It's about what you leave behind

What's the greatest experience you've had as an actor? Or the worst?

Probably one of my best experiences was being in college with my theatre company and doing what we called a “Sam Shepard double feature: Fool for Love & True West.”

It was really just the 4 of us and our director Tommy. We built all the sets, hung all the lights, went to Home Depot over and over to buy wood floors which we assembled and flats which we somehow didn’t destroy while throwing ourselves into them (those plays have a lot of fights.) We shopped at Good Will and found our costumes. Every single part of it was a pure labor of love, it was one of the happiest times of my life, easily.

What music have you been listening to lately?

The new ARCADE FIRE ALBUM “EVERYTHING NOW” I love it and I can’t wait for it to come out in its entirety!

What is a story you'd like to see told and why?

Two books I’m in love with “A woman in the Polar Night” by Christiane Ritter & “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel.

Do you think having shows and movies about mental illness and eating disorders, such as Feed, 13 Reasons Why, and To The Bone are important? There was a lot of backlash about 13 Reasons Why; do you think this film will be met with the same backlash? Was there concern about how to handle these issues?

I have not seen 13 reasons why, so I really don’t feel able to comment. I watched To the Bone and was blown away by Lily Collins’ work, and Marti Noxon’s direction and writing. I was triggered by the film, yes, but I also don’t think you can watch something for 2 hours that you have such a close relationship with and intense past with and not be triggered.

I think that all the films coming out about mental illness, whether it is Feed or To the Bone, I think are doing a service because they are creating a space for people to talk about their struggles. A space to share how they feel, how they pulled themselves out of a dark space, how they finally found their way to treatment, and also what helps when they feel triggered or feel like engaging with it again. So that those people who are fighting with their ED’s can see a way out, perhaps they can get inspired to seek help.

Yes. I have been greatly concerned with how Feed would be received. Not critically, but within the mental health community. I wanted to make a film that helped the situation, so if the response was negative, or I heard that people thought it made things worse, I would have beeb devastated. But so far the response has been wonderful, I think a lot of people really relate to Olivia’s story and of that I am so thrilled and proud.

What books would you say, everyone should read?

Catcher in the Rye, Harry Potter, East of Eden, Anna Karenina, The two I mentioned earlier. I could go on and on….