Grace Kaufman On Her New Film 'The Sky Is Everywhere', The Magical Powers of Being in Nature, and Using Her Platform To Do Good
Grace was virtually photographed in Los Angeles by Alison Engstrom; hair by Kiley Fitz; makeup by Lorena Canby
Hi Grace, thank you so much for taking the time to do the virtual shoot, it was so much fun! It was also so cool to be able to capture the moment of your rave review from ‘the new york times’! So let’s jump right into the film, ‘The Sky Is Everywhere’. It’s a beautiful, heartfelt, heartbreaking and beautiful film where you play Lennie Walker. Can you walk me back to the moment that you first read the script, which is based on the best-selling book by Jandy Nelson. What was your reaction?
I was sent the script a bit late in the auditioning process; I had been auditioning for a couple of months at that point but I still hadn’t read the entire script. When they sent it to me, I opened it with the intention of maybe only reading the first couple of pages and getting a feel for it and then getting back to it the next day, but I ended up sitting in the same spot for about 2 1/2 hours. I read the entire script because I was so hooked. I was left in a total ball of tears, joy, and my heart was leaping out of my chest. I had never read a script that was immersed in so many feelings and had such gorgeous imagery, in the sense of the magical realism, that was beautifully transcribed onto the page. I was enthralled; I knew this project was something I desperately wanted to be a part of. I remember I turned to my dad and said, oh man, I think if I don’t get this part, it’s going to be a lot harder. I might be a little bit heartbroken. I try not to get that way because the odds are crazy and you never know when you are going to get something. But with this one, it struck a chord in me like no other script had done thus far.
How do you balance that part of the business when you really want something but know that it’s a hard business one that’s filled with a lot of rejection.
It’s tricky and it goes into that whole concept of getting used to the disappointment. It’s a tough industry to be in and it’s definitely not for everybody. It can hurt and be heartbreaking if there is something that you really want and it doesn’t go your way. It does make the projects you do get to be a part of all the more special, especially if it’s what you love and are passionate about. I do feel fortunate to have been doing it since I was little so I have gotten used to the motions but it’s topsy-turvy. Everyone is on their own path; everyone is doing what they were meant to be doing. If you don’t get a certain project then it wasn’t meant for you and you were destined to do something else. I have the mentality that hopefully I will get something else and I then will say to myself, I feel so lucky, I am able to do this project; if I had gotten another project, I wouldn’t have been able to do this one and I am meant to do this one for a reason.
What was it about the character that resonated with you the most?
The first thing I immediately noticed about her was in the first audition. I had was this scene where Lennie and Joe were having this cute meeting and Lennie had this word vomit monologue, where her brain was moving a million miles a minute, and she couldn’t stop talking about orangutans (laughs). It felt so scattered, messy, and I think that was what I initially fell in love with. She’s this messy, quirky, teenage girl who is beautifully imperfect, she’s a great representation of what it’s like to be a teenager coming into her own and also navigating all of these heightened emotions. I love that it felt so authentic and raw and that’s the testament to Jandy Nelson, as a writer. This story is her baby, it’s her vision; she also wrote the screenplay. It was amazing getting to talk to her about it and getting to have her as a guide on set but also having Josephine (Decker), the director. I felt so comfortable being able to tap into all of these crazy emotions and let myself have that creative freedom to be messy. It didn’t take too much forcing; I am a teenage girl and so I got to tap into these feelings to an extent but it’s also stuff that I have been through that I could relate and connect with.
One of the things that got me the most was the deep bond between sisters, It made me appreciate mine even more, since I have four sisters. Is there anything you’d like viewers to take away after watching the film?
That’s so true; when we were filming, I didn’t have my brother up there with me, but he came to visit with my mom. It made me miss him because we have a great bond and have always gotten along so well. I love him so much, I’m so protective of him, and that was another thing I was able to tap into. This idea of losing him doesn’t feel imaginable, it was so difficult for me to wrap my mind around. Something I love about the movie is there's so much up for interpretation. I hope they can see bits and pieces of the characters in themselves, or in the scenes, and maybe feel less alone in terms of dealing with grief since it’s unique to everybody. It’s a universally felt feeling; it’s going to be hard, sometimes it’s tragic, but no one is alone in dealing with the weight of that.
One of the things I loved about the film are the incredible special effects given to the landscapes of North California. I’m so eager to get to the Redwoods. It brings an unexpected, magical dimension to it. What was that like?
It was one of the most special set experiences I have ever been fortunate enough to be part of. Not many of the effects were made in post-production, a lot of it was in-person, on-camera, and live. The rose garden scene had dancers dressed in these stunning rose costumes who were choreographed around us. When we were flying through the sky, we were harnessed and floating through the air, it added this element of magic but in real-time. It helped all of us fully dive into the work we were doing because it all felt so real. You could feel the magic on set, it was palpable; you could taste it. Filming in the setting too—we were in the middle of the forest and there were these gorgeous redwood trees that were thousands of years old. It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop; it felt like you were secluded in your own universe up there. It all swirled together and formed this energy that we were all entranced by.
Since you are from LA, did growing up in the area have any influence on your desire to act?
I did grow up with it being around me because both of my parents are actors. When I was little, my mom started her own acting class business, so when I was two or three years old, she would bring me with her. I would be playing with toys, but there was always this part of me—even being that young—where I wanted to watch these teenagers do scene work, be up on stage, and tap into many different emotions. I was drawn in and fascinated. They could be crying and yelling at each other and then the scene would be done and they’d be smiling and hugging. From that age, I would look at them and think, I want to do that. Also, growing up my parents and grandparents would play many classic movies and I’d get up and act along with it. I would put on plays with my dad, so I guess it runs in the family (laughs). When I was seven, I did my first professional musical at the Carpenter Center in Long Beach and I loved it. I was so happy when I was on stage; I felt comfortable, it didn’t feel daunting to me, so I wanted to keep doing it. When I was little, I saw myself strictly doing theater and to this day, I still love it so much–it was a stepping stone that took me to the other spaces in the industry. From there I transitioned to more TV, film, and voiceover work–it’s been so cool to be a part of all these different forms of acting.
To get a bit reflective, say you are 80, what type of career would you have dreamed to have accomplished up to that point?
I’m all about manifesting. For me something that has been big, and I grew up a lot with, is doing service work. Growing up, I was a Girl Scout, I did community service hours for my school, and I always enjoyed it. I’d work with kids or animal shelters. I’d love to be able to look back and think that any income I gained, over the course of my career, I was able to use to make a change and do good. I want to stick with it throughout my life, it’s important. All this stuff is great but in terms of money, if you have a lot of it, why would you just keep it for yourself when there is so much you could do with it? You can set up a nice life for yourself, plus, help a lot of people and help the course of a lot of things change for the good. In terms of acting, it would be great to get to reflect on all of the different types of characters that I have gotten the opportunity to play. I love versatility, getting to do one project, and then get to do another project that is a total 180, to me that’s exciting. I love tapping into different mindsets.
What’s next for you?
I did a film last summer that premiered at Sundance in January called Resurrection. It was bought by IFC Films and it’s going to be on Shutter, and it’s coming out later this year. In the meantime, I’m feeling it out and seeing what happens next, there is something about not knowing and the spontaneity of it all. It’s about letting it all unfold in front of you.