A SUPREME TALENT
NEWCOMER CAILEE SPAENY ISN’T ABOUT TO BE PIGEONHOLED
FOLLOWING UP HER BREAKOUT role in sci-fi flick Pacific Rim: Uprising with a spot in neo-noir thriller Bad Times At The
El Royale, and now a supporting role in the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic On The
Basis Of Sex, 21-year-old Cailee Spaeny is quietly building a diverse big-picture repertoire. But it turns out the fashion favourite has more in common with her headstrong character, the US Supreme Court Justice’s daughter, Jane Ginsburg, than it would seem.
ON BEING SERIOUSLY CREATIVE
“Growing up I basically did anything artistic that I could get my hands on. I was never really good in school, so it was the thing that made me feel like I had something to give. My dad and my sister were really into visual art, and my brother would do a little performing here and there but it was all for fun for them, whereas I took it very seriously. I was the one who was like, ‘I am going to do this, I am going to Los Angeles, take me there right now.’ We would get in the car and drive from Springfield [in Missouri] to LA for auditions. I was very committed.”
ON MAKING A HOME FOR HERSELF IN LA
“It was hard to make a transition from such a small city to one of the biggest in the country. I’ve been here for a year and a half now and I’m starting to find my way. The hardest thing, in the beginning, was finding my people; in LA [it can feel like] everyone is a freaking actor just like you, and getting caught up with people who are in the industry can put you into a weird headspace. I tried to find hobbies outside of work, little things just for myself like cooking and painting… even though I am a really bad painter. Those things ground you and make you feel human.”
ON RUTH BADER GINSBURG’S STORY
“Ruth’s family was heavily involved in the writing and filming process. The director, Mimi [Leder], really wanted to make it as authentic as possible, to be respectful and truthful to her story. It was really like a love letter to Ruth. Felicity [Jones, who plays Bader Ginsburg], Armie [Hammer, who plays her husband, Martin] and I would take ‘family photos’ when we were filming and email them to her. I’m so glad I got to play the character I did; she’s so strong. There are scenes where I fight with Felicity, but the characters actually had the same goals and dreams for women.”
ON HER HOPE FOR A MORE WOKE FUTURE
“There were so many things that I had no idea women had to go through [in the ’70s, when the film was set], whether it was not having pay equality or being limited in the jobs they could do. It was a wake-up call – these were laws women had to abide by and they didn’t even sound real to me. But it’s incredible to think we got past them. It felt like a really important film to make, not only because overturning those laws was such a big part of history, but because it still feels so relevant and important today. I think people get really discouraged when they hear things like Brett Kavanaugh being confirmed [to the US Supreme Court] – as though there’s not much we can do, and no hope that we’re going to get what we want or the justice we deserve. It hits you right in the gut. But to know that someone put their whole life into trying to stop those things from happening is inspiring. I really hope that when people walk out of [the film], they’re hopeful, and know their power does mean something.”
ON NOT BOXING HERSELF IN
“I’ve done sci-fi, and now a political film, so next I’d love to play a regular, slice-oflife teenager. An indie would be interesting. Basically, I want to keep doing the opposite of whatever it is I just did. I don’t ever want to be put into one box; I’m too young for that. I want to change it up to keep myself on my toes, and other people on theirs. Not only to prove to the public that I can do it, but also to prove it to myself.”
“I don’t want to be put into one box; I’m too young. I want to change it up to keep myself on my toes”