Introducing November Starring Victoria Pedretti
Photographer & Creative Director Sophie Hart
Stylist Dianne Garcia for The Only Agency
Hair Mara Roszak for A-Frame Agency; Makeup Alexandra French
Interview Alison Engstrom; Photography Assistance Adeshola Adigun
Cover Look: Richard Quinn gown and Alessandra Rich earrings.
I was always putting on shows from birth basically, but in high school, I remember doing a play and someone coming up to me and telling me they were affected by the work I did and that was thrilling. I wanted more of that. I wanted to make an impact on the world but felt I didn’t have too much talent or capabilities in school. I struggled with reading, writing, science, and math—I struggled with focusing on things I wasn’t passionate about. So it was amazing to find something I was truly passionate about—and driven to excel at—and I could contribute it to the world.
I don’t think anyone can ever tell if they are going to be successful in this field. I think choosing to act and be in the arts is extremely unfair. There is no way of knowing how it is going to go, no matter how passionate or talented you are. There are many actors who are deeply committed, have the purest of intentions, and barely eke out a living doing what they are passionate about. Then there are so many people in this industry that make more money than they even know what to do with—it’s the world we live in, I’d like to see that change. I assumed it would be many years before I started working professionally within my field. I think that was just realistic.
I studied acting in school so I committed four years to it and that felt very intentional. I was able to graduate college with an agent and a manager who were sending me out on auditions pretty consistently. The Haunting of Hill House was my first gig, which I got about two months out of college—everything happened really rapidly.
I still struggle with that, I think it’s rational to struggle with that. I don’t think anyone deserves this more than other people. I think when you start convincing ourselves that we do, you are ready for an ego trip that could lead to a pretty ginormous crash. I’m trying to have the foresight to not play into those delusions and that I am not in any way of more value to the world than other people, but I’m treated like I am by some folks.
I think it’s the balance of being an artist. I think you have to be insecure enough to challenge yourself to grow and desire to see things differently, but have enough of an ego to feel like you can share and not just hide everything. It’s like, I do have something to offer and when I share it, it does contribute something to others. It is a very strange dance. There are so many people, like leaders in our society who are narcissists, we applaud and reward that all of the time. Instagram is a hotbed for that. It’s weird how people who are beautiful, kind, and not narcissistic still crave being like that because it functions really well, it receives a lot of positive reinforcement behaving that way.
I just do what feels right from day-to-day. I accept the idea that what feels right on Monday might not feel right on Tuesday. I also know that the internet is permanent and I’m not going to pretend like it’s not. I am going to be careful, thoughtful, have the foresight, and think about the effects I want to have.
Hat and earrings, stylists own.
You are opening yourself to a feedback loop. It’s like, whose opinion do you want, what are you looking for? When I really want to do something, I ask myself, why?
I feel like it’s the only thing I can do.
It’s funny, when I did that, I wasn’t even thinking about categorizing myself when I was saying that, it felt like just an adjective or a facet. It’s interesting how that became the focus because I talked for four hours and the video was only about seventeen minutes long. I have read about highly sensitive people and what that is as a category. I think as with everything that exists there is a spectrum. People might not categorize themselves that way but they still deal with the same things. I don’t enjoy categorizing myself in general but as a sensitive person, how do I navigate the world? You know just like everyone else, I try to listen to my body and how I am affected by things. If I am different than other people, I try not to make that a bad thing. I try to practice mindfulness, I work on taking time to myself when I need it to regenerate. I try to do the things I need to do so I can show up as the best version of myself.
I think as opposed to going to the gym, doing other forms of bodywork that put us in our bodies. I think when you are highly sensitive you can probably get overstimulated and you end up being a floating head, which is not a way to get through life. We deserve to be in our bodies. I think there are so many tools we are not taught at a young age—meditation, yoga, things like tapping, using ice, self-massage, rubbing your head, or a hot compress over your eyes.
It’s seen as excessive, lofty, or soft to have feelings. It’s a privilege to have a lot of feelings, but it’s often not a choice and can make things more difficult. Everyone is sensitive to some degree, like men, but they are given less space to be that. I find it interesting that so many men I interact with clearly are.
I feel like I am constantly reevaluating things (laughs). I am very malleable in my thinking. I really enjoy finding out that the way I saw things in the past was wrong and accepting new realities.
And that’s consistent at least (laughs).
It can be frightening but things will change; we will change; others will change; the world will change.
It’s really wonderful because we are dealing with the craziness of these pretty extreme people and with things that are relatable like being a fish out of water, being a mother and a new mother, and dealing with our family that we haven’t gotten to choose. There is chaos and humor and tragedy ensues.
I think theater and art are meant to put us into touch with our own humanity. I think we can do that by making people cry, laugh, and by making them feel safe. I think my job as an actor is to serve the vision of a director. I am interested in working with people who have a vision and have an idea of how they want to impact the world. I do see making art and my work as a service. If I don’t see it that way, I find it pretty meaningless, and I don’t have an interest anymore.
I don’t think it’s only about what you do, it’s also about the way in which you do it. I think there are many people who want to make a positive impact for instance but are hurting people along the way. So what does that mean?
Alina Anwar gown; Christian Louboutin heels; hat and earrings, stylists own.
Lately, I have been thinking about fantasy. In general, I work in acting and the arts primarily because I want a diversity of experiences and it’s a career in which that is possible. I don’t show up to the same office every day. I have opportunities to work with very different people with very different ideas in different parts of the world. I hope to have more adventures where I am able to immerse myself in different kinds of processes. I think different is the spice of life and what I look for in my work and opportunities.