Focal Point
Conversations with artists across all industries, taking a deep dive into the nuances, techniques, and philosophies of society's talent.
Focal Point
Fake Green Screens and Real Tears #60 ACTRESS Sofia Castellanos
Actress Sophia Castelanos joins us to break down the shift from stage to screen. She shares how she prepares emotionally demanding roles using Meisner-based techniques, how she releases heavy scenes without carrying them home, and what green screen work really requires when you’re reacting to threats that don’t exist yet.
We also dig into the side of acting most people never see: researching casting calls, vetting projects, shaping a reel with intention, and knowing when to say no. Sophia reflects on early-career survival mode versus long-term strategy, navigating typecasting, expanding range, and why sustainable acting takes both discipline and courage.
Welcome to the Focal Point Podcast. I'm your host, Tony Riggs. Here I take a deep dive into my personal interests of the hidden craftsmanship, philosophies, and passions behind society's talent. If you're intrigued by artistic nuance, please subscribe and follow on my YouTube channel, Spotify, and BuzzSprout. With that being said, let me introduce you to today's guests. Welcome to the show. Welcome to the podcast. Thanks for having me. Yeah. Why don't you just go ahead and uh introduce yourself? Tell us what you do and how you got started.
SPEAKER_01:I'm Sophia Cassianos. Um I do a lot of film acting. I also do some theater here and there, and I love to do singing and character performing. Um I got started when I was probably, I want to say 12 maybe. Um I started doing some like musical theater projects here and there and like just like local community stuff. And then during COVID, I really got interested in film, so I started taking a lot of online classes because there wasn't many in-person classes opportunities at that point. Um and I just started auditioning and I booked several short films, which kind of really like heightened my my first onset experiences.
SPEAKER_00:How did how did that compare to being a part of a theatrical production? Because generally, especially in the indie world, um the the crew isn't as big as like a theatrical production, and there's lots of people.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's so different. I remember people would always tell me at my during my classes, like before I'd ever been on like a professional set, they're like, theater and film are very different, and I'm like, oh, but it's acting. But then once I got on a film set, it was like it's like a whole whole new world. Um, just the process is very different, and there's like a lot of onset lingo that you have to be familiar with to understand like what's happening and what's going on.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, there's a little bit of a culture shock. Yeah. Um, did you did you end up having a director that was trying to coach you out of being like theatrical in the way that you were delivering a performance?
SPEAKER_01:Um, so I've usually most of my acting has always been kind of on the subtle side. Like I've never, if anything, I've had directors be like, I need a little bit more. Um, so the it was actually I realized I kind of enjoyed film in that aspect because I didn't have to like theater, you kind of have to like bring a lot more so that everyone else can kind of see what's going on. But film, I it was like those subtle facial expressions that like really sold it. So I really enjoyed it because I kind of gotta bring out more of my like subtle side.
SPEAKER_00:So you feel like film acting innately feels more authentic to deliver.
SPEAKER_01:I think so, yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:So but when you came from doing theater, and you still do theater, right?
SPEAKER_01:I do, yeah. I do less, I do more film than I do theater, but I do do theater, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, because theater is about projecting so that the back of the room can still see you. You know, and that makes sure that they're able to, you know, catch on to the performance and everything that goes along with that. Right. But you know, in theater you have to be very animated, you know. And not like in a Pixar way. You've seen those, you know, uh those comparisons where it's like, you know, Pixar acting, theater acting, film acting. I'm sure they've popped up in your feed before.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And those things always get me. But um yeah, I've known a decent number of theater people in my life, and what they always tell me when they try to do film is actually the opposite. Normally I feel like theater is like they feel very now granted, a lot of these people that I'm speaking subjectively about were very extroverted. So maybe they were just animated naturally. But it's it seems to me that like introverts tend w uh that are actors, they tend to do better in film.
SPEAKER_01:I am very much an introvert.
SPEAKER_00:You all you ended up on a on the news too, right? Because you were helping us promote for you know like uh this film academy. What was that for?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it was it was for um a film camp, and they the person who was in charge of a film camp was like, Hey, do you want to come on and like interview? And I was like, sure. So then we went to the on the news and it was really fun.
SPEAKER_00:Uh you got started around COVID, right? A little bit after?
SPEAKER_01:Started around COVID, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. What what what has been your takeaway from doing film compared to theater when it comes to seeing the end product versus that live feedback that you get from theater?
SPEAKER_01:I think the live feedback is really important because it's like this whole it's kind of like this whole of the world. But the thing I really love about film is just like the whole process, like from just arriving on set and kind of blocking, and then everyone setting up and doing their jobs, and then really getting to like be in the moment. We can do it with theater too. You can do it whenever whenever you're acting, just being in the moment. But I think the special thing with film is being able to watch it back and see what was captured. Um, because you notice things that maybe you weren't thinking of in the moment.
SPEAKER_00:Because with film, you get multiple tries, you know. Yeah. With theater, you have to try your heart out and just kind of cross your fingers until opening night or the night that you're performing. Yeah. For me, like, because I've I've done some filmmaking related things before, but I'm I nowadays I'm mostly a writer. But what the idea of theater to me is just daunting because you know, if something goes wrong, then the illusion's broken. How do you how do you like as an actress, along with you and the rest of your castmates and everybody that's taking a part of, you know, the theater, theatrical production, how do you how do you how do you like new people get over that?
