Tatiana Maslany, star of Grown Up Movie Star, talks about the process that led her to winning the Breakout Performance prize at Sundance last year.
AH: I'd love to hear of your first impressions of Ruby. Adriana (Maggs, the director) said that once she met you, there was no one else who could play the part in her mind. She also said she had a tough time finding actors who could see that she was a likeable character and not just manipulative towards the men. You were able to create such a multi-faceted and complex portrayal. Did you have any misgivings about Ruby at first, and what was your process of getting inside her character?
TM: I completely fell in love with Ruby the first time I read the script. I felt there was so much to mine in a character like her, she was unlike anything I'd ever read. I don't remember having any misgivings, because I felt the script was so honest and complicated, and the fact that not a single character fell into either good guy or bad guy territory made it all the more true to life. I felt like Ruby was written so vividly on the page, I felt she was very much alive in the script, even just in reading it in my head. It was a really fun process, but I don't know if I could really explain it very well. The filming process was a great discovery period, exploring who Ruby was in relation to the people in her life. It was so much fun.
AH: Working with Adriana Maggs and the crew in Newfoundland: can you discuss some of your experience on set, and your experience with such veteran Canadian actors as Shawn Doyle and Mary Walsh?
TM: The crew was amazing. Everyone was so respectful of the film and committed to the story. The work ethic was incredible. We had so little time to do the things we had to do and everyone worked really hard. Adriana was amazing, set such a great tone on set and was such a collaborator. She's sensitive and hilarious, and an a great leader.
Working with Shawn was one of the greatest times in my career so far. He's so alive and present, the kind of actor that throws things at you, is so committed and gives you so much permission to explore and take big risks. I learned so much working with him. And the brief time I was on set with Mary Walsh and Andy Jones was awesome. Such veterans. And the fact that they both come from such a strong comedic background but still have incredible dramatic chops, that's the ideal performer I think.
AH: Newfoundland -- did you have any feelings about coming into such a specific culture and portraying a girl in a small town there? Could you compare it to your experience in Saskatchewan? Do you have any personal small-town angst that you were able to draw on?
TM: I definitely understood that feeling of wanting to get out, of feeling like the world was so much bigger and better outside. This sort of deference we have for everywhere BUT where we grew up. The sense of claustrophobia. But I think what Adriana has done so well with her portrayal of Newfoundland is never to fall into judgment or stereotype. Her landscape is so specific and layered. So while it reminded me of growing up in Saskatchewan, Newfoundland is it's own beast. It was intimidating to come into that culture initially, everyone really knows everyone. But it's one of the most welcoming places I've ever been.
AH: Congratulations on winning the breakout performance at Sundance -- how did that feel? And how has this film impacted your work and career since this recognition?
TM: It was such an honour and I was totally shocked. Just to be at the festival was an amazing experience, to have people see the film, to experience it with different audiences. I think the recognition has definitely opened some doors for me, but before that even happened, working on the film really opened my eyes as an actor. I just felt so lucky to have such an amazing script to work with, and Adriana and Shawn and all the other actors were so inspiring and incredible, that just working on the project felt like it changed the way I see acting, the kind of work I want to do in the future.
AH: You were totally convincing as a younger teenager. How did you prepare for that specific challenge of working on such gritty material and playing younger?
TM: I've always played younger than myself, and it's really fun for me. I love that age, the innocence, the discoveries, the changes, it's all very complicated and dramatic. Kids try on a lot of personas, they're constantly evolving and redefining themselves. There's so much going on. It was definitely something that Adriana and I were very conscious of throughout the filming, making sure Ruby stayed young. I tried to tap into my sense of play, innocence, a sense of seeing everything for the first time.
AH: What has your experience and training been, and do you have any advice for young actors coming into the industry?
TM: I don't know that I could give anyone advice, but I think young actors should trust themselves, their instincts and what feels right. It's a really bizarre industry, since so many people start at such a young age. It's an odd thing to choose your career and be working towards it in your teens. I think a lot of people want to emulate other people's careers, but really acting is so personal, everyone's path is completely different. I think training with all kinds of different teachers, under all kinds of different methods is important. Watching great films, reading.
AH: What's up next for you now and what are some of your goals and aspirations?
TM: Up next, I'm working on a feature film called The Vow with Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum. It's a different film for me, pretty big budget, but it should be fun. I like the character a lot. She's very much no-drama which is kind of new for me.
TATIANA MASLANY is one of Canada’s confirmed rising stars. She won a Special Jury Prize for Breakout Performance and Sundance for Grown Up Movie Star. Recently seen on the hit series Flashpoint, in a dramatic guest-starring role opposite Peter Stebbings for which she won a Gemini Award, Tatiana can currently be seen as a series regular on CBC’s Heartland. Previous television roles include a series regular on Instant Star, and leading roles on Sabbatical for CTV and Incredible Story Studio on YTV.
Maslany’s television film roles include An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving, and a previous pairing with Shawn Doyle in the critically acclaimed adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s The Robber Bride.
Feature film credits include supporting roles in the NFB’s Late Fragments, George Romero’s Diary of the Dead, and Flash of Genius opposite Greg Kinnear. She is currently shooting The Vow opposite Rachel McAdams.
