Mornings with Violett Beane
“I think you need to be in charge of your own destiny. ”
Get the Look: Violett wears an Alice + Olivia dress (for similar) and Diana Broussard earrings
I’d love to get to know you! Where are you from?
I was raised in Austin, Texas and I lived there until I was eighteen then I moved to LA. I lived there for three years, and then I came to New York. My mom actually moved to LA the day I did! My brother had moved the year before and my mom was like, ‘Well if he’s gone and you’re gone, I’m going to come too!’ Growing up in Austin definitely centered me. It’s such an inviting and welcoming community and the food! I don’t eat meat anymore, but the barbecue is so fantastic—the way they cook it—it’s amazing. The city has a very young crowd and everyone’s really excited to be there; anywhere you turn, there’s some sort of art installation going up or live music being played.
Do you remember the moment when you decided you wanted to become an actress?
So, everyone has that movie that they watch all the time, right? Mine, unfortunately and embarrassingly, is High School Musical (laughs). I definitely had many posters of Zac Effron on my wall! I would come home after school and sing along to the DVD that had a karaoke version. I first got started with choir and then I got into drama. In my senior year of high school, when I started my first college application, I realized that it wasn’t for me; I didn’t feel like what I wanted to do needed a specific degree. I think it’s the best thing I ever did; it definitely jump-started my career by not going down that path.
Once you started landing roles, did you have your sights more on Los ANGELES or New York?
I didn't think I would ever live in New York. I didn’t think that the city had my type of vibe, but what I’m realizing, and I’ve only been here for only six months, is that it’s way more me than LA ever was—and I think Brooklyn is the best.
Congratulations on the success of ‘God Friended Me’. Can you share how you got the role and what drew you it?
I was auditioning in pilot season, about four times a day, and this opportunity came towards the end of it. I went in and I learned later that they had previously tested the role, but they didn’t find what they were looking for. The producers were in the session when I first went in and I talked with Bryan Wynbrandt and Steven Lilien, who are the co-creators of the show. The topic and the title are a bit controversial. While, it isn’t one-hundred percent about religion at all, it’s definitely something that comes up. I was raised Quaker, and I also don’t really know where I lie with religion and spirituality, so I was kind of hesitant. But, after I talked to them—one of them is Jewish and the other is an atheist—I knew that if anyone was going to handle this topic well, it was going to be them. I think what grounds it even more is the times we are in now, especially with social media.
What do you hope viewers take away from watching the show?
What I hoped and what I’ve started to see, which is amazing, is people reaching out and saying that they feel represented. I know from the beginning that it was really important for all of us and the creators of the show to focus on different perspectives of people, and to be able to see someone in a new light. I think we’re doing a pretty good job of it. For example, the character Miles—he’s an atheist and his father is a reverend; they are able to have a conversation, rather than always keeping each other at a distance because they don’t see eye to eye.
The show knits together two strangers in New York. Do you believe in serendipitous moments and that everything happens for a reason?
I absolutely do and I think that in the career that I’m in, you could get any job, or not get any job, and there has to be a specific reason why something sends you on a certain path. But I also think that this idea that ‘everything happens for a reason’ can be a crutch for a lot of people; you’re almost waiting—it can be a hindrance and almost an excuse. Something isn’t going to happen unless you try to make something happen. I think you need to be in charge of your own destiny.
Let’s talk new york. do you have any favorite restaurants that you frequent?
I am vegan, so I love places like Modern Love and Champ’s Diner in Williamsburg. I have been plant-based for over a year, but I’ve been a vegetarian since I was a kid. I stopped eating dairy a long time ago—cheese was definitely hard to give up because it’s so good! I have noticed such a difference in the way that my body reacts to certain things—my brain is lighter and my energy is higher.
Tell us more about being a Vegan.
My decision was based more on the environmental impact of the meat and dairy industry and the amount of water it takes to grow the feed for animals. I love animals and I think that the way that we treat them is a direct correlation of how we treat each other. I totally get that everyone has different bodies and I don’t think that the agricultural system we have right now is set up for everyone to just go vegan, I think we would crumble. I had chickens growing up and my mom was like, “When they stop laying, we’ll eat them” and my reaction was, “What are you talking about? We will not eat them, that’s not happening!”
Since You are such an avid animal lover, Can you share more about your partnership with PETA and “All Animals Have The Same Parts”?
I did a campaign called All Animals Have The Same Parts and it was to bring awareness to the fact that dogs, pigs, cows and humans—we all have legs and hearts, for example. It was a way to grab people’s attention and make them more conscious of their decisions, which I think trickles down to everything we do.
What’s next for you after you wrap filming?
I’m hoping to shoot a movie and then I’m also going on a European vacation. I’m going to go to the Dolomites in Italy and then Paris and Lyon. I’m excited!
Thank you, Violett! you can follow her here.
Be sure to tune into ‘god friended me’ on cbs every sunday night.
A very special thank you to the team at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
Photography by Daniel G. Castillon | Fashion Editor Ana Tess | Editorial Intern Jane Dulaney