SPEAKER_01:I think when I first started like any sort of acting, it was like I was really nervous because it's like with theater, you get like that's like it's one shot, that's it. Um, but I think when like we would tell ourselves, like, people are here to watch you perform and have fun, they're not here to like criticize you. Um, and then something that's really helpful is I did a lot of improv training, so I think having um improv under your belt is like really helpful to work off actors if something does go wrong or something isn't how it's supposed to be.
SPEAKER_00:Has it had its uses when it came comes to doing different takes for film?
SPEAKER_01:Yes. Um, there's definitely been moments on set where like someone misses a line or someone skips a line and you kind of just have to stay in the moment because it makes the process a lot easier for post-production, like for the editors, rather than being like, okay, let's cut, you know. So just staying in the moment and being like using those improv skills to kind of readjust what's going on.
SPEAKER_00:When did you get why did why did you get started in acting? Because you said you started fairly young, right? Like what did you what was it? Yeah. Age 12?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. I did I did some theater stuff when I was like little, little, like theater camps and things like that. Um, but my mom, well, both my parents were musicians. My mom is a singer and performer, and so music and the arts has kind of always been in my life. Um, and I think that's when I really started to explore it. I I started off really enjoying singing, and then during COVID was when I was like, okay, film would be really cool. So then that's when I started like doing a lot of research and joining classes.
SPEAKER_00:How did you first start getting roles for doing film?
SPEAKER_01:Um, so my first like professional, like paid onset role would have been um through my mom's former student. He was casting for a short film shooting in Cleveland, and I happened to fit the role, so I auditioned, and there was quite a few other people that auditioned, but we went through a couple callbacks and I got that one. So that was my first like professional one. I also before I did some student films, which I think is like a really good learning experience because they're they're learning too, and so you kind of get to learn with them, which I think is really cool.
SPEAKER_00:I I I when I was going through your work, I noticed that the main commonality between the types of roles that you get approached for is that it's usually like a daughter role.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Something like that. Why why why do you think that is?
SPEAKER_01:I don't know. I've always been really typecast as daughter a daughter and usually very heavy roles. So almost all of the roles I've done have been like very dark or dramatic, heavy roles. And I think maybe because a lot of the work I do is mostly here in Cleveland.
SPEAKER_00:Um where it just rains and snows all year round and everyone's sad and depressed.
SPEAKER_01:Um there's there's like a pool of like teenage actors, but I think um I think that there's I've seen like I've seen some people in the Cleveland area who are like older and will get cast as like the younger daughter or something. Um but I'm not quite sure why. I don't know, but I I love it.
SPEAKER_00:Kind of like teenagers in like 90s movies where they're all like in their mid-20s. Right? I'm thinking of uh what was that movie? Oh, I almost knocked that over. Oh, what was it? Um Girls. Uh it's the like the the quartet of like four different uh girls. It's it's a really popular movie. It has um what's her name? Uh Lindsay Lohan in it.
SPEAKER_01:Oh.
SPEAKER_00:Um You know what I'm talking about, right?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I I don't know what it's called.
SPEAKER_00:I don't I don't know either. Yeah, I'm supposed to consider myself a film person, and then sometimes I run into these situations.
SPEAKER_01:I'm not good with names or remembering things.
SPEAKER_00:There's a ton of movies that like even as uh a filmmaker, I know I'm supposed to have seen. I just haven't. You get two different you've run I I'm sure you've run into this before where you'll meet filmmakers, there's two different kinds of people. There's the really nerdy type who know who are really obsessed about their craft. And then there's the uh the film professors, where they can tell you any tiny little detail about any little film in history. And their favorite movie is probably some like r uh weird foreign film that doesn't have any dialogue in it. Uh but anyway, that's that's my rant. That's my rant. When um what was the first difficult role that you found yourself when it came to delivering a performance?
SPEAKER_01:That's a really good question. Um I think one role that was really challenging for me was I played a sex trafficking victim, and so it was a very heavy role. And I think like being able to like emotionally prepare for those scenes was like super like dark and heavy. Um, but the team was like super kind and they were all really, really great, and they made it a really good experience. But that was definitely I read the script and I was like, wow, like this is a story I want to tell because it's an important story, but like this is gonna be really hard.
SPEAKER_00:What how how did you manage being in that headspace?
SPEAKER_01:Um so I'm Meisner trained, so I I did a lot of um kind of like the Meisner aspect is like emotion preparing by using like imaginary circumstances. Um so I was able to use these like imaginary circumstances and then brush it off afterwards. But I think the hard part was kind of having to like reset and do it again, take after take after take. Um, and they were the team was actually really good about being like making sure everything was set up and everything looked good and ready so that we could do it as quickly as possible.
SPEAKER_00:We wouldn't have to take like a very mindful of of the very mindfulness. How taxed you were mentally to be able to do that.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Um and I I was young, I was I was 16. So Oh goodness. Yeah. So I was like, How old are you now?
SPEAKER_00:I'm 18. Oh, you're 18. Yeah. For for some reason I thought you were you know 22 or something like that. I remember seeing that number somewhere.
