bra. Araks coat + trousers. HYKE opposite coat + blazer. The Frankie Shop
Between the art of make-believe and the magic of becoming, Kat Cunning has never stayed within the lines. From a childhood spent dreaming of ballet, memorising ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and finding a kindred spirit in Jo March, to carving out a career that moves fluidly between acting, music and performance, Cunning has built a creative world entirely their own.
Now, in ‘Line of Fire’, Cunning steps into the role of Clare Hollingsworth, an FBI agent whose convictions meet the complexities of family, love and identity. For Cunning, the character offers more than a new challenge; it is an opportunity to explore the many contradictions that make women human.
Speaking with Schön!, Cunning reflects on the inspirations that shaped them, the freedom of refusing to be defined by a single medium, and the power of bringing a little more of themself to every role.
full look. Campillo shoes. Dolce Gabbana ring. Alexis Bittar opposite bra. Araks shirt. Dolce Gabbana trousers. HYKE belt. Streets Ahead
When you were younger, was there a particular film, book, character, or performance that first made you fall in love with the idea of make-believe and think, “I want to do this”?
So many core inspirations! By the time I could read, I was infatuated with a ballerina named Anna Pavlova from the 1400s, and I was writing dramatic poems about never being able to dance again (loss of legs, if you’re wondering) by the time I could write.
Jo March made me feel like I could be the kind of person I am. ‘Little Women’ was my hookie movie.
My mom named me after Kathryn Hepburn, but I would love Jo the same had she not. She wore a dress like it was pants and didn’t care when her hair caught fire.
I feel like she was my first Enby icon. Honourable mention: ‘Dirty Dancing’ and ‘Pretty Woman’ — Gma leaked them way too young.
They’re in my DNA. I also had a sexual awakening to the City of Angels soundtrack, saw an aerial act to “Motherless Child,” and was so obsessed with ‘The Wizard of Oz’ that I memorized the script (last revised in 1939).
What was your relationship with creativity growing up? Were you always performing or creating stories, music, and characters of your own?
My Mom called me “Cry Baby Katie” till she came home with a Balanchine VHS from the library. I was quiet the second I saw the ballet, so my parents took me to class every day since.
I would lie to them about how long my classes were so I could spend more time in the studio. I had such an inspired, creative, serious internal life as a child, and they championed that.
I was always a polymath too! Published my first poem in the 4th grade (the peak of my academic career), and even though I hardly spoke at home, I was the class clown at ballet.
Jim Carrey was big inspo at the time. Lots of faces were made.
Do you remember the moment when acting stopped feeling like something you simply loved and started feeling like something you could actually build a career around?
Honestly, it still just feels like something I love, and that sounds saccharine, but it’s self-preserving. I’ve scraped for every dollar I’ve made in the arts, and I never take for granted that this isn’t guaranteed.
The only way to stay afloat in an industry that doesn’t promise you anything is to love it more than you think it owes you. Most years, I look at my résumé and my bank account, and I’m like, “The math ain’t mathin!” But I’m more of a magician than a mathematician.
I’m proud of my ability to pack up the caravan and take the circus where the audience is. I’m just now arriving at the beginning of a career to show for it.
Looking back at the younger version of yourself, what do you think they would find most surprising about the career you’ve built?
Young me would be so freaked out by most of the characters I’ve played. I was kind of conservative before my world broke open.
You know what I say, people despise what they repress! From the gunslinging to the cornrows on Reina Reign to the French maid porn I made in The Deuce, not to mention the whole pop star career I built from scratch… they didn’t even know we could sing!
And they certainly didn’t know singing would help us raise a bunch of money advocating for LGBTQ protections, ’cause they didn’t know we were queer, or that we do our own stunts ’cause we placed second in a Kung Fu competition in Taiwan!
I think little me would shit themselves in disbelief at most of what we’ve done. They’d be pissed we didn’t really make it as a ballet dancer, but they’d be really proud we have a show on MGM+, ’cause the lion who roars at the start is the very same lion from ‘The Wizard of Oz’.
You’ve explored acting, music, and several different creative mediums throughout your career. What keeps you interested in moving between different forms of storytelling?
I’ve been “successful” at everything I’ve done before I’ve become good at it, and I think that’s because people want to witness people in process. The opportunity to hold intimacy with other humans is so rare, and I want to live in an intense awareness of the present.
How ephemeral it is, how intense, how beautiful we are so briefly, here. As a singer, the notes pass through the most delicate instrument, and they are gone.
As an actor, you create an entirely new life form in the alchemy of a scene. As a dancer, you are closest to some form of god while the body’s intelligence outweighs the mind.
I think of all of these “crafts” as devotional offerings of the body to the humans who share this otherwise nonsensical existence. All we have is the magic we make in our time here, with each other, and I have always known it is my purpose to be a channel for that magic.
What do you look towards for inspiration when working on new music?
I don’t like to overwork the writing muscle. I gather textures from my life, and I write when I have something to say. The chords I hear in the room colour it a certain way, and I step in.
Do you have a different process when approaching things as you, the musician, versus you, the actor?
Acting allows me to really geek out and be academic with prep. I carry a little binder and buy office stickers and highlighters, and it’s extremely rewarding to have to use my brain for research and repetition.
