MASTHEAD
CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Julian de la Celle
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Tina de la Celle
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Dean Bradshaw Mike Carreiro Phoebe Fox Kristin Gallegos Katya Ganfeld Wanda Martin Ebru Yildiz
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You most likely recognize New Jersey native Michael Zegen for his role as Joel Maisel in Amazon Prime’s hit show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, or perhaps as Ben Siegel in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. Zegen’s love for acting started at a young age when his family attended a production of Alice in Wonderland, and he says he “just caught the bug early on.” He has a drive and a passion for the craft that is palpable during our chat. Zegen is clearly someone who loves what he does and pours his soul into each role he plays. In Season 4 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Joel runs a successful nightclub in Chinatown and reinvents himself after his past failures. “When we first meet him, he’s stuck,” says Zegen. “He needed to blow things up in order to start fresh... He’s a hard worker, someone with goals and dreams of success, and that’s something I can certainly relate to.” Zegen and I chat about dealing with the inevitable rejection of the business, the mindset and work ethic he’s implemented to grow in his career, and how he’s developed Joel over the years.
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Julian de la Celle: Before we chat about The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, I wanted to ask you about acting in general. What was your first experience as an actor, and when did it hit you that you wanted to pursue it as a career? Michael Zegen: I honestly can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be an actor. Growing up in New Jersey, my parents always took me to see shows—whether it was Broadway, Off-Broadway, or even just local community children’s theater, and I guess I just caught the bug early on. There’s a famous story my Mom tells, where, in the early 1980s, they bought tickets for a Broadway production of Alice In Wonderland (which I think had transferred from London), and while the rest of my family sat there bored out of their minds, I was wide awake and completely transfixed. Julian: That’s amazing! For those reading this who may be actors themselves or thinking about pursuing the craft, what advice would you give for those first few years of hustling? Michael: The most important piece of advice I can give is that you shouldn’t compare yourself to anyone else. This is a tough business, and while it’s cliché to say it, everyone has their own path, and you just need to focus on yourself. Stay proactive. Write, film, create your own content. When I first started, “YouTube” wasn’t a thing. Social Media wasn’t really a thing either. Nowadays, there are so many ways to be seen and discovered, but it starts with you. So don’t wait for the phone to ring… get out there and be seen. Julian: That’s really great advice. If we’re stuck having to deal with social media and the oversaturation, we might as well use it to our advantage. I first saw you in Boardwalk Empire and was instantly intrigued by your acting style. What do you remember from that set, and was there anything you learned that you took with you for projects afterward? Michael: That show was so much fun to work on, and to get to act with Steve Buscemi was literally a dream come true. In high school, my friends and I were absolutely obsessed with Reservoir Dogs… to the point where we even tried to produce a staged version in my friend’s garage. I, of course, cast myself as “Mr. Pink.”
Michael (con’t): While it ultimately didn’t come to fruition, I still told Steve, and he got a huge kick out of it. Boardwalk also helped me realize how much I love working on period pieces. I think it’s something I’ve always been drawn to, but this was next-level. The cars, the sets, the costumes, the 1920s dialogue… it’s like being transported back in time. Luckily, I only had to jump a few decades ahead for my next project, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Julian: Well, that brings me to my next question. You landed the role of Joel in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel back in 2016/2017, and now fast forward to 2022, and you’re still getting to play him. How has he evolved for you, and what qualities about him do you perhaps relate to yourself? Michael: Characters are supposed to evolve, and Joel is no exception. When we first meet him, he’s stuck. Trapped in a dead-end job, his dreams unfulfilled. And then he leaves Midge, which some might say is the biggest mistake of his life. I don’t see it that way. He needed to blow things up in order to start fresh. Yes, he didn’t exactly go about it in the most mature manner, but if it weren’t for his bone-headed actions, there’d arguably be no “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” And how hard must that have been to see your wife achieve everything that you never could? Especially during that era of masculine pride. But Joel doesn’t give up on himself and forges ahead with plans to open a bar. He’s a hard worker, someone with goals and dreams of success, and that’s something I can certainly relate to. Julian: What are the qualities of the actors you look up to that you hope to emulate or embody in your own work? Michael: I love actors who can bridge different genres and mediums. The type that can go from starring in a huge blockbuster movie one minute to an intimate Off-Broadway play the next. Those are the actors I look up to because they clearly love what they do, like myself. Sure, they could be complacent in their high-paying film gigs, but it’s clearly not enough. Money is nice, but what is it all for if you don’t keep pushing yourself and doing things that scare you?