SPEAKER_02:22.
SPEAKER_00:It's something, no. Okay. And you've been doing this since you okay, so yeah, that that checks out. So actually some of your roles you were really young. Yeah. When it came to like doing it right around COVID.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I was pretty young.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. Was uh was that something that you was doing more film acting, something that you thought up and that you wanted to do, or was is it was there a suggestion somewhere there by your parents saying, hey, maybe this is where that can go?
SPEAKER_01:No, I mean my parents, they've always been really supportive about it, but they've never like they're just kind of there for the process and they're there for the ride. Like they're not I'm kinda I kind of do it all, run it all. So I was the one who like was like, oh, like I'm gonna submit myself to some agencies now. And they obviously helped and made sure that I was safe and everything was looking good, but like I was pretty much the one who like did it all.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, okay. So you you got some thumbs up parents, not like kick you out the door parents. Thumbs up parents. Okay. Um, yeah. When you first started getting involved in the film community as a pair as opposed to, you know, the theatrical world that you have been a part of up to that point. Have you had any bad experiences where you're like, oh, this is a learning lesson when it comes to like being able to identify red flags for particular projects? Because especially in the indie world, you know, unit's unfortunate a lot of people don't follow through on their word, you know, and uh you you there are some horror stories. Uh do you what are the lessons that you've learned when from your experience?
SPEAKER_01:Um yeah, for sure. Um I think a big lesson for me was always do your research. So you see a casting call, you see this person who's like, oh, this is the director, like look them up, see what other projects they've been on, check out their IMDB. Um sometimes if I see a casting opportunity and I see that the director is someone that someone else I'm familiar with, someone else knows them, then sometimes I'll reach out and be like, hey, like I've seen you work with this person before, just wanted to like hear how your experience was. Um and yeah, just kind of being extra cautious. And I think especially like when I was young, like as a minor, like really making sure that my parents were involved and always on set with me and always knew what was happening. Um because yeah, in the indie filmmaking world, there is definitely some experiences that aren't so great. So it's definitely important to like just do your research and know what you're getting yourself into. And then also being okay with saying, like, no, I'm not comfortable doing this, because that's okay too.
SPEAKER_00:What what was the last uh uh instance where where you had to do that? Have you had to do that yet?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Um there was a couple, there was a uh a couple years ago I had to deny working on a project because um I didn't feel comfortable working with some other people that were on that set. And I said, I'm sorry, but I just for both of us, for both of our purposes, I'm gonna back out. And they were okay with that and they understood. And I think just being like upfront and honest about it, because um, I don't think I think the worst thing is just getting involved in all the drama. Because there's a there's a lot of drama.
SPEAKER_00:Oh there's a lot, there's there's there's a fair amount, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:There's a lot, and even if you don't want to get involved somehow, some way, like your path is gonna cross with someone and someone's gonna talk and say something.
SPEAKER_00:So it's always just important to just like be yourself and be like, no, like this is well it's also the arts in general because it's filled with I mean, if you're an artistic person, you're you're probably inherently neurotic. You know, you got a lot of things going on upstairs, and then you you put a bunch of people who have a lot of things going on upstairs, and they all end up stairs together, and they find out that the attic's actually a little too small for all of them. Right. And then sometimes that's sometimes actually that is the recipe for the most beautiful piece of art that you could ever possibly or it could go, it's it's it's the extremes. You can go one way or the other. Um you're not wrong. You're not wrong. Fortunately, I I myself haven't had those sorts of experiences, but as I've you know, done my as I've been networking, you know, over the past few years, I've heard some stories. And frankly, some of them really surprise me. Yeah. What would be your advice to like a new actress that's wanting to get in? What what what should she look for when it comes to identifying those red flags?
SPEAKER_01:Um, trust or gut. Like, honestly, there were times where I was like, oh, something feels off about this, but I was like, I'm here for the experience, I'm here to do my job, and I should have trusted my gut, and I should have said no, like this isn't right, or this isn't okay. Um, and then I think being okay, like advocating for yourself and asking for help um if you're put in a situation that you're not comfortable with. I think sometimes it's kind of frowned upon because uh, you know, people are like, oh, well, you were here to do your job as like an actor, like this is what you were hired for, but like it's okay to be like, no, like I I didn't feel safe or I wasn't in a situation where I felt comfortable, and to be able to ask for the help that you might need or the support that you might need.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. When when it comes to accepting a role, obviously in the beginning, you want to just build your resume. You know, that's what you want to do to try to hit the ground running. At what point and have you hit this point yet where you think that maybe I need to start being a little more choosy about the rules that I get in order to kind of steer what I get approached for in the future?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, definitely. Um, yeah, so when I first started, I was like just applying like everything I could student films, any short films, like literally anything. Um and as long as I could like do the like if I had the time, um, I would I would do it. Um now I'm a lot, I think I'm more busy, so I have to be a little more picky with what I even apply for. Um and I think something that helps me kind of decide is like what kind of roles do I like to take on, and what are some of these stories that like I really enjoy telling that has like a meaningful purpose to me. Um eventually I do want to start taking on or auditioning for more like lighter or comedy roles because I just haven't done much of it, and I think it'd be a nice variety to add to my resume.