Music is a doozy because the act of making and performing it is more animalistic for me — impulsive, spiritual, free. HOWEVER, the act of having a business as an independent artist is another story.
As Issa said, “The music industry is all crooks and criminals.”
dress. Akki opposite blazer. Dolce & Gabbana
How has your relationship with your own creativity evolved as you’ve grown as an artist?
I think it’s just come further out of my head. I’ve always had a really strong vision for myself, but I think I’m finally finding the worldly vocabulary and techniques to bring that vision to life.
Is there something you’ve learned from working in music that has changed the way you approach acting, or vice versa?
My attitude, mainly. Acting is a stable, respectable job compared to concert dance and music.
Couldn’t make enough to afford health insurance in an industry that guaranteed injury as a dancer, and it’s very hard to get out of the red making music while you’re paying to get your music heard. I found ways to sustain both of those expressions, but not a day goes by on set where I’m not grateful that there’s lunch, and then there’s hot food, and some days there’s a food truck with grilled cheese, and there’s someone named Tina who gets you a bag of Lays when you look hungry.
I just love being of use and in community, and there’s nothing quite like the collaboration that’s required to make a TV show. I’ve really learned that none of it is all about me. We share the wins and losses with everyone, and doing it for all of them keeps me out of my head.
When choosing a new project, what makes a character or story feel exciting enough for you to want to step into it?
I’ll pretty much play anything that doesn’t grate on my soul or bore me. Language is one of my first loves, so when a script grips me, it can shake me down to begging for a role, but I’ll still work with what I’m given.
I love an opportunity to explore a side of myself I feel is underestimated, so who am I to underestimate a role before I really meet them? What I really care about is whether I feel trusted and inspired by the people I’m going to be getting in the trenches with.
What was your first reaction when you encountered Clare Hollingsworth and the world of ‘Line of Fire’? What made you want to become her?
I don’t usually look at a lot of information on who’s making something until I get a callback, ’cause I hate getting attached, so I made the mistake of judging the show to be a cookie-cutter cop-family procedural, and it’s anything but. I read the scenes as naturally as possible ’cause I was on my period and I didn’t think I had a chance.
It’s when Josh Safran and our director Becca Thomas called me back for a conversation instead of another audition that I knew this was a different kind of project.
Then, Cassandra Kulukundis and I spent Valentine’s Day retaping with different hairstyles to pitch me as a believable daughter — there’s a reason this woman has an Oscar! It’s the first time I really felt that casting directors are auditioning their vision with you — they really are on your side to bring the best work they can to the show.
I cried a lot that week, realizing that this thing I had sort of counted myself out, rejected myself in advance of, was actually something I really, really wanted. Behind the borescopes and guns, Clare is my chance to live in a role and bring nuances to the portrayal of a woman fighting for what she believes in, and that, I get.
Clare is an FBI agent working in an incredibly high-pressure environment, but she’s also navigating a complicated family dynamic. What did you discover about her that wasn’t immediately obvious when you first read the script?
I think the fashion informed a lot! I was afraid to play FBI ’cause I thought I’d have to wear black tactical slacks from Express and, like, weird boring tight stuff, but I should have known that our costume designer, the iconic Eric Daman, had me in good hands.
We have very sympatico taste. Knowing that we were creating Clare in the image of so many chic, tomboyish detective ladies of yore, like Jodie Foster and Gillian Anderson, encouraged me to bring a lot more of myself to this than I thought I could.
There’s an interesting contrast between Clare’s confidence and competence at work and the vulnerability that comes with being part of her family. How did you approach finding those different sides of her?
Easiest part of the job! I think it would be way harder to play Clare as a one-dimensional hero… that would actually freak me out.
It’s the emotional moments that tell me who she is. I’m all the things Clare is; I can be unrelenting when I believe in something, tender when someone is afraid, uncouth in the name of vigilance, hilarious when I’m delirious, manipulative in the name of justice and sexy when I’m feeling sexy… and none of that inhibits me from being excellent at my job.
I want to honour how multidimensional the high-achieving women in my life are, and put as much of my own DNA into her experience as possible. The FBI part comes naturally when you’re stomping around in a quarry and there’s a well-written mystery to solve.
The Hollingsworth family is at the centre of so much of the series. What was it like creating that family dynamic with the cast, and did that chemistry develop naturally?
Eerily so. We all get along like a family!
I have two brothers IRL and, so far, projecting that dynamic onto Tommy and Taylor is working for me. My family is actually super engrossed in the show, and they keep texting me and asking if I was thinking about our real-life drama in certain scenes.
The answer is usually yes. Most sets have at least one bad egg but, damnit, I love these people.
I was scared to meet Hope and Pete just ’cause you never know how more established actors will be in person, but they both love the work and don’t waste a second diving into it, familial encouragement included. The script was the handshake, and the way we all show up is the hug.
What kind of preparation went into playing someone who works in law enforcement? Did you find yourself approaching the physical or technical side of the role differently than previous characters?
A little gun training, moving differently in more clothes than I’ve ever worn on screen, and a lot of new words to Google set it apart from my roles as a burlesque dancer, rapper, rock star and bombshell. I also had to be rigorous with the lines because I had never handled exposition… at all, really… (I’m generally the person who needs the plot explained but can recreate my favourite scenes from memory years later; more of an emotional-life kind of audience member, lol).
