MADECOVER
MADEXXXX
SL: It’s interesting because at Yale,
they’re really into theatre. Yale is really
into developing their young artists to go
into theatre. I had gotten a movie while
I was there and my teacher told me that
I would have to choose. She said, “You
can’t do the movie and then come back
to school.” They were very serious about
their theatre training.
It wasn’t really about Hollywood at that
time because Yale is so geared toward
the theatre. We all knew that we wanted
to be on TV and in movies, but for me
it was really about the theatre. There
wasn’t any defining moment, but as the
year progressed, I got more and more
comfortable being on stage and I realized
that I was very lucky to have found my
passion early on.
MADE: How do you continue to learn
after so much professional training and
career experience?
SL: I’m always learning and growing.
Sometimes I work with acting coaches
and I’m always reading, reading about
my craft. As an artist, you’ve got to
constantly fulfill your imagination and
just experiencing life. As an actor, your
body is your instrument. Your life is
what you draw from. Just living a full
life and continuing to grow and read.
Read stories, fiction, and be open to
experiencing the many different aspects
of life.
changes. I’m really excited about that. She
shaves her head, so I’ll be shaving my
head, which I’m actually looking forward
to.
MADE: That’s real commitment to a role!
How do you decide what projects to take
on and commit your energy to?
SL: For me it’s always different, but it has
to have some kind of emotional resonance
for me. It has to make sense, not just for
the check, but it has to be a good story.
I consider myself a storyteller. It has to
be a story that I want to tell. A story that
I know my image and likeness be out
there forever and representing whatever
story it is, whether it’s a thriller, a comedy,
a romance—it has to be worthy of that
for me because film is forever. I try to be
selective and I try to work with directors
that I respect and it starts with the script.
I’m really big with the script being solid
and a real page-turner. I can always tell
right away if I’m going to do [a film] or
not. It’s a gut thing.
MADE: Speaking of reading, what books
or podcasts are you currently taking in to
continue to flourish?
SL: Gosh, there’s so many. I just finished
reading Nappily Ever After by Trisha R.
Thomas. It’s a film we’re adapting and
I’m going to star in next. It’s a romantic
dramedy about a woman who finds out
who she is and comes into her own
power by going through all these hair
made-magazine.com |
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PHOTO CREDIT
Derek Blanks