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Julian: It might be easy for people to see you as one of the leads in one of Amazon’s biggest shows and forget that you probably struggled with rejection quite a bit leading up to this. How did you overcome that and keep your head up, and what was your experience with rejection and auditioning? Michael: Rejection is something that an actor just has to deal with. It comes with the territory. And you can’t take it personally, even though that’s basically impossible. Over the years, I’ve learned that it’s ok to want things. And, in turn, it’s ok to be upset if you don’t get the things you want. But you can’t let it derail your confidence, motivation, or goals. Keep your eyes on the prize, and just say to yourself, “On to the next!” Julian: I’m curious about your process when developing a character. I’m sure it’s different for each one, but are there things you do for every character or similar work you do to build that life? Michael: I typically rely on the words of the script to inform me as to who this guy is. I typically look for it on the page, whether it’s the way he speaks, the specific words/slang he uses, or even what it says about him in the exposition. I guess I’m instinctual like that. I also try to ask a lot of questions - from either the writer or director (or possibly a scene partner). Sometimes, even they don’t know. That’s ok too! Be fearless and try everything. Learn from your mistakes. And just remember, in acting, there’s no such thing as a “mistake.” Julian: Does music play a part in your process at all? Michael: I listen to everything! Just this morning, I was listening to The Shins, then switched to some old-timey Bix Beiderbecke. Music definitely helps put me in the zone, and I usually try to compile a mixtape for every new project I work on. For example, this past winter, I did a play that took place in the 1950s, and every day I listened to 50’s jazz on the subway rides to the theater.
Julian: Is there a type of character you haven’t played yet that you’ve been dying to step into? Michael: Last summer, I played the lead in a film— which I had yet to do and always wanted to do, so I was able to cross that off my bucket list. And a couple of years ago, I performed in a musical, another bucket list item. So yeah, I just want to keep ticking off those boxes and consistently push myself out of my comfort zone. Hopefully, the next character I play is vastly different than Joel Maisel, and I can show a side that audiences haven’t yet seen. Julian: That’s great! Looking forward to seeing that film. Finally, what’s one film performance, new or old, that you think everyone needs to see? Michael: If you haven’t seen River Phoenix in Stand By Me, you’ve got some catching up to do. Everyone in that film is amazing, but his performance is the gold standard. I think he was like 14 when that was shot, and, well, 14-yearolds just shouldn’t be that talented. I idolized him then, and I still do to this day.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is currently streaming on Amazon Prime now.
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ISABEL There are few actors that, from the moment they show up on screen, radiate such a star power that you have to immediately look and see what else they’ve done. While sitting in my grandparents’ living room in their Nashville home over the holidays, my grandfather mentioned a show called 1883, and we watched it together. One of Taylor Sheridan’s many prolific projects, this one, a prequel to Yellowstone, hooked me in right away. And when Isabel May first appeared, I knew she had something extremely special. We’re now in March and have featured the actress as one of our cover stories. We discuss the Paramount+ show 1883, how she got into the business in the first place, and what she’s looking for in future roles.
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MAY
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Julian de la Celle: I wanted to take it back a little bit before 1883 and your previous roles and ask why acting? Was there a specific moment that you realized you wanted to pursue it? Isabel May: I was introverted. Well, I still am, actually. When I’m around people, I become very talkative, but I spend a lot of time with myself. That’s where I’m the most comfortable. I guess [Acting] was sort of a push by my English teacher. He said, “This one spends a lot of time alone, and I think it’s getting a liiiittle unhealthy. But she reads a lot of books, and she’s writing little stories for me in class.” I loved Greek mythology. And so I wrote him this short story one time; I think he was in a hospital because his mom was ill. And I thought it would entertain him. [Acting] was sort of his advice to my parents. And so they asked me if I wanted to do it; they have always asked me what I want to do rather than persuade or push me in any direction. I got incredibly lucky. And I said, “You know what? I think this may be an interesting thing to pursue.” I hated theatre; it was incredibly uncomfortable. And yet, for some reason, entering a room where a bunch of adults are staring at you critically and basically saying, “Monkey perform.” I liked the challenge. I kept doing it like it was a hobby until I finally got a job. And then I went, “Oh, this is real. You can actually make money doing this.” Julian: What was the significant difference for you doing theatre vs. being on a set? Isabel: My only experience had ever only been in audition rooms. And I learned quite a deal from that. I never took any classes, so that was really my education. And then I got this sitcom. I didn’t really audition for comedy, so I don’t know how I got it, but I did. And then I went, “Oh, my God, how do you be funny?” So, I just started studying sitcoms. I never really watched them. [Things like] Friends and Fraser. I just tried to imitate that. And I think I was successful, I don’t know. It lasted for about three years. And it’s sort of just evolved on its own. Let’s just say I’ve always been patient and never in a rush. Julian: So then, with 1883, this is different from your past projects. I read that it was a role written for you after auditioning for Mayor of Kingstown? Isabel: The beautiful Emma Laird. She’s really so fantastic.