Was there a particular scene or moment during filming that changed your understanding of Clare or challenged you in an unexpected way?
Yes! No spoilers, but learning Clare’s relationship to love is interesting.
As Kat, if a person I was dating for six months had a hissy fit about something I hadn’t told them, I would immediately have the ick. Like, you’re lucky if you get a morsel of my truth, sir.
That being said, you get what you’re open to, and I think saving the world is her main kink for now. I do hope we get to see her meet her match — someone with a dark, capable intensity who sweeps her off her tired, crime-solving, superhero feet.
Without giving anything away, what do you hope audiences discover about Clare as they spend more time with her — and what do you hope they take away from her story?
I’m excited to add to the legacy of women on screen who show rage as a tool, tenderness as a strength, and curly hair as a perfectly neutral option for work. I hope people are inspired by her ferocity, and I hope it makes people rethink what curly hair means on screen.
People always told me it was beautiful but that I’d have to change my hair if I wanted to be on TV. It’s led to me being typecast as either oversexualised or crazy or dirty, and I think all of those tropes are rooted in racism.
Natural textured hair isn’t unserious. It’s the more serious option for a person with a job to do.
My favourite pilot moment is when she stomps into the gala looking like she just came from Jurassic Park and doesn’t flinch about the people staring at her. As my brilliant friends from the circus reflected back to me, “I’ve seen you show up in worse.”
bomber jacket + trousers. The Frankie Shop button-down shirt. Dolce & Gabbana ring. Alexis Bittar
photography. Tugcan S Temizkan fashion. Ana Paula Cervera talent. Kat Cunning hair. Sarah Potempa make up. Vincent Oquendo production. Cassidy Cocke editor. Kelsey Barnes photography assistants. Sabrina Palko + Sara McLaughlin fashion assistant. Isabella Pesina location. AGX Studio
Sporting a Canadian tuxedo for the Midnight Madness premiere of his latest film ‘Vintage Violence,’ Cole Sprouse walks casually down King Street West, cutting through festivities after hopping off the 504 streetcar. His first TIFF and first time in the city of Toronto, Sprouse is taking it all in.
The vibes, the people, the energy. Not your typical cinematic experience, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of screening a film at midnight and doing a Q&A with avid moviegoers at 2am.
It’s electric.
Following disgraced Urban Explorer Carter (Sprouse), ‘Vintage Violence’ intertwines director Eugene Kotlyarenko’s signature use of mixed media and the stunning neon backgrounds of Japan to create a compelling thriller. When Carter meets the alluring Izumi (Kiko Mizuhara) online, their chemistry is palpable.
After months of communicating, she persuades him to make the trip from the United States after he finds a cache of very expensive vintage Levi jeans, under the guise of having a buyer. Little does Carter know that the entire thing is a ruse to get the jeans and make some cash.
What ensues is a series of events that become increasingly impossible to believe. And at the centre?
A naïve Carter who just wants to take his jeans and go home.
Chatting with Schön!, Sprouse discusses meeting with Eugene Kotlyarenko for the first time, how he stops himself from spiralling on social media and more.
You were in Toronto for the first time, attending your first TIFF at Midnight Madness, no less! What was it like doing a Q&A at two in the morning? Was there a lot of caffeine involved?
That was my first Q&A at two in the morning, and I really, really loved Midnight Madness. First off, Peter Kuplowsky does an incredible job with the selection, and he really brought the energy up, which was nice.
Because it’s midnight, everyone’s loud, having fun and excited to be there. The late-night screening naturally filters out a more casual audience, so you’re left with people who genuinely want to be there.
It’s a very electric crowd. It was beautiful.
I can’t remember the exact name of the theatre we were at, but it was a beautiful old stage and theatre. Toronto was incredible, too. TIFF was electric, and the streets were filled with people who genuinely love cinema. We had great weather the entire time. I couldn’t have asked for a better TIFF experience.
It was serendipitous. And you had no delays on the streetcar, which, if you’re a Torontonian, you know is a minor miracle. You lucked out.
No, it was quick. [Laughs.] We had a bit of a wait for our vehicle, so I said, “You know, why don’t we just take the electric rail?” It seemed like the most efficient option.
I know you weren’t in Toronto for long, but were you able to check out any vintage shops while you were here?
No, and that’s the silly thing about visiting a city on a press tour: you don’t get much time to experience the city itself. I’m definitely going to have to take another trip to Toronto to see the sights and do all the things I wanted to do.
Even at TIFF, I have this habit at every festival of foolishly convincing myself I’ll have enough time to see all the films and support other directors and actors. In reality, you only really manage to catch up with people at their after-parties.
Sounds chaotic. So exploring a city on a press tour isn’t exactly ideal. Moving on to Vintage Violence , I watched the film last night and really enjoyed it. Were you already familiar with Eugene Kotlyarenko’s work through Spree ?
I’d seen Spree, but my involvement with the film came about pretty serendipitously. I met Eugene through a mutual friend, Kareem Rahma, the host of Subway Takes, who’s also a great actor and musician.
