.. copy-and-pasted from the "Collider" website.. a beautiful Collider arcticle written by the great perri nemiroff... natalia oliveros: ..".. awwww.. Mia Goth looks just like Sarah Polley only maybe a few years ago... here in this beautiful.. heh.. "Lady's Night Collider" Mia Goth interview.. and text article.. here.. article written by Perri Nemiroff.. " .. .. https://collider.com/mia-goth-interview-pearl-nymphomaniac/

Mia Goth has been quietly amassing one of the most exciting filmographies out there for the last 10 years. Until now, that is. She’s delivered standout supporting performances in films like The Survivalist, A Cure for Wellness, Suspiria, and more, but Ti West is the first to fully embrace the powerhouse she is and send her star soaring in a big way by releasing not one but two features in a single calendar year with Goth as the headliner, X back in March and now the prequel film, Pearl. ✕ Remove Ads Even after having worked with some of the most iconic directors in the industry like Lars von Trier, Gore Verbinski, and Luca Guadagnino, it wasn’t until X that Goth finally got her first lead role in a feature film. One film quickly, or rather immediately, became two when inspiration struck and West got the OK from A24 to film not one, but two movies within the same series. First up would be X in which Goth starred as Maxine, a young woman with big dreams, and also as Pearl, an older woman struggling to cope with the fact that the opportunity to seize her own dreams is long gone. After filming that 1970s-set film, it was back to 1918 to create Pearl’s origin story. A young Pearl is desperate to become a star, but her current circumstances make it very difficult for her to go after what she wants most. While her husband (Alistair Sewell) is off fighting in the war, Pearl is stuck at home caring for her catatonic father (Matthew Sunderland) and doing chores around the farm to appease her extremely strict and stern mother (Tandi Wright) who has absolutely no time for Pearl’s ambitions. Before long, Pearl’s mounting frustration with her situation and ache to become a star spark violent outbursts that tease the women she’s become in X. pearl-x ✕ Remove Ads While in Toronto celebrating the North American premiere of Pearl at TIFF 2022, Goth took the time to join us for an episode of Collider Ladies Night to revisit her journey from modeling as a teenager to becoming an actor who consistently picks riveting, bold, and truly unforgettable projects to work on. Goth’s feature film journey kicked off with an especially daring movie that would demand a fearless performance, von Trier’s Nymphomaniac. When asked if there’s anything about the production that now makes her especially grateful that specific project marked her very first feature film experience, Goth quickly and enthusiastically replied, “Entirely. Everything about that film.” She continued: “It feels divine almost, if I can say that. It created a blueprint for me in terms of the kind of material that I wanted to work on with the types of directors and that kind of caliber of cast. I was incredibly fortunate to have that as my first project. It really kind of set the field for me in terms of what it is I'm aspiring to do.” As for the specifics of what Goth was and still is aiming to achieve, it’s quite simple; it’s all about the characters. Here’s how she put it: “Stories that are exploring people. That's pretty much it. Not so much plot. Plot doesn't interest me all that much. Character studies, directors that are interested in actors and bringing out the best in them and directors that are concerned with the truth, and that being at the forefront of what they do.” ✕ Remove Ads the-survivalist-stephen-fingleton-mia-gothImage via Tribeca Film Festival However, there is one specific thing that Goth labeled as an even higher priority than the character when committing to projects. “I'm very director oriented. That's the number one for me and then it goes to character and then to script and to story and everything else around that. But, for me, if you don't trust the director who's leading the ship, then nothing of any value I think is going to be made.” What is it that makes a director stand out to Goth? A willingness to have faith in the team that they assembled. “I actually think the best directors are all quite similar in their approach. I think the best directors aren't afraid to give up control. The best directors don't try to micromanage or control their actors or anyone on set. In some ways, the director's job is everything leading up to set. The director is the one bringing everyone together and picking costume designers and makeup artists and production designers and so on, and then trusting them to do their job. And if the director has faith in these people, I think that's where real magic can happen.” Ti West Making XImage via A24 ✕ Remove Ads While an actor can actively seek out directors they suspect have the particular set of skills they appreciate most in a leader on set, sometimes, especially in the midst of a high-pressure shoot, conflict can erupt. But for Goth, that’s not necessarily a negative thing. In fact, she thinks friction can enhance the art. Here’s how she put it: “Sometimes sets aren't necessarily ‘just positive.’ You know, sometimes there is a little bit of friction sometimes on sets and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I think good ideas can come from that sometimes when you clash with somebody, maybe with a director's idea or approach. I mean, yes, you can try it and sometimes the director might be right, but other times it's good to voice your opinion and what you think the character would do in that instance and not just do what the director wants, you know? By the time you get to set you should have full ownership of your character.” Not only did Goth get to have full ownership over a character in X, but she got the opportunity to have full ownership over a lead character in that film, and then in Pearl as well. Given the performances I’d seen Goth deliver in earlier films, it truly came as a shock to learn that X marked her very first lead role in a feature film. Surely there had to be a project I missed along the way, right? But, no. X’s Maxine did in fact mark Goth’s first experience being number one on the call sheet. My own reaction to that? It’s about time! During our conversation, Goth confirmed it felt that way to her as well and also added: “It was just nice to finally have the opportunity to really dive into a character to that depth. And the fact that Ti believed in me so much and wanted me to take on these dual roles and then with Pearl being an extension of that, it was very exciting.” Pearl praying with her eyes closed in 'Pearl'Image via A24 Given all the talk about consistent qualities she likes to see in directors, I opted to ask Goth for something that makes West stand out from the pack. Here’s what she went with: “I just think the scale with which he's envisioning all of these worlds, that's really quite unparalleled. The fact that he can go from this 1970s Americana to independent cinema type of movie and then jump 50 or so years back to 1918 and create this entirely different world, but equally as — it just sucks you in, you know? He's just so skillful at that.” Looking for more from Goth on her journey thus far? You can watch her episode of Collider Ladies Night at the top of this article or you can listen to our conversation uncut in podcast form below. Pearl is playing in theaters right now, X is available on demand, and the third film in the series, MaXXXine, is “coming soon.”