Julian: She is really great. Taylor [Sheridan] is really intuitive when casting and picking the perfect person for the roles he writes, but specifically these strong female roles. Had you been familiar with his work before auditioning for Kingstown? Isabel: I didn’t know I was familiar with his work. Taylor has obviously made a point of being reserved and has stayed out of the public eye. I knew about Sicario and Hell Or High Water and his other films, and I’d heard of Yellowstone, but other than that, I didn’t know who Taylor was. And then I got this audition for Iris, and I thought, “Okay, I really gotta do my homework.” I was really astounded by his work; it’s remarkable. And his writing, in particular, is just extraordinary. So that was really my introduction to him, and I’m dumbfounded that I hadn’t been aware of him. I had been; I just didn’t know I was. Julian: So, what was your first reaction to the fact that he wrote this character for you? Isabel: It’s still such a mind-boggling thing to hear out loud. I would have been happy to never have uttered those words or let anyone know, honestly. [laughs] But Taylor spilled the beans. I don’t know, it’s strange how... my life, my short and very happy life, has consisted of a lot of accidents that I don’t believe are accidents. Everything comes back around. You meet someone years prior, and that relationship will come to fruition three years later and form into something, precisely the situation. He had written Mayor of Kingstown 10 or 15 years ago and was only just now casting for this Iris character. And then, at the very same time, he was trying, at the moment, to figure out how to write a new show that was an extension of one that he already had in the works. Yellowstone’s been around now for four seasons. There was no Elsa, and there was a liiitle bit of 1883, and something sparked. So I’m lucky that the Mayor of Kingstown was made in 2021 rather than 2015. Do you know what I mean? Everything kind of happens for a reason. Julian: It’s so crazy how long projects in this industry can take sometimes and that they just sort of happen at the right moments. Isabel: Oh yeah. It’s a little painful. But also makes you appreciate the process far more.
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Julian: Diving back into 1883 in general, and your character, I mean, you definitely have a lot of moments of having to be extremely emotional. And I’m just kind of curious what your process is for those kinds of things. You bring such a natural, human quality to those scenes. Isabel: It was challenging, to a degree, but it wasn’t all that difficult. Which sounds really not great. [laughs] I don’t know; I don’t get very emotional very often. So I’ve always said that I unintentionally reserve all of my feelings, my unhappy feelings, on whatever role I play in the future. Because it’s so tamped down that when I get the opportunity to feel someone else’s pain, I can just fall into it. And, I mean, look, when I walk onto the set before they say action, I get very intense, and I can’t focus on anything but the scene that we’re about to do, and I can’t smile at someone if they smile at me, and I just kind of have this weird tunnel vision. I get very serious. So don’t get me wrong. It’s not like it’s easy peasy, and I’m cracking jokes all the way through. But I know it’s there. I just trust myself. I have faith in myself. I don’t know why. I haven’t really earned it. But I just do. And I feel very fortunate that I just kind of naturally have that. Tina de la Celle: I think that’s great. I think that comes from your family also. Isabel: Oh, certainly. You’re absolutely right. That’s my mom and my dad, without a doubt. I have a small, little family, but they’re the lights of my life and my best friends. And they’re always honest with me. Even when I really wish they weren’t. They refused to lie to me when I was a kid. So I appreciated it. There’s the TMI of, you know, my mom saying, “Look, I’m on my period, and you need to just deal with it. You’re gonna have to deal with it at some point, big whoop.” It wasn’t shocking or anything, but also when tragedy struck, or someone was having a tough time in life, rather than trying to shield me from it, they made me very aware of what was happening and to have empathy for that individual. I credit them for that. That’s really helped me so much in my chosen career path now. Julian: Was there anything you specifically learned to do for the show? Isabel: Oh, absolutely. I learned to herd cattle... we did something called cutting, which is when you basically cut one cow out of the herd of cows. I played piano, but it was strange...