We were out having a few beers when Kareem said, “Oh, my buddy’s going to join us,” and that was Eugene. We had a great day, just sitting around and talking about film.
About three months later, he reached out and asked if we could jump on a call. He told me he’d written a script and was thinking of me for the lead.
I read it, and it was incredible.
I did some more research into Eugene’s work and watched The Code, Wobble Palace and some of his earlier projects. I felt that he has a really strong creative fingerprint, so I was able to get a good sense of the tone he wanted for Vintage Violence.
The prospect of shooting in Japan for two months was also incredibly alluring, so it was a no-brainer for me. The script was good, the director had a strong vision, and there was this sense of the movie gods at work in how serendipitously we’d met.
The character is an urban explorer and streamer, which was compelling to me because it’s something I used to do a lot of when I first started out in photography. I just felt like all the right ingredients were there.
And it totally worked. Take me back to filming in Japan for those two months. Your camera must have gotten a good workout. Also, are the egg sandwiches as good as everyone claims?
The egg sandwiches are undeniably delicious. We were working a six-day week, which was obviously pretty intense.
But I think the energy of being a tourist was so strong that I never really felt tired. The production itself was incredibly energising because the film’s tone was so energetic.
We all felt that way. I’d say the biggest distinction between the Japanese team’s approach and what I was used to in North America was the level of premeditation.
There was a much more deliberate, preconceived approach to how the Japanese team handled the storyboarding and narrative.
In North American cinema, I think there’s an assumption of spontaneity, both on set and in the way audiences experience a film. I don’t think that was necessarily the case on our set, so that was a significant distinction from what I was used to.
But I think the beauty of the production was in the intersection of those two approaches to the natural chaos of a film set. The Venn diagram right in the middle was incredibly intriguing.
Overall, the entire experience was a dream.
Carter meets Izumi (Kiko Mizuhara) through a livestream and puts his faith in her almost immediately. I think that speaks to the instantaneous relationships we form through social media and how readily we trust people through that lens. I follow you, you follow me back, and suddenly we’re mutuals. What is it about Izumi that prompts such an instinctive reaction from Carter? Why does he trust her so completely? The chemistry is immediate.
I played Carter as someone who’s quite naive, if not a little dumb at times. I think he’s hopeful.
When we meet him, he’s disgraced and at a pretty low point. In one of the original scripts, although I don’t know if it’s ever really mentioned in this cut, he’d spent some time in jail.
He was finally like a bird out of a cage, and the world had given him an opportunity. He was so hopeful that he followed it almost blindly.
One of the interesting things about social media is that, before Carter goes to Japan, he builds quite a substantial relationship with Izumi. And she fools him.
I think that speaks to something we’re dealing with in the post-social-media age: we don’t really know someone until we’ve spent a significant amount of time with them in proximity. We can trick ourselves into believing in the version of someone they perform online, through FaceTime or other forms of long-distance communication.
What you picked up on is an important theme, not just in Vintage Violence, but in some of Eugene’s other films as well.
At TIFF, you spoke about how we’re still in the Wild West of social media, only just beginning to find our bearings. For all the good it can do, there’s always a darker side, which the film explores. When you find yourself doomscrolling or spending too much time online, what do you do to pull yourself out of that spiral?
That’s an interesting question. I recently moved to New York, and I try to fill my days with as much spontaneity as possible.
I think New York is a great city for that, although you can do it pretty much anywhere. First of all, you have to get up.
You have to stand up. What I do is simply walk out the door.
New York rewards you for doing that. It’s one of the last truly walkable cities in the United States.
That’s what works for me personally. I know there are apps that can limit your screen time, but I’m 34.
I grew up with the internet as it evolved, and I remember a time when we didn’t have it. Over the years, I’ve noticed a direct correlation between how much time I spend on social media and how I feel.
The more time I spend on it, the worse I feel.
Thankfully, I’ve developed enough self-awareness to recognise what’s happening with my body and mental health. I can catch myself and think, “Oh, right.
Maybe I don’t feel good because I’ve spent six hours on my phone today.” I think that’s a pretty common experience. Most of us don’t feel particularly good when we spend all day on our phones, on the internet or scrolling through social media.
It’s important to figure out what works for you and find a way to step away. I’m a big believer that, although social media has brought quite a bit of good into the world, it isn’t ultimately a force for good.
I think it has deeply complicated most of our lives in ways that aren’t necessarily beneficial.
When I talk about the “Wild West,” I mean that we’re essentially guinea pigs for these companies, trying to figure out how this technology affects us. We’re the first generation to have grown up dealing with it on this scale.
Now, enough time has passed for us to start realising that we don’t necessarily enjoy it all that much. I don’t know how many people genuinely feel happy after spending an entire day online.
But I also think we’re beginning to see some encouraging trends, particularly among Gen Z and younger generations. There’s a massive resurgence in the collection and appreciation of physical media.
We’re seeing a renewed appreciation for going to the cinema, as well as for physical third spaces where people can gather. There’s also a return to a simpler, more natural way of living.
If you ask any of my millennial friends what they hope their lives will look like in ten years, most will say something like, “I want to farm with chickens and goats. I want a little plot of land.” I think that speaks to how we’ve split our identities in two: one rooted in our real, lived experiences and the other existing entirely in the virtual world.