SPEAKER_00:I've funny enough, uh I've also well I've interviewed other actresses before, and that is the most common thing they actually say. They always get approached for like the role where they need to have some type of like mental breakdown or they need to do this really like 15-minute long crying scene or something like that. And they're like, I I just feel like uh I just get approached to be tortured, you know. And they really at the end of it, they they want to get together and they want to do a comedy. And some of these people that I know, they're actually really hilarious behind the camera. They'll go from crying and then they'll crack a joke, probably as like some type of like therapeutic management just to kind of get through the day, honestly. But that that's not the first time I heard that. And the more that I talk to like actresses, I totally get it. Because out when I go through their work, normally there's like one emotional scene or role that stands out. Yeah, and then um and then I've noticed from my conversations with them is that what that is what they get the approach for because within their own small community, they start to build on the real that ends up being the thing that sticks out, so that's what they get approached for. You know what for future roles that you know you're trying to be more selective about, ideally, what are what are you looking for?
SPEAKER_01:Um that's a good question. I think as I start getting a little bit older, um, I kind of want to explore. I used to play a lot, like you said, a lot of like the daughter roles, but I think it'd be interesting to go into like the old. Sister, um, kind of like motherly figure type. Um, because a lot of the work I do right now is, like I said, kind of like dark and depressing. And I think being able to explore a little bit of a different, not only like different age range, but also different kind of vibe to the character would be really interesting.
SPEAKER_00:Do you worry, because there's the actresses that makes me think about the actresses right now that kind of stick out in my mind of like Jenna Ortega, like where they end up playing like a high schooler for way longer than what their, you know, their life experience would would lead them to like be able to deliver for other roles, but they just you know, they have that look where they can they can play down if they really want to. Is that something that you worry about, or is that do you think it might not be an issue?
SPEAKER_01:I think I think part of me thinks it'd actually be kind of cool. Um I know that they're they hire like adults for younger roles for like how many hours they can work and things like that.
SPEAKER_02:Right.
SPEAKER_01:Um so I think it'd be kind of cool. I do think it would probably get to a point where it'd be like, okay, I'm like ready to try something new. But I think because I've done a decent amount of roles kind of in that age range, I don't think I'm at the point yet where I'm like ready to let it go. I think it's like I I would totally be willing to like further explore it and explore more opportunities with it.
SPEAKER_00:What would be the biggest reason that you would turn down a script if you don't know or can't figure out like who the people are behind it? Um I'm speaking like I'm thinking of this question more from a narrative sense, not necessarily a working experience.
SPEAKER_01:Okay. Yeah. Um like if I had already read the script.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, you read the script, you're thinking about it, and what would be the thing that sticks out to you that, like, mm-hmm I don't think that this would be for me?
SPEAKER_01:Um, I think there's the right amount of challenge with taking on roles. So I think there's that good amount where it's like, okay, this is not quite who I am as a person, but that's okay. I'm gonna like really dig into it and try and portray this character. And then I think sometimes there's like a character I haven't had this experience yet, that I just wouldn't feel comfortable playing, or wouldn't feel like I had not even the abilities, but like kind of the experiences to play, or really know who this character is. So I think um really taking the time to like understand the script and the character first, and then thinking, is this something that I could see myself doing? Is this going to be a challenge, or is this going to feel really, really hard and impossible for me?
SPEAKER_00:As and I would imagine as you've gotten older, you also have to think about what will this could this role potentially do something for me in the future?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:How how is that where in the list of priorities of ranking priorities is is that for you? There's the you know, because you have the artistic challenge of doing something, but then you also have, okay, how is this gonna serve my career? Like, where do you find the balance with that?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, that's hard because uh it really depends. Because I I've I think especially in like the indie filmmaking area, like I've made close connections with people who will like sometimes just bring me onto projects, and usually I'm like, yeah, for sure, like I want to support you. Um and I haven't gotten to the point yet where it's been like, but this isn't something I'm really not really interested in. I haven't gotten there yet. But I think that as time goes on, there might be an instance where I'm like having to decide between is this what's right for me? Is this just another experience I want to throw in my resume, or can I look at something else that is going to like heighten my resume and heighten my reel and help people see um the acting that I can do? So I think I think it's a hard balance, and I think as time goes on, it'll be a little bit easier for me to understand as like experiences continue.
SPEAKER_00:Well, you a lot of actresses and actors would fall into those two camps. One is more artistic minded and very narrative, they just want to go for the craft and the passion of it, and then the other is much more strategic from a business sense. Right. Where do where do you find yourself like falling between those two things?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so I definitely started off as like I'll take everything. Like I'll do everything, every opportunity.
SPEAKER_00:It's a buffet, I'm gonna get my money's worth.