Isabel [con’t]: Again, the universe doing its weird voodoo magic. I had started to learn “Moonlight Sonata” before Taylor asked me if I’d played. He was kind of talking to me as he was writing. It was just very odd that out of any piece of music that he could choose, it was that one. The other bizarre coincidence is Eric, who plays Ennis sent me the song that I sing in Episode 4 when we’re just watching the cows. He sent that to me months before Taylor ever chose that song for me to sing to him, and he said, “This song reminds me of that scene.” So there’s just been multiple strange coincidences. I like to sing, but I’m not really a singer. And that was definitely for me, the one that I just had to go, “Oh, hell with it.” I thought it was gonna be the worst thing in the world. People will have to plug their ears. Julian: For future roles, what is something that you’re excited to attempt or to take on from here? Isabel: So many things. I am desperate to have an opportunity [to play a real person]. There’s something so terrifying about taking on that kind of responsibility, where you’re not just becoming someone, but you’re actually imitating an individual that other people know. I would love to put myself in that very, very uncomfortable position. Julian: Is there a performance that you’ve seen recently or just something that you really love that you think other people should also see? Isabel: I love that question. The Worst Person in the World. Oh my god, that actress is incredible. And the other film that I revere that I think everyone should watch is Cold War by Pawel Pawlikowski. It came out a couple of years ago. The actress in that is just chef’s frickin kiss. She’s so good in that. There’s something about a really impeccable young female performance that just makes me giddy. Julian: I can’t leave without asking about Lightning the horse. Did you become close on set? Isabel: Oh yes. I mean, it’s Taylor’s horse. He bought the horse for the show. Taylor has a wrangler named Danica, who’s fantastic and is my favorite girl in the world, and she sends me pictures of him. There was this one that she sent to me of him sitting down. And she said your boy is taking a rest. And honestly... I have to have that horse one day. I will find a way to steal him from Taylor. If that answers your question, I’m madly in love with him. 1883 is currently streaming on Paranount+ now.
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ISLAND OF LOVE
Photography. Phoebe Fox Words. Julian de la Celle Special thanks to Prescription PR
“Third Man Records’ newest location, which opened in September 2021 -- has announced its first signing, the intrepid new indie quartet Island of Love.” That was the news that broke via Third Man Records in February of this year. The band was initially called Love Island, but for obvious, and maybe not obvious reasons, they changed it to Island of Love. The band consists of Karim, Linus, Daniel, and Jimmy. They instantly caught the eye (and ear) of Third Man co-owner Ben Swank, who offered them an offer approximately thirty seconds after playing the Third Man Records London Basement. We chat with the boys about their reaction to such an offer, how they go about writing music, and what’s in store for the band next. Julian de la Celle: We first heard about you when the news broke about being the first signing to the London branch of Jack White’s Third Man Records label. How did that come about, and what were your initial reactions? It was as much a shock to us as our friends and family. We set our ceiling pretty low with who would want to release this EP, and after dropping the “Songs Of Love” music video, we got an email from Third Man Records that most of us briefly dismissed as a scam. Everything since has been insane, to say the least. Julian: I hear a lot of Sonic Youth influence in your melodies and a bit of The Strokes. Are they bands you guys are into? What other influences do you think have helped shape your sound? Yeah, we like those quite a bit. Besides the obvious The Strokes, The Cribs, Dinosaur Jr. comparisons, we draw from a lot of weirdo rock music from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. Bands like Swirlies, Ovlov, Duster, Happy Diving, Milk Music, etc. come to mind (amongst some dad-rock classics).
Julian: Had you guys been in any other bands before Island of Love? Yeah! Most of us met in an old punk band, but we’re all still active in other bands. For example, Karim plays in a hardcore band called Mastermind, Dan plays in a couple of bands called Micromoon and Flaccid, and Jimmy (also in Flaccid) plays in Bloody Death. Julian: How did you all meet each other, and how long have you been a band? We all met through shows and playing music. Karim and Dan had played a lot of shows with each other in their separate bands; the same goes with Dan and Linus. Jimmy almost came out of nowhere as though he’d fallen from the sky - or as he likes to call it, Portsmouth. We met him at a party and quickly squeezed him into what was - at the time - a full line-up. Eventually, we ended up here as a group of best mates. Julian: What’s your writing process as a band? Do you tend to write the music first and then the lyrics or vice versa, or is it simultaneous? A lot of writing is done on our own and then fleshed out in practice rooms, but we’re definitely pretty guitar-centric with our approach. Everything mostly follows the lead of riffs (vocal line, melody, rhythms, etc.), and then songs tend to take on a whole new light in the practice room once we all get together. Julian: Who would be your dream band to tour with in the future? Tough to say; we all have pretty different answers to this question but let’s say that Foo Fighters would probably be an ambitious middle ground! [laughs] Julian: What’s next for the band? We’re already far down the line of writing our first LP, and it’s fair to say we’re already insanely proud of what we’ve come up with. Without giving too much away, we currently have about 12 songs finished.