We’re yearning to reconnect those two sides of ourselves, and I think it’s important for all of us to find ways to do that.
photography. Mallory Turner talent. Cole Sprouse editor. Kelsey Barnes interview. Dana Reboe
Being brought up around sets her entire life, Lilah Pate never took a moment of it for granted. Though show business was never an option before the age of 18 due to her parents’ reservations, Lilah made a point of absorbing everything around her like a sponge, knowing very early on that creating was in her future.
Carefully cultivating her voice away from prying eyes and keeping it as close to the chest as possible, music, songwriting and acting just felt right. The perfect conduit to Pate’s ravenous creative appetite.
From writing her own music to taking improv classes to add another skill to her acting repertoire, she was always determined to find herself in a creative environment. Now, in Rebel Wilson’s ‘Girl Group ’, Pate has the best of both worlds.
Acting and singing. A blend of two disciplines she holds most dear; she was able to put the range of her abilities to the test.
And she got to see the fruits of that labour play out on one of the biggest screens on the international stage. Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival , Pate was watching the final cut of ‘Girl Group,’ alongside the audience for the first time. It was a true ‘pinch me’ moment, and one that she isn’t likely to forget anytime soon.
Chatting with Schön! Magazine, Lilah Pate discusses growing up in the industry, blending her love of music and acting, why everyone should take an improv class at least once in their life, and so much more.
You grew up in the industry, you’ve spent time on film sets, you’ve been all over the world, and you said in another interview, you were able to focus on your craft outside of the world’s opinion. I think that’s huge. How did growing up in the industry and being able to hone your own voice help shape you into the artist you are today?
What a great question. Not many people have the privilege of letting their minds run wild with creativity because they’re constantly burdened by the realities of life and its responsibilities.
I’m one of the very lucky few who got to explore my imagination and creative side in a real way. From the time I was born, being around film sets and those creative worlds was what I knew.
That was what a job looked like to me. Because of that, I had the opportunity to explore my craft and learn, but I wasn’t allowed to act professionally until I was 18.
I was almost 18 when I finally convinced my parents to let me give it a shot. They wanted to make sure I wasn’t pursuing acting for fame or fortune, because the odds of achieving that in any artistic field are so slim.
They would ask me, “If you’re 80 years old and an acting teacher in your hometown, would that fulfill you? How much do you love the craft?” They reminded me that if I wanted to act, I could do local theater, take classes, or make iPhone movies with my friends.
I didn’t have to pursue it professionally. They wanted to make sure I could handle the rejection and competitiveness of the industry, but they also wanted me to be a kid for as long as possible and do it simply for the joy of it.
I think that approach allowed me to be around professional environments while still being a free spirit who was just getting to play.
Eventually, I found an open casting call posted online by an agency in Raleigh, North Carolina. I was 17, and I kept asking my parents, “Can I please go?
Can I please go?” They told me I could drive down and audition, but they weren’t going to call in any favors. So I went, and I signed with the agency.
My second audition was for ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’, which I went on to do in the first season. I filmed it during my senior year of high school, shortly after turning 18.
Even then, my parents still wanted me to go to college.
The rule was that they would help support me as long as I was in school and getting an education. If I wanted to pursue acting professionally, that was amazing—they loved me and supported me—but I would be completely on my own.
I knew I wanted to stay in school and keep learning, so I took two years to just be a student and focus on getting better. Eventually, I told myself, “Okay, I’m really ready to audition again.” Then I got a manager in L.A., and things started to change.
Now, I’m fully working.
What does your unique brand of creativity look like?
I primarily live in Wilmington, North Carolina, although I travel all the time and work all over the world. When I’m home, like I am right now, I really like being in nature.
I just wrapped a movie here last night, fortunately only about an hour outside Wilmington, so I’ve been able to spend most of the past month at home, aside from my lovely adventure at TIFF. I like having my feet on the earth.
I meditate a lot and imagine my feet growing roots into the ground to help me feel grounded. I love watching the sunrise every morning, doing puzzles, and colouring.
I make these really bad little sketches because I’m not good at drawing, but they make me so happy. They’re little characters, and I have hundreds of them all over my room.
I always want to have artistic outlets that are purely for expression. I have a keyboard, and I’ll write a song; I have my guitar and ukulele.
I spend a lot of time in nature, too. We live on the water, so I take our boat out.
I think being free and living your life is the best way for me to maintain an open dialogue with whatever creative forces move through me. I never want to close myself off to that.
In the past, I didn’t fully understand when my mom would tell me, “You’re such an open vessel. Don’t close yourself off.” It’s instinctive for me to feel everything and then pour it into something creative.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that you have to keep that communication open. When I write a song, for example, inspiration usually comes when I’m in the shower, out on a walk, or not distracting myself with a device, music, a podcast, or television.
Something will just shoot through me, and I have to write it down right then.
That’s my creative process. It looks different depending on what I’m doing, whether it’s acting, screenwriting, or music. But I think having these outlets that are just for play keeps that part of me alive.
I feel like the more we disconnect from social media and other distractions and get in touch with ourselves, the more creativity can flow.
