Liana Liberato – To the Stars

By starrymag | April 24, 2020

By: Maggie Stankiewicz

 

 

Q) What have you been recently working on?

 

A) You know, not too much especially with all the quarantine stuff happening at the moment. But life hasn’t completely stopped. I’ve been reading a lot of scripts and stuff like that, so it’s been really nice. Even though a lot of things have been put on hold right now, it’s nice to know that there are still some really wonderful scripts coming in.

 

Q) You’ve worked on projects that are heavily grounded in realism, and some that have a supernatural element to them. Do you have a preference for either of these worlds?

 

A) I feel like I do gravitate towards realistic scenarios or just slice-of-life movies or stories. I think that maybe the reason why I have gravitated towards some more fantastical stories is because I always feel like its rooted in something real – a real emotion or feeling. I like the challenge of that, exploring that and making something that doesn’t seem real, feel real to the audience.

 

Q) In the film To the Stars you play Maggie Richmond. Please tell us the premise for the film.

 

A) Yeah! To the Stars is about two young girls who develop a very unlikely alliance and friendship in rural Oklahoma in the 1960s. It’s a beautiful film about two young women who don’t fit in with societal constructs of a small town and how they bond and come together to accept and love themselves.

 

Q) How was your character originally described to you?

 

A) She was described to me as sort of a very layered young woman with a lot of secrets and a lot to work through. She’s the new girl in town and I love a character with a good secret so that was fun for me.

 

Q) You get to work with a great cast of both veteran and breakout actors in To the Stars. Were you familiar with any of them before sharing the screen with them?

 

A) Yeah, absolutely. I actually had worked with Jordana Spiro before when I was fifteen years old on a movie called Trespass and so it was really cool getting to reunite with her. She’s an incredible actress so I got so excited when I heard that she had signed on for the project. Then, of course, Malin Ackerman and Tony Hale – I’ve always been a big fan of them. Them playing my parents was really exciting and fun. And I’ve always been a fan of Kara [Hayward] and Madisen Beaty and I sort of grew up seeing Madisen around. So, it was nice becoming friends with her on set.

 

Q) What advice did director Martha Stephens offer that you took to heart while filming?

 

A) It’s interesting. I feel like she – advice wise – I’m sure she gave me so much, but it was really just her as a person. There is something really, really cool and admirable about watching a woman direct a movie. She has this beautiful essence to her, where she’s just so peaceful and takes things in stride. I really admire and love that about Martha. I very strongly believe that a director sets the tone for the whole movie and the whole experience on set and she did just that in such a pleasant way. She really was the guiding light for this film and had such a strong vision for it. That was really great for me to witness.

 

Q) To the Stars is making its way towards a wider release to the public. Do you have any favorite scenes from the film that we should be on the lookout for?

 

A) Oh, favorite scenes. I love all my scenes with Tony and Malin. They’re obviously very intense and very…cold in it. [laughs]. But I think experience wise I loved working with them. They’re so lovely and cool. It was fun to just pick their brains like that. I also love all the scenes with the young women. I love being in scenes with Kara [Hayward] and Madisen. The energy in all of those scenes is very funny. One of my favorite scenes has got to be when Maggie sneaks into Iris’ room after being with her town boyfriend and she has a breakdown. It was a very intense scene to film and it shows all of the cracks and layers within Maggie.

 

Q) What message do you hope viewers take away from watching the film?

 

A) I’m hoping that people take from the movie that there is always more than meets the eye when it comes to a human. Never judge a book by its cover. This film has a lot to do with acceptance, of self and the pressures that society puts on people often without even knowing. It’s about giving people grace and loving them, no matter where they are in life.

 

Q) You pick roles in projects that seem to emphasize the richness of women’s stories. Is this a conscious choice, and how do you go about deciding which roles you’d like to audition for?

 

A) For me, I just gravitate towards a good story and an interesting character. Being a woman, I really respond well to a story that is female-centric. I really am perfectly fine taking a secondary role in an interesting story. For me, it’s all about being a part of a cool experience and story that will move people. I do love a layered woman, that’s for sure. I love playing them and dissecting them. I also just enjoy working with female directors, they have so much energy behind them and are always such a pleasure to work with.

 

Q) Which of your recent roles have you found to be the most challenging?

 

A) Hmm. All feel challenging to me, which is why I pick them! My film Banana Split came out a few weeks ago and that was really challenging but so much fun because of the comedy. I had never really dipped my toes into something like that before. To the Stars was challenging as well. I mean, we filmed it in twenty days and it was an independent movie. We were in very uncomfortable 60s clothes and dealing with very heavy material. I’d say they’re all challenging in their own way, but it’s always in a positive way.

 

Q) What would you like to share or say to fans and supporters of your work? 

 

A) I want to say thank you! And I hope everyone is staying safe. I hope these movies are an opportunity for everyone to sit back and relax and escape the world for a little bit. Immerse yourself in a new story and just have fun with it.