IT NEVER RAINS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Photographer Mike Carreiro takes us on a journey of a day in the life of a true rock ‘n’ roll family. Surfboard shaper and one-manband blues-punker Dano Forte (Dano Surfboards / Dano’s Juke Joint Freak Show), his wife Lisa, owner of Black Heart Salon, with their hot rod building, pool skating, bass playing (The Spurs) son Jack are photographed alongside and in the home of their makeup artist/hair cutter daughter Syd and her husband Chris Dixie Darley, guitarist (Father John Misty, Dixie, Saddle) and songwriter and their wild boy lion child Arlo Dixie Darley.
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Photography. Wanda Martin Fashion. Leith Clark Words. Julian de la Celle Photo Assistant. Marton Zseni Hair. Miguel Perez Make Up. Emma Day Special thanks to Rogers and Cowan
After first auditioning for Brianna in Outlander back in 2014, Sophie Skelton was crushed to have not gotten the part, or at least that’s what she thought. She didn’t hear anything back, not because they didn’t like her, but because they’d decided to introduce the character in the following season instead. Fast-forward one year later, she landed the role in the Starz show, which is now on its sixth season. Sophie and I discuss when she decided to focus entirely on acting after what might be a surprising career shift, how she’s crafted Bree through the years, and the types of roles she’d like to take on next.
SOPHIE SKELTON
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Julian de la Celle: How did acting first present itself to you, and what made you stick to it? Sophie Skelton: There were always so many things I enjoyed doing and could see myself doing as a kid. I was constantly changing my mind about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. As I got a little older, I pointed my studies toward being a surgeon, but acting was the only constant contender I’d always go back to. It came about from being on stage from a very young age. I started out as a ballet dancer (as well as a tap and hip-hop dancer) and trained as a singer, so I grew up doing a lot of musical theatre. I loved being on stage, but I craved the naturalism of film and TV. When I was about 13, I got scouted by an agent, and then it just continued from there. I suppose, as an actor, you get to do a little bit of everything through your characters anyway, so I somewhat satisfy all those career cravings in one. You’re also constantly learning skills about subject matters for certain roles that you wouldn’t necessarily have delved into in everyday life, which is great, and I love that aspect of the job. Julian: Had you had any formal training before booking your first few television roles? What is your take on training or classes/coaching? Sophie: Whilst doing plays and musical theatre, I added in screen acting classes on the side. I think they’re great, but each person is different. I, for one, prefer to learn on a job and be thrown in at the deep end. Sometimes classes can feel a little artificial and you can often sense some people are thrown when they’re chucked into the real situation and set environment. Julian: I read that you auditioned for the role of Brianna at an earlier time and then didn’t hear back for about a year! That must’ve been a pleasant surprise to see it come back around. Sophie: Funnily enough, it’s one of maybe two roles I remember really stung when I didn’t land them. You have so many auditions that come in and out of your life, and there’s no use in stewing over them and beating yourself up about not getting the job. There isn’t really feedback in the audition world. Which is a shame, but at the same time, there are a thousand reasons why you might not get a job. Sometimes projects don’t get made, sometimes a role is cut, sometimes you just don’t look like what they’re picturing.