Absolutely. With social media, you start focusing on the outcome, how something will be perceived, and how to game the system so it’s received well.
But creating art stems from the purest feelings of human emotion and the need to create. I try to remind myself that I’m not on a specific timeline.
There isn’t a goal I have to achieve by a certain age. As long as I keep creating things that mean something to me and continue getting better, I have faith that things will work out.
I just try to keep that at the core instead of getting lost in social media and the comparison game.
With ‘G irl Group’ , what were your immediate thoughts when the script came across your desk?
The script is just hilarious. The second I saw the audition pop up in my inbox with Rebel Wilson attached, I thought, “Oh my gosh, I want this one.” I knew I needed to be as free as possible in the audition, especially because they were putting together an ensemble of people to create this girl group in the film.
I loved it and wanted to be part of it. I’d recently gotten more into improv and comedy.
I took a couple of comedy classes in college and some outside of college, too. It was something I really wanted to explore, which is funny because my mom was always telling me, “Go into comedy, go into comedy, go into comedy!” And I’d say, “I want to be a dramatic, serious actor.” Of course, you can do both.
I also think improv really pushes you to be fully present in the moment. I genuinely never know where a take is going to go.
It’s not a system where I say my line, and we fall into a rhythm without actually hearing each other. Improv brings you back to the root of what acting is in such a fun way.
It allows you to be completely in the moment and have those pure reactions. I was obsessed with it and couldn’t believe I got to bring it to life.
My first-ever improv class was when I was really little. These days, I don’t have social anxiety.
If anything, I feel like I have the opposite. I’m very free to be myself.
I have this “We’re on a floating rock; it doesn’t matter that much” mindset. Have fun, live your life, make it an adventure.
But when I was little, I remember taking my first improv class in New York City, where I think we were living for about a year. I was pushed into a circle and told to do something, and I just started crying.
I was so anxious! I think it was because I was around a bunch of younger kids, and I thought I should have been in the teenage class.
I went back to improv before college, when I was living in Charleston, and took a class where I was the youngest person in a room full of adults. I had so much fun with them, even though some of the exercises involved just staring at each other.
It’s a humiliation ritual! That’s half of what film and theatre classes feel like, too.
I studied film and theatre in college, and you do things like movement for the actor, where you’re walking around on the floor like animals. Anyone who hasn’t taken a theatre class would look at you and wonder, “What is going on?”
But those exercises help you get out of your head and into your body, in a way, so you can perform onstage or in front of 100 crew members without being so self-conscious. You learn to let go.
It’s about recognizing that if I’m feeling really insecure in an interaction, I’m not actually listening to you or connecting with you. All these classes and exercises are designed to get you out of that fixation on how you’re being perceived.
They help you be emotionally honest and present with other people, whether in conversation or in a scene. I think all of those experiences have come together to help me grow as an actor.
You’re making me want to take an improv class.
I genuinely think everyone should take an improv class, especially people in long-term relationships. In any relationship, we can get so used to hearing things a certain way that we assume we know what the other person means.
Half the time, during an argument, we’re not even listening to each other. We’re thinking, “I know you’re upset with me for this reason, and I’m upset with you for that reason.” But in improv, you have to listen to each other.
I’ve seen married couples I’m friends with take improv classes even though they aren’t actors, and it has helped fix their marriages. After years together, couples can stop really hearing each other.
They assume they’re going to be criticized or nagged about something, so they react before the other person has even finished speaking. Improv makes them actually listen to each other again.
It’s beautiful.
As a millennial, I loved the film because I grew up with Destiny’s Child, the Spice Girls, and the Pussycat Dolls. Now we’re seeing a resurgence of girl groups, from KATSEYE and BLACKPINK to BABYMETAL. Why do you think this formula continues to work so well?
I think there’s nothing more powerful than a group of women coming together and singing about female empowerment, independence, and not needing a man. Those messages are so important for young people.
That’s something I love about groups like the Spice Girls in particular: each member has her own individual identity. What I loved about this movie is that we’re all so unique.
Each of us brings something special to the group, and I think the way that individuality is highlighted is really beautiful.
You’re a musician yourself, and you got to blend both of your loves together. How rewarding was that?
This was honestly one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I grew up singing.
It was my first love and what I always wanted to do, but it was also something I lost confidence in. I remember being at a talent show when I was little, and the girl who performed before me had one of those voices that made you feel like she was put on this earth by God to sing.
It was beyond natural. Her tone was unlike anything I’d ever heard.
I knew I had a pretty voice and good pitch, but I didn’t have that jaw-dropping voice. I thought that meant there wasn’t room for me.
I think there’s this mindset that there’s a limit to how much music, talent, or success the world can accommodate, and it causes so much inner turmoil.
I continued singing for myself, but I largely stopped singing out loud. I’d write little songs, but I became shy about sharing them.
I thought, “I love doing this, but maybe I’ll just be a songwriter.” I’ve always written poetry, so I figured I could write for other people because I still didn’t have the confidence to pursue music on my own. But when you open your heart to something you feel you’re meant to do, the universe can align with that pretty quickly.
I always had this nagging voice telling me to pursue music, but I kept thinking, “I’m not good enough, and I don’t want to try something when there are people who are genuinely so talented at it.”