SPEAKER_01:Right. And so I was like, I want to do it for the art, for the passion. Like, I love it. And I still very much love it. Um, I did take a break for a little bit, and during that time, it wasn't very long, it was like less than a year, I was realizing um the break is like good. It gives you an opportunity to kind of think about like where do I want to take this next? Um, I took a like business side of the industry class, and that was really helpful because there's a lot of things that I didn't like know about. Like I didn't know the importance of like networking and putting yourself out there and having social media that showcases your work. And so after taking that class, I was like, okay, like I kind of want to focus more on the business side because so much of it is the business side, it's not just the talent or the art piece of it, like there's a lot more to it. So I did kind of start focusing a little bit more on the business side with like networking and reaching out and like collaborating with people. Um yeah, I think now it's it's a good mix of both. I think I do have a busy schedule, so when I do take on a project, part of me is like, I'm doing this because it's a huge passion of mine and I love it. And another part of me is like, well, where can this take me in the future? And let's give this a try and see uh maybe this will really help me out.
SPEAKER_00:Hmm. That that that kind of reminds me of something I heard from Timothy uh Chalamet recently is that the reason the the reason why he works so much and to the intensity of that he does is because he has friends who s who he says himself are more talented than him, but just don't get those opportunities for some reason. Yeah. And you know, the only that shows that even at that level, you know, of the industry for the arts that at the end of the day, if you don't have the business accolade, you know, or that that knack to be able to push yourself in that way, even if you're talented, you know, you're not gonna get those sorts of roles working and then your work that you are capable of doing is just not gonna get out there.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you can have so much talent, but I think it's still so important to like that's what my acting teacher originally said. She was like, if you are really serious about this, you need to take a like intro to the business side of acting course. So I took I took one with um her name's Wendy Elainwright, and she's super big on like the big business side. And so she came and she helped us figure it all out, and it was great. It was really great.
SPEAKER_00:Well, I want to go ahead and pivot to the craft of acting in and of itself. And now that I've gotten you know kind of a sense of more or less of who you are. Uh what has been the most difficult skill you've had to pick up as an actor?
SPEAKER_01:Actress, rather.
SPEAKER_00:Um, I think Some people get mad at me when I just like I say actor and I don't say actor. Really? Yeah, I've I've it's not often, but it it has happened before.
SPEAKER_01:Um I think the most You said challenging.
SPEAKER_00:The most difficult skill. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Um I kind of talked about this earlier, but I think being able to like let go of because I do so many of like the heavier roles, sometimes it like stays with me for a little bit. And being able to like differentiate that, because I I think for the thing for when I act is like I I want it to feel real, I want it to be real, so I I need my emotions to be real, like it's not like they're fake tears, like I'm crying because I'm feeling sad, you know? But then being able to shake that off at the end of the day and be like, hey, this was just a film set, this isn't your real life. But um I think in the beginning and sometimes still now, I would take on a character and I would go so in-depth with it that it would become quite heavy.
SPEAKER_00:How how do you decompress from essentially licensing your emotions out temporarily?
SPEAKER_01:Um I I love nature. So if I'm not on set or I do a lot of like nannying and working with kids, if I'm not doing that, then I'm usually in nature. Um so I do a lot of backpacking and hiking and camping, and I think it's like a really nice break, especially from like social media too, because when you're on social media and like seeing everything and it's kind of crazy, but um just being able to like go in nature and like take a breath. It's really really rewarding for me.
SPEAKER_00:Fair enough. How how do you maintain presence in a scene e even when you have no dialogue? Because like a lot of actors and new era actors and actresses, they just don't know what to do with their bodies if they're not like saying words, you know?
SPEAKER_01:Mm-hmm. Um, I recently did this film where um everyone had super long monologues. So, like super long, like two pages. And um, and we were all sitting at a table together, and it was like each person had their own monologue. So I had my monologue, but then these two other people had theirs. And I think the most important thing was just to really be present and listen. Um if you're really listening, you'll really feel, and like you don't need to necessarily push any sort of emotion one way or the other. It's just how you naturally are reacting to what's occurring and like knowing who your character is and knowing your character's past kind of helps shape the way you feel towards what this other person's saying.
SPEAKER_00:Well, I mean, chemistry also plays a lot in the what what was the best example of chemistry? And and when you are experiencing that type of synergy with another uh cast member, how how does that how do you feel that that affects your performance, both in a good way and a bad way?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so I've been like so lucky because I feel like everyone that I worked really closely with has been like really amazing and I've clicked with them very easily, um, which makes it a lot easier in a way almost because you can kind of be yourself off camera, but then you also have this character that you're able to like fully embrace and portray because of that level of like comfort. Um, so chemistry definitely is like a big thing for me. I I always make sure that I talk with the person before and like get to them know them as a person um rather than who their character is, because you want to be able to build those relationships off-screen as well.
SPEAKER_00:I've heard some people actually say the opposite and their reasoning is that um is that if they get to know the person behind the the character, then sometimes their brain doesn't distinguish between one or the other, and that affects the way they deliver. Sometimes they're delivering with the way that they're delivering, they're supposed to deliver it to the character, but then you know, their tone and their inflections, they're it's actually coming out toward the person based on this, like unconsciously the way that, you know, because they just had this conversation while they're waiting between ticks and stuff like that. Yeah. I think some actors go a little might go a little bit too far with that and then they go full like method acting isn't like always an extreme thing. There's like it's it's kind of a spectrum, you know. But where have have you had that experience where you feel like okay, maybe I especially with your heavier roles, where you need to be off to the side a little bit just to collect yourself?
