
44:21 set and there's a vulnerable moment for your character and then they're like, "Yeah,
44:25 cry." So that's terrible advice. Don't do that. Have good technique and safeguard your
44:32 mental health and don't bring up your own personal trauma because it's horrible. So
44:37 that was the worst advice. The best advice I think that I've ever gotten... This is really
44:42 hard because I seem to have had a very good experience in comparison to some people. And
44:49 so I've gotten a lot of very good advice and a lot of people giving me a lot of good advice.
44:54 And I think the best advice that I've received is to find a way to speak truth in everything
45:03 you do. I don't know what the strike, if I'm allowed to say in which context, but it was
45:10 one of my co-stars told me that on our first day of working together. I had previously
45:15 my first exposure to filming and my first scenes that I did when I first got to a movie
45:20 set were about two, three weeks of scenes of me all by myself, monologuing alone in
45:28 the characters in a really vulnerable place. And that was really, really hard. They were
45:32 very dark scenes. And then having that advice the first day I ever got to work with another
45:38 actor to find the truth and speak the truth and bring the truth into what you're creating.
45:46 I think that's so important because that's why they pick who they pick to portray a character.
45:52 It's not because you're faking it the best. It's because you can find the truth and the
45:56 voice in that person in a way that the creators or the producers appreciate. And I always hold
46:03 that to whatever I do, whether it's on a movie set or whether it's in an audition or whether
46:10 it's in the branding space or when we're creating a look for an event like this, I always try
46:15 to figure out what's the history of this and where can I speak the truth and where can
46:20 I bring my truth into this? Because I wouldn't be doing this if I weren't myself. And yeah,
46:27 I think it's really important to be honest with yourself, even when you're creating a
46:33 fictional character and bringing them into that space, how to be honest and how to be
46:37 true was the best advice I got. Some of the best advice that I carry with me and live
46:45 by the first project was a limited series that I ever did called Big Little Lies and
46:53 was directed by Jean-Marc Vallee. May he rest in peace. He is one of still is the biggest
47:01 mentor in my life. And he was the first person to show me what acting was like really just
47:09 to, I don't, there was things that he brought out of me that I did not know I could do.
47:13 In there was a scene where I, my first crying scene ever. And how old are you then? I was
47:19 seven or six, six or seven or maybe eight. I was young and I, and it was, it was a very
47:28 emotional scene. Like my parents were supposed to be fighting and I didn't know at all, like
47:33 how to just suddenly cry. Like basically they were asking me, they're like, okay, when you
47:37 walk in the door to cry. And I was like, okay. And so I, he talked to me and he talked the
47:42 scene through with me and I ended up doing it. I cried and I felt that emotion for the
47:47 first time. And that was with his help and from that project that taught me so much.
47:51 That was my base. And the thing that Jean-Marc said to me, he said, he said, work a little,
47:58 play a little, work a little and live a little. And to me, that is so important because I
48:03 would not be able to act if I did not know how to live. And I think living is so important.
48:08 You always need to take time for yourself because whenever I'm not working, I don't
48:12 mind. I'll go out and I'll go to actual school and I will be a high school student and I
48:16 will live my life and make friends and be a kid. And for me as a kid, that to me is
48:21 so important because that I will always do. I think in between projects, even just taking
48:26 time for yourself to have a moment to get back to life, there's nothing wrong with that.
48:31 So yeah.
48:37 First advice, sneeze in your audition so you can restart.
48:43 Does it work though?
48:48 I tried it once. Yeah, it did. But it was, I just, I was like, oh gosh, oh gosh. And
48:53 then I heard a casting director talking about that people have been doing this. And then
48:57 I was like, who is teaching this to everybody? So don't do that. Best advice. I think I will
49:07 piggyback. Have a life. I think when I moved to Los Angeles, I was, I wanted to be an actor
49:15 so badly. I wanted to get away from my hometown and just be catapulted into this different
49:21 life. But I felt that I was, though I was laser focused on what I wanted, I wasn't really
49:26 enjoying my life. And you need, I mean, you can use substitution all you want, but there's
49:33 nothing better than pulling from your real life and being able to liken that in a scene
49:41 opposed to like creating the situation.
49:43 Because you can just live in this. A lot of this, a lot of positive things happen. I know
49:47 a lot of negative things happen too, but I would say that would be the biggest. But also,
49:51 I mean, I mean, above this, I would say, I think at schools, we focus so much on the
49:58 craft and technique of acting. And there is so much business that goes with acting that
50:05 we don't get to see until you do your first project and you become a little bit successful
50:12 and everything is a little, you have these gatekeepers that know everybody and you're
50:18 not allowed to know them and they cash your checks and they take care of your money and
50:23 they have all the emails.
50:26 You have to think of yourself as a business, like starting now, not just a headshot, right?
50:31 Like not like, "Oh, what's my headshot going to look like?" Forget it. Social media, I
50:36 guess is more important, they say these days. I don't know, but your craft is the most important.
50:40 And you just have to take a finance class, take a business management class, take something
50:46 that will assist in your ascension in the acting industry. Because when you treat it
50:52 like a business, I know that it's scary. That's a scary word to some people, business.
50:58 But it's true. You have to know nobody will look out for you as good as you will look
51:05 out for you. And as someone who started at a young age, I'm sure you learned that early
51:10 on too. It's like, you just have to advocate for yourself. If you think something's fishy,
51:16 something might be fishy. If you think someone's taking your money, someone might be taking
51:20 your money. If you think you're not being submitted for roles, they might not be submitting
51:22 you for roles.
51:23 So you just have to build your network here at SCAD before you go to wherever you're at,
51:28 Atlanta to New York to Chicago to LA, and build your network of people because you don't
51:33 know who you're surrounded by right now, which is so exciting. You could be next to a casting
51:40 director, a producer, a writer, a director, and you guys should all learn how to direct
51:46 and act. Even if you're a writer, learn how to act. Understand that. Go to an acting class.
51:50 If you're a director, go to an acting class. If you're an actor, go to a writing class.
51:54 You might suck, but it's okay. Because then you can start creating projects for yourself,
51:59 creating projects with your friends. And you have the power, especially now with social
52:04 media, to produce things on your own and for it to get eyes on it, especially now with
52:10 this state-of-the-art facility that I just saw was built here, which is incredible. You
52:14 guys are so lucky. So just look to your left, look to your right, know that you might see
52:19 these people for the rest of your life. And just be kind to everyone.
52:23 Well, I can't think of a better note to end on than be kind to everyone. So unfortunately,
52:28 we are out of time, but we thank you all for being here. Thank you for letting us be all
52:33 students beyond the SCAD students here in the room, but to the SCAD students in the
52:36 room, do everything that they all said and take the bad advice and learn from that too.
52:43 And one day we hope to see you breaking big and sitting on this panel with us. Thank you
52:47 all. Enjoy the rest of your SCAD.
52:48 Thank you so much.
52:48 [Applause]
52:51 [Music]
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