Then I directed a short film, and I went to lunch one day with the people who composed the score. I asked them, “Do you guys ever produce music?
I’ve written so many songs, but I’ve never heard them.” They invited me to come by, and I spent a week recording songs I’d written. I showed up with a 100-page document of songs I’d written over the years, starting when I was 14.
I just wanted to hear what some of them sounded like, and it was so much fun. Literally two weeks later, I got the audition for this movie, and I had to sing.
It was one of those situations where I just had to fake it till I made it. I’d taken vocal lessons my whole life and done musical theatre, but when I booked the role, I remember thinking, “They think I can do this.” I was hearing everyone else’s voices, and they were incredible.
If they thought I could blend into this world, why shouldn’t I believe it, too?
That experience lit a fire under me to pursue music without expectations. I want to make songs and art that I feel called to create and continue getting better.
Rather than comparing yourself to other vocalists, admire them, look up to them, let them motivate you, and then make your own work and see what happens. That’s what music is to me: a creative art project that I’m taking seriously.
I’m trying really hard, but I also have acting and screenwriting to fall back on. Music is something I do after work or between days off.
This movie reignited that passion for me.
“Fake it till you make it” is such a powerful statement because eventually, it stops being fake and becomes real confidence. Speaking of confidence, you debuted your first single, “Shoebox,” last month. Why did now feel like the right time to share your music?
It’s funny because, despite knowing so many people in the music industry, I knew absolutely nothing about how it worked. I didn’t know how to sign with a label or what a producer really did.
I knew less than nothing, and I was learning very quickly. After I came back from London, I wrote some more songs and sent them to a connection in the music industry, basically asking, “Are these horrible?” I’m fine with the answer being yes.
I’m not an artist who hates their work or a tortured artist. When I work really hard on a project, I can be very hard on myself.
I don’t just gas myself up all the time.
I also feel a real sense of fulfillment in starting something and finishing it. Those demos ended up being shared around without my knowledge, and suddenly I was hearing from different labels.
I remember thinking, “Whoa, what’s happening?” I decided to go to L.A. for a couple of months to work with producers, which I’d never done before. I knew I was going to book something by April that would require me to move, so I thought, “Okay, I have half of January, February, and March to go to L.A. and work on music.
Let’s see if I can start a music career in two and a half months.”
My dad thought I was putting a lot of pressure on myself by setting a deadline to book a major project by April. I told him I wasn’t going back to school and wanted to pursue this.
He’s always encouraged me to take screenwriting seriously rather than waiting for my dream roles to come along, empowering myself as a woman behind the lens and creating those opportunities. So he told me that if I didn’t book something by April, I had to go somewhere for a month and write a script from start to finish.
I knew I was going to book something, so I wasn’t worried. I would have loved that alternative, too.
Either I was going to take writing seriously and really focus for a month, or I was going to L.A. to make music. I went to L.A., started making music, and began meeting with music managers.
I created an entire pitch for my project. I also got my heart broken while filming this movie, so I had a whole body of work that I needed to bring to life.
I had so much I wanted to say and create. I wrote and completed so many songs while I was in L.A.
Eventually, I chose a label I loved, knew, and trusted to give me agency over my art and creative process. Then I went off to film the show.
My dad was so kind to get my song placed in ‘Outer Banks’, which I didn’t even know was happening. He’s my biggest supporter, and I know how much he loves me, but I never really thought that would happen.
That placement meant I had to release “Shoebox” sooner than expected. I’ve written so many songs and made so many demos, and I think I always told myself, “I’m going to keep getting better.” The next batch is always better than the last.
It’s scary to start something, especially when you don’t have an audience yet. Beginning anything from scratch makes you feel vulnerable.
But at a certain point, you just have to start. I know I’m going to grow, but these songs mean something to me at this point in my life, and I’m proud of them.
I’m directing my own music videos, too. It’s time to stop saying you want to do something, going back into the studio, and waiting.
You have to choose your favourites and move forward.
Bringing it back to ‘ Girl Group ,’ take me back to the premiere. What was it like watching the film alongside an audience?
I was terrified! First, I’d never watched myself with such a large audience.
Second, I’d never watched something on that scale without seeing it beforehand, and I hadn’t seen the film at all. There was so much improv, and Rebel’s original cut of the movie was three hours long, so I knew a lot would be cut.
I didn’t know which jokes would make it or what the final shape of the movie would be. With a comedy that has so much improvisation and so much plot to fit into a certain amount of time, I had no idea what to expect.
But I felt so much joy and pride for everyone involved, and I didn’t go in with too many expectations.
I’ve been to other premieres where I was really nervous beforehand, but this time, I got ready super early. My parents came, which was so much fun, and I love this group of people so much.
Being reunited with them meant everything to me. The TIFF atmosphere was incredible.
The red carpet, the people, the whole experience—it was amazing. They made me feel like a star, which was the sweetest thing ever.
I remember thinking, “You don’t know who I am, but thank you for pretending you do!” It was such a great experience, and I’m so proud of the movie.
I can’t wait for the film to get a wider release so more people can see it. I think it’s going to be a hit. It’s giving ‘ Pitch Perfect 4′ vibes. What’s something you learned from making this movie?