SPEAKER_01:Um, definitely, but I usually do it, I usually set some time um aside before the take. So I'm okay with like mingling and chatting with people before, and then when they're like, okay, we're gonna start shooting pretty soon, then like, okay, like let me go take some time and space. And there's been um the set that I was just talking about with the huge monologues was like so incredible about that because there would be they had some um people who were like learning on that set, and they would tell them, like, hey, we have actors who are trying to like prepare for this scene, so let's make sure that we're giving them like the time and the space and the respect that they need. And so I really appreciated it that because I felt like I didn't feel rushed. I felt like okay, I can take a minute and prepare, and then when I'm ready, I'll go on set and do what I need to do.
SPEAKER_00:You've also had some experience with working on a green screen. Yeah. Is it as much of a nightmare and a beast as some people say?
SPEAKER_01:It's hard. It's really hard. The green screen pot project. I'm actually doing one right now. Um, we're filming it over the next couple of months, and that one is I think less hard because they're also incorporating like physical set pieces on the green screen.
SPEAKER_00:You're like, oh, it's theater again, you know?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Um, but this other project I did, I had to pretend I was getting like attacked by creatures that just weren't actually there.
SPEAKER_00:And it was really hard because I was like, it didn't feel like animals? What kind of creatures are we talking about?
SPEAKER_01:Um it was like a video game film, so like there was like animals and then there was also like like bombs and like weapons and stuff like that. So I had to like dodge these things that like weren't actually there.
SPEAKER_00:Was this the one that was in your Link Tree? I forget what it was called.
SPEAKER_01:Maybe. Um I want to say it was called Solitude.
SPEAKER_00:Uh yeah, Solitude.
SPEAKER_01:It's a lot of a lot of green screen.
SPEAKER_00:Green screen work. What's I mean it made sense for you know the film that it was trying to be, is like, okay, it's a video game.
SPEAKER_01:Right.
SPEAKER_00:Um but uh what what are the director's conversations with you about um when it comes to interacting with something that's not there? Because he's trying to give you direction, and the only thing you have to go off of is your imagination.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Um I always, if they don't offer, normal, usually they offer or even like, okay, we're gonna do this, but I always make sure that we like walk through it first so I can know like the placement of things. Um and then I usually like to look at the script with the director and like go through, okay, here's what's happening here, here's what's happening here, so I can get it in my brain. It's probably not gonna come out exactly the same way when we do the take, because I'm less in my head and I'm more just trying to like portray the character. Um, but there's definitely a lot of like discussion that goes into it beforehand, not just for me, but also because the camera needs to work around kind of like where I'm moving on that one set. We did have to retake it kind of a couple times just because I kept like moving my arm out of frame and they wouldn't be able to like work with it.
SPEAKER_00:So well the the advantage with uh green screen is that if they if if the green screen is actually you know completely surrounding you, yeah, and then then they're able to make you smaller or bigger depending on where they want to put you in the scene. That's yeah, that's the grace that does come with it. Yeah. When when the final product came out, uh does did it make a little bit more sense about what you were doing?
SPEAKER_01:Yes. I saw it and was like, oh wait, this this looks right. This is like and they they with the editing, I think a lot of it comes in the editing of like making use of the different reactions and different like moments of body language, and then being able to um put like little subtle things here and there. But yeah, when I watched it, I was like, okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, this next question might be even more prevalent considering when you're filming on a green screen. How can new actors get comfortable with the I feel like an idiot right now feeling?
SPEAKER_01:Um yeah, I definitely had that when I first started. Um it's hard, it's easier said than done just being able to like let go. But I think getting out of your head is hard and it takes a lot of like it takes training and practice and experience. But I think once you're able to do it, it's like like I'm here to tell a story. These people aren't judging me, these people are working with me, I'm working with them, and just being able to like acknowledge that everyone here is here to make a piece of art. And um, yeah, it definitely takes practice and time. It took me a lot of time because I was always really shy growing up. So when I was performing, I was just it was always kind of scary for me. Um, but eventually I was able to come out of my shell and realize like we're all here to make something beautiful and we just gotta we gotta go for it. And then it's really fun and you don't worry about it.
SPEAKER_00:Have you can you tell uh even if you don't know whether or not if you even if you haven't seen like a director's or a filmmaker's previous work, whether or not they have the experience to deliver on what they're trying to accomplish?
SPEAKER_01:For the director?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, there's definitely been, I mean, I've again been so lucky because pretty much all the sets I've worked on, I can tell these directors have a vision, they know what they want, and they're gonna execute it. Um I think when I first started, I was also probably on some like projects where again people were like learning and trying new things, and I was just along for the ride. Um, but yeah, I think you can definitely tell when someone has a vision and knows how they want to execute it, and somebody who's like, well, like let's try this, and kind of like experimenting with it. And I think there's benefits to both, but I definitely think it's important to know where you want to go with something. And if it changes in the process, that's okay. But I think going into it with like, here's what I'm trying to accomplish, and here's how we're gonna do it.
SPEAKER_00:What would be the genre or the type of project that you think would propel your career to that next step that you're trying to get it to?
SPEAKER_01:Definitely something comedy.
SPEAKER_00:Um So it's not just for therapy. You really think that a comedy would be. I think so.