Sophie (con’t): Anything could be a contributing factor, so it’s not healthy to hold onto, but I really connected with Brianna, and I didn’t want to see who had gotten the role. As it turned out, no one had; they just decided to bring her into Season 2 instead. I felt very protective of the character and just knew I had to play her, so thinking of her in someone else’s hands didn’t sit well with me for that year. It was a very bizarre feeling and very petty sounding! But it clearly stayed with me for a reason - I’m telling her story now! Julian: What has been the biggest challenge for you in creating Brianna over the last 6 years? Sophie: It’s such a rare thing that I get to play the same person from a young teen to a young mother and spanning so many different character changes and time periods at the same time. So it’s been a blessing more than a challenge, really. She goes through so much, and each experience peels off another layer of her personality, and you get to see Brianna at her core. That’s what I love about season 6. She’s really settling into who she is now. It’s less about how she deals with what’s thrown at her and more about her dropping her protective barriers and stoic cover. We get to see the real Bree. Julian: What type of role are you craving to do next? Sophie: One of my favorite things about this job is the ability to portray anything and everything in terms of roles. That indecisive kid in me loves that I get to be a chameleon and scratch all those itches. I’d love to morph into a completely different role. Shake up the accent, the look, and the total tone of the project. I’d love to do something where I can incorporate my musical theatre background and let out my tomboy teen and superhero it up badass style. Julian: Is there a film performance you think everyone has to see? Sophie: Audrey Hepburn, Roman Holiday. It’s a perfect example of movie magic.
Outlander is currently streaming on Starz now.
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JOSEPHINE DE LA BAUME Photography. Wanda Martin Fashion. Nat Westernoff Words. Julian de la Celle Photo Assistant. Marton Zseni Hair. Emma Tierney Make Up. Kentaro Kondo Special thanks to Premier PR
Parisian Josephine de la Baume is a multitalent. She fronts a rock/garage band called FILM NOIR with her brother Alexandre and can also be seen in the newest season of the Netflix drama Top Boy. We chat about FILM NOIR and working in a band with her brother, what it was like to take on the role of Delphine in Top Boy, and some of her favorite film performances she thinks everyone needs to see.
Julian de la Celle: You started the band FILM NOIR back in 2018; what prompted you to start a band? Josephine de la Baume: I had a different band before, and when I started writing the new record for it, it sounded different, rawer, less candid, and mainly in French. It felt like a more personal and cathartic project. So I put a new band together with my brother Alexandre, which was the beginning of FILM NOIR. Julian: Who were your major influences on this project? Josephine: I always work more based on visuals, memories, images from movies that stick with me, or fantasies. But of course, when we take breaks, we play different records to each other. So no major influences, really, but loads of images and not too many breaks! Julian: I noticed you started it with your brother; that must be fun to play music with him. Had you been playing music together previous to the band forming? Josephine: Yes, although we already had a band together, this seemed like a very different project. We worked with different musicians, and even the recording process was different. We played the songs live for as long as possible to try and shape the songs, and then we recorded on tape for a lot of them. Instead of the songs being born in a studio and then played live. Julian: You’ve been working on a new record; what can you tell us about writing and recording it, and what can we expect from it? Josephine: Sometimes I would write the lyrics before we had the music, so it would become the soundtrack to a mad diary, to the world in which exists all these stories. Each song is actually a short story depicting a different dramatic character in a crisis with some sort of heroic gesture or romanticizing the failure of that gesture. The songs are quite cinematic, and so are the stories. I guess I hide behind each of them, or rather I stop hiding through them.
Julian de la Celle: Switching gears to acting, you have a role in the upcoming season of the Netflix series Top Boy. How did the part come about, and what did you take away from the filming process? Josephine: What a treat to be on such a good show with so many talented people! In Top Boy, it was about being subtle with my choices, acting-wise and depicting something real. To play Delphine, I had to hold back a little, staying strong while feeling like she could crumble at any given moment. While keeping her head high as a way to survive and cope, my character has had to overcome significant life challenges and now tries to move on and help people with her experience. And then there’s a lot more to it, but I’ll let you watch it! Julian: When did you realize you wanted to pursue acting, and what is it about it that interests you the most? Josephine: I knew as a kid. And I guess I never had to stop playing dress-up since. But in a way, being able to enter so many lives in my own life is pretty mad and extremely interesting. You get to travel through time, places, and experiences you would never have, but you also get to experience a whole range of emotions through someone else. But the truth is you just meet yourself a little more each time through each character... again, not as much hiding behind or in a character scene as one might think. Julian: What’s a film performance that you think everyone needs to watch? Josephine: The list is endless! I can’t really pick one, but some that come to mind are Gena Rowlands in “A Woman Under the Influence,” Dustin Hoffman in “Midnight Cowboy,” Emily Watson in “Breaking The Waves.” Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung in “The Mood for Love” and pretty much Tony Leung in all of Wong Kar-wai’s movies. Top Boy is currently streaming on Netflix now.
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