The biggest thing that comes to mind is watching Rebel Wilson direct, write, and star in the movie. Wearing that many hats is incredibly difficult, and she did it with such grace and kindness.
I want to direct and write in the future. I’ve written and directed a short film, but I deliberately didn’t star in it because I wanted full control over the shots and frames I was creating.
I didn’t want to get caught up in taking extra time to watch everything back.
Since then, I’ve directed two music videos that I also starred in, and I learned so much from that experience. Watching Rebel taught me a lot about running a set while also performing in it.
It’s a lot to balance. I was also so inspired by the improv skills of these veteran actors.
They kept me on my toes. Sometimes, I’d forget I was even in the take because I’d get so caught up watching a back-and-forth between Rebel and Jamie Lee Curtis.
They’d be going back and forth like a ping-pong match, and I’d think, “Oh my gosh, I’m still in the frame!” I was completely enamoured with them.
If you could write a song for Xplode, what would it be about? What would it center on?
So many ideas come to mind. I think it would be a “Misfit” song, something like a Bad News Bears anthem. A song about underdogs and ride-or-die friendship. So many of us are unique and awesome, and I think capturing that energy in a song would be really fun.
When do you move from creating art for yourself to feeling like it’s good enough to share?
That’s a really good question. I’m someone who needs silence to create.
I have ADHD and dyslexia, so even the sound of rain can make it difficult for me to concentrate. I can’t go to a coffee shop and socialize while I’m writing.
It’s a very solitary experience. Even when I’m developing a character, I’ll journal as that person and try to understand everything about them.
Eventually, I reach a point where there’s this bubble of excitement and I want to share what I’ve created.
The people I share my work with most are my parents. I’ll be in my room writing, and a few hours will go by.
Then I’ll reread what I’ve written and sprint to my dad’s office shouting, “Read this!” even if he’s in the middle of a meeting. I definitely share things with my parents first, sometimes before they’re even finished, because I’m just so excited.
With other people, I’ve learned that it’s important to seek opinions without becoming emotionally dependent on them. At the end of the day, you have to trust your gut.
There have been times when I’ve really liked something, shared it with someone, and they’ve called it “cringey” or criticized it in some other way. Suddenly, you start carrying that judgment around with you. So it’s important to know what you genuinely like and trust your instincts. I have a core group of people whose opinions I really value.
photography. Mallory Turner talent. Lilah Pate make up. Dani Parkes hair. Joseph Chase editor. Kelsey Barnes interview. Dana Reboe
Ama is one of the UK’s greatest R&B exports. The talented Londoner has carved out a distinct niche of her own that blends sleek production with candid songwriting.
This summer she released her sophomore album “AMA.” It’s an impressive evolution of the music fans know and love, laced with velvet vocals over modern R&B beats. The album includes features with R&B heavyweights like Bryson Tiller and Brent Faiyaz , who Ama signed to under the label ISO Supremacy/PULSE Records.
The new project is a re-introduction to the artist, formerly known as Ama Lou, and is sonically one of the best R&B project released this year. Schön! caught up with Ama to chat about her new era.
How do you think your background influenced your sound?
I think growing up in London has influenced my sound hugely. There is so much of myself in my work that my upbringing can’t help but bleed into the music
What were you listening to in your early teen years?
A lot of bashment music, Rihanna, Drake, Justin Bieber, Hannah Montana
Are there any guilty pleasure songs on your current playlist that might surprise people?
Not a guilty pleasure but I know anything from Nirvana like the back of my hand
t-shirt + skirt. Dries Van Noten earrings. Xhen Chen
How has your new era evolved from your old one?
I used to hide behind cryptic lyrics and intense production but this album is me writing with less distraction and with a clearer perspective. I wanted this album to be easy to digest and just fun to listen to.
You’ve embraced a different side to your femininity in your recent music videos, what influenced you to show off this side more lately?
I think it’s because I never have before really. I felt I was at a place, in my life and with my work, where I am comfortable showing that side of myself and so naturally it showed up in my work.
What do you think the music you’re making right now says about the era of life you’re in?
top + shorts. Dries van Noten jewellery. Ama’s own right. dress. Jakub Cielecki shoes. Balenciaga earrings. Xhen Chen bracelets + necklaces. Ama’s own
You worked with some incredible R&B names for the album like Brent, Bryson, Dpat — what have you learned the most from collaborating with others?
I mean music is all about collaboration. If you mean what did I learn from collaborating with these particular people then, just how they work.
You’re currently on tour in the US, how would you compare your experience as an artist in the US versus in the UK?
I’ve mostly lived in the US since I was a teenager, it’s where my life is. The UK will always be where I’m from so both places feel like home. In terms of crowds I feel comfortable and accepted by both.
top. Acne Studios jeans. Balenciaga belt. Frankie Shop
photography. Vicky Grout @ Soho Management fashion. Sandra Sole talent. Ama hair. Anastasia Stylianou @ Opus Beauty using Shark Beauty makeup. Hila Karmand @ Arch The Agency photography assistant. Lorenzo Garrido fashion assistant. Flutur Gerbeshi location. Sunset Studios production. Clara La Rosa words. Shama Nasinde