SPEAKER_01:I think it would I think it would give a new I I think I would have to do a lot of training with it. I don't, it's not something I'm used to. I think I would have to do a lot of work with an acting coach to be able to portray like a comedy character successfully. Um I also think it'd be really cool to be. I think that's a good thing. Have you seen House? Um, I've seen parts of it.
SPEAKER_00:I just finished watching The Pit, and that was like Oh my gosh, the Pit is that's something else.
SPEAKER_01:It was so good. And I was like, wow, like I want to do that.
SPEAKER_00:So I still haven't finished season one, but that uh because I I first I was first introduced to the show actually because uh I saw some actual doctors like reviewing the medical accuracy of it. And they're like, no, this is this is exactly it. Because normally with like things with like uh I don't know, House and uh like Grey's Anatomy, that they just show in the medical world. But now this is the medical world turned into a show.
SPEAKER_01:It's so cool.
SPEAKER_00:It's uh it's really it's gruesome. It's gruesome.
SPEAKER_02:It is really gruesome. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And there's like this one character who just gets uh he's constantly getting his clothes dirty and he's a nerd. Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And so well there's your comedy right there. You can just be the the new the new girl who's just constantly getting dirty.
SPEAKER_02:Yep.
SPEAKER_00:Um what what what about that is it that you think you know would be advantageous to you?
SPEAKER_01:For which one, the comedy or the the the medical. The medical um like what's the appeal for that for you as an actress? Yeah, well they do trend to be more dramatic, so I would probably be playing another dramatic role. But I think especially like those episodic opportunities are really beneficial for actors. Um I think also a lot of those shows they move really, really fast. So like they're always shooting, always editing, getting episode out. So it's like it's a really fast process, um, which I kind of like. I like I kind of like being able to be on different sets that have different processes. Some of the sets I've been on take a long time and it's really fun because you get to know everybody, and then some of the sets like they move really quick. So I think that kind of set would be an interesting experience.
SPEAKER_00:Is there another aspect of filmmaking that is not related to acting that you think if you learned would help you be a better actress?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so I want to go to school for film, so not acting for film. Um, and I think I've done, I've made some projects here and there. Um, and I think being able to just I think everything, honestly. I think knowing a little bit about each person's job makes your job a little bit easier, and it also makes their job a little bit easier. If you're aware of how hard it is to be an editor, then you have a little more appreciation and respect for them. And when you're acting, you try and make sure you're you've got continuity going. So each take you're doing kind of like if you have your hair one way, you make sure it's that way, but you know, just like those small things that like really other people really do appreciate. Um, I also think when I did uh a film camp, we got to do like all different aspects. So I did a little bit of camera work and a little bit of sound. Sound was really cool. I really enjoyed sound. Um camera was really cool too, but I I think my favorite was directing. I I really liked it. And so being able to kind of learn about what a director's job is and how to give direction and how to receive feedback. I think that's really important.
SPEAKER_00:What was the best direction to date that you think you've gotten from a director?
SPEAKER_01:Oh, that's a good question. Um, I think it was um, again, this this the film set that I recently worked on with the the table and the two or the three long monologues. The director was absolutely incredible, and he he had a specific vision for every single character, and he knew exactly what he wanted, and so we would do several takes, and they were long takes because it was those long monologues. Um, but after each take, he was so good about giving, I really liked this. Can you give me a little more of this in this specific part? So, like being able to be really distinct about it and like advocate for like what he's looking for, and then do another one and be like, you really brought that this time, can you try this next time? So, like just those it would be like little things within the really long monologue, but I think it made such a difference because, like I said, he knew what he wanted for each character.
SPEAKER_00:How how long was your monologue?
SPEAKER_01:Um, my monologue was like Like how many pages? It's like a page and a half.
SPEAKER_00:Page and a half.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, of uninterrupted dialogue.
SPEAKER_01:Yep.
SPEAKER_00:How how do you get good at memorizing that? Like, because i I I couldn't imagine, like, for this I know I feel I feel bad sometimes because like I know that like I because of what I write, you know, and I'm I'm somewhat conscientious of like, okay, uh style versus you know, is this gonna actually be practical in terms of how it's gonna be delivered and the time it takes going to actually to film, you know, this.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Those are other factors you have to consider, but yeah. How do you get how do you get around to memorizing all that?
SPEAKER_01:Um well part of it I need to do for my audition, and then another part of it I had to do for my callback. So I kind of already had like some of it in my head. And then um I think the big thing for me with memorizing is rather than like memorizing what the lines are, really understanding what the character is feeling and what the character is going through, because I think if you understand the character better, then you can add those lines on top, and they they flow a lot better, um, more natural. So I did most of my memorization work was actually spending time like thinking about the character and um thinking about their moment before, then a moment after, and what was going on in between the monologue, and then I was able to take those words and kind of put them on top, and then I would just continue practicing and practicing and on set, we would run through it. The other actors were so good about like, can you like read can you perform your monologue for me? And I was like, sure. And then just like being able to practice in front of who I was gonna be working with.
SPEAKER_00:Do you think that preparedness is what land you to do landed you the role? Or were you just like I I I nailed it like the talent and the auditions, just like they they saw it.
SPEAKER_01:Um what they told me, which was so so incredibly kind and completely made my day, is uh they told me when they when they saw my audition, they knew immediately that I was her name's Linda, is the character, that I would be Linda. And I think I I went through like an I had a callback and then I I had an in-person, I believe, yeah, an in-person callback, or no, it was it was on Zoom. I had a virtual callback. Um and I actually didn't think I was gonna book it. I really did. I was like, I wasn't, I really didn't know. Um, and so when they reached out, I was like, oh, this is a really nice surprise. And I was really happy.
SPEAKER_00:But for you when it comes to getting those monologues down, it's it's more about understanding the why that lends itself to the feeling of what's going on than it is just the the mechanical memorization of phonetics.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I mean I probably messed up words here and there, but I think because I I knew I knew Linda's story and I knew her character, it didn't matter because I was able to use words that felt right in the moment. So yeah, I think really understanding the character um and then kind of layering the words on top.
SPEAKER_00:What did you pick anything up about um how other people have approached their methods to acting? Like what have you picked up from other people, especially within the context of this film that where you had a lot of monologues and all of you were trying to accomplish this big giant chunk of movie that was happening.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it was so interesting. Um this one woman, um she would like run through it really fast, like talk it out loud really fast before. And then this is also something I think is really important. Um, when we were recording, if she flubbed a line or she didn't like the way that she performed it, she would take a beat, she wouldn't say anything, she just go quiet and then take it back and do it again. So, um, which I think is good because there's no need to be like, oh so sorry, like let's stop, let's restart, and then we've gotta reslate, re-do all this stuff. Um, rather she just took a beat for herself and then was like, okay, I'm gonna continue on or take it back however much I need to. Um, other actors, um I've been with some actors who kind of completely improvise it. And I think that it's um it's good to have those those improvisational skills, but um sometimes like a director will have something very specific that they're looking for with like the dialogue.
SPEAKER_00:So Especially well, especially with the sorts of writer directors who write those long monologues.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, because they've got so much meaning in them.
SPEAKER_00:Because if you're going to if if if a writer is put uh writer director is putting that I'm I'm not wrong though, right? Like the director was the one who wrote it, right?
SPEAKER_01:Um, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, yeah. I thought so. I figured.
SPEAKER_01:It was like original So it was originally a play, but then they kind of like redid some things.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, kind of like the like the the that one Quinn Tarantino movie. I forget. It's like the Western, I forget what it is called, but it was originally meant to be a play, and then he just made a movie out of it. Um is it the Hateful Eight? Is that what it is? Maybe I don't know. Like I said, I'm not that type of filmmaker. I don't memorize this stuff. Um for you up to this point, what what makes you want to keep acting over and over again? Like what gives you that fulfillment?
SPEAKER_01:For a minute, I was like, I don't know if I like it, it was it was like mid-high school, and I was like, I was high school, you know, I had like so many other things going on, and I was like, I don't know if I can keep doing it. And that's when I kind of took a break. And then when I got back into it, I was like, wait, like I do this for a reason. Like I love this. I love being on set, I love meeting new people, I love taking on a new character and analyzing them and figuring out their past and understanding who they are. It's so vulnerable and it's so important to me. And it I think being able to like portray a character who you learn to love or who you learn to understand is so rewarding.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, because for art generally artists have two approach approaches to it that makes it meaningful for them. One is the challenge, you know, like we were talking about earlier, and then the other is the the recreation of something that brings it makes artistically it makes the unconscious conscious. You know, it brings life to this inanimate thing that reflects a particular aspect of reality that you're trying to recreate. And you know, the other so one it's kind of you're kind of reverse engineering reality and then you're recreating it, and then the other is experiencing the the byproduct of things that that thing brings about.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:That's that's just me. That's that's my analysis. That is my that's that's what podcasts are for. Um what what kind of advice would you get to give to newer actresses getting into the business? More and I I mean this question more logistically than it is like follow your passions.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Um you're not gonna book a million things right away. So you sometimes you have to be okay with like you have to be okay with hear and know, which is like hard, but like it's gonna happen all the time, and it's not personal, and it doesn't mean you're not talented. It's just you don't fit best for that role, and that's okay. Um, and I think a lot of people go into it. I know I did, with like, well, this is how it's going to be, and I'm gonna book all these roles, and it's gonna be great, but like there's a lot of setbacks that I think like being able to take on those setbacks and realize like it's part of the journey and it's it's part of working in the industry, and that's just how it is, and I think you can really learn from those setbacks. So taking them on with like not not a sense of pride, but a sense of like like it'll it'll be okay in the end, and I'm I'm gonna work through these setbacks, and it's gonna bring me great things. So I think going into it knowing that it's gonna take time, um, but if you really do persist and keep going, that it will work out in the way that it needs to.
SPEAKER_00:Well, Sophia, it's been great getting to know you. Thanks for coming on the show. I appreciate it.
SPEAKER_01:Thanks so much for having me.
SPEAKER_00:Do you have any final thoughts you want to leave with the audience?
SPEAKER_01:I think my final thoughts would just to um, like you said, not to talk about before, but follow your dreams and um keep uh keep pushing when uh when you think it's hard because if it's something you really, really love, it's all gonna be worth it in the end.
SPEAKER_00:Well said. Thanks again for coming on.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you so much.