Yeah, of course, of course there was terror there. I was going to be leading
a major film, so yeah, naturally I was scared. But I mean the fact that he
wanted me to be a part of this says a lot about his belief in me. So you know,
and again, how can I say no to him? It was such an amazing idea in terms of the sequel and then also
the opportunity to work with my family again. There's no way I was going to say no to that.
Hello, thank you so much for having me here this evening.
I'm really honored and just so humbled to be here with all of you.
Congratulations, first of all, on your nomination.
I wanted to ask you where you were when you found out and how it feels to be an EE Rising
Star nominee.
So when I found out about this, that I was being nominated for such an award I was, I
was so overwhelmed and I was nervous.
But I did my research on what the award actually was and what it meant.
And that's when I found out what a big deal this is and then I saw who the other nominees
were and they're so skilled and such brilliant actors; to be considered on the same level
as all of them—it's just been incredible.
And at the time that I found out I was at home in my office and my publicist
called me and said Millicent, you need to sit down, you're being nominated for this
award, and I really did need to sit down for it.
So when you read the A Quiet Place script for the first time—It's a horror film but
unconventional in so many ways.
What were your first thoughts when you wrote the script?
Well, my first thought when I read the script was this was a kind of story that is really
different from what we've seen before.
So usually when deaf characters are spot lit you don't see them as the hero of the story.
So when I read it, I knew I needed to be a part of this.
I also really liked the horror aspect.
And to be able to work with John, I mean how could
I possibly say no to him?
It must have been really interesting to work with a director that's also an actor as well.
What elements did he bring to that for you?
Well, I think it actually helped our connection and made it much easier 'cause he knows what
it's like to be an actor.
And in that way we could really connect on the same level.
We did a lot of sort of playing around on the set in terms of exploring the characters
and really diving deep.
So he didn't just participate as a director, giving orders, right?
It was much more fun, much more collaborative.
The one thing that the film hinges on the in the first film is the unity of the family,
and the believability that this is an authentic, real family unit, and I'm wondering how you
worked with the cast to build it together.
Were there any fun family bonding exercises that you did together?
Yes, yes.
So in the first movie, Noah and I were welcomed to go to John’s home.
We had burgers and, you know, hung out with their daughter.
They were just, they were so sweet.
Uhm, it was a really tender moment for all of us and I think that really helped us to
bond.
So when John reached out to you about the second film and he proposed the idea of a
lot of it being centered around your character, were you filled with excitement or were you
filled with a slight bit of terror?
Yeah, of course, of course there was terror there.
I was going to be leading a major film, so yeah, naturally I was scared.
But I mean the fact that he wanted me to be a part of this says a lot about his belief
in me.
So you know, and again, how can I say no to him?
It was such an amazing idea in terms of the sequel and then also the opportunity to work
with my family again.
There's no way I was going to say no to that.
Something I've always been curious about, and obviously you've got these large monsters
coming at you, but obviously all created in visual effects afterwards.
How do you kind of, you know, stay in character and have that terror, you know?
What is it that's dangled in front of you?
Yeah, yeah, that was definitely difficult to feel that scared on set, but we had a cardboard
cut out of monsters so we knew where the placements
were and that kind of gave us an idea of what
they were going to look like in those particular moments.
But again, you know, in working with the other actors, we really fed off of each other and
being in that situation in that room and making it feel a bit scarier.
And then they made it dark, you know there were little things that we did that really
helped us along.
I'm hoping that most people now had obviously a chance to see this film.
It has been released for some time, so I can imagine that when you were first talking about
it, you were scared of the spoilers.
Uh, but now do you think the way that it ended there is the possibility opportunity for another
film?
Is that on the cards?
I know that a lot of people at home would be wanting to see that.
Yeah, I think we all want a third.
We want to see, yeah, I think a lot of people want to see more about this family.
I think this is a really special family unit.
You know, and obviously we want to see them survive at the end of the day.
We want to see them save the world.
I do too, I want to see that as well!
And I know that you've only been working for kind of just a few years, and you're kind
of new to the world of filmmaking but do you have aspirations to work behind the camera?
For instance, you want to write, direct, maybe produce?
Yeah, I do, absolutely.
I'm currently developing a TV series, which I'm also a producer on and I've been learning
a lot about behind the camera work and you know, seeing how things come together behind
the camera and how hard and how long these
projects really take much more of a time investment
than I thought.
But it's also really exciting and I'm super motivated.
So, yeah and one day I would love to do more behind the camera.
Fingers crossed.
Just going back to Regan and your character, she is fearless and such a role model.
Do you sometimes think in your everyday life what would Regan do in this situation?
Oh my gosh, all the time.
Because I'm quite shy, I'm a very laid back kind of person.
But yeah, I do sometimes think about her when I need to put myself out of my comfort zone
and demand things that I need and obviously and to help others as well.
It's not just me.
I think a lot of people can learn from Regan.
Definitely.
Uhm, you have become a role model and rightly so for actors coming up now, for the deaf
community.
What does it mean to you to be a role model and did you have any role models when you
were growing up?
Yeah, Oh my God, to be in this position as a role model because I didn't have deaf role
models when I was growing up.
And when I was growing up, I really looked up to my mother and my father and Malala.
I had read her book and it really touched me.
I'm so grateful to have an education and to continue learning.
But yeah, to be a role model for other children really makes me want to do the best that I
can.
And I also want to show, you know, I'm not a perfect human and that it's OK to be imperfect.
It's OK to make mistakes and learn from them.
What's the best piece of advice a director has given you?
Oh my God, to not be too shy or too afraid to share your ideas and make proposals.
You know, that it's really a collaborative experience and you should be able to express
your own experience and not be afraid to say something 'cause you could make changes, changes
for the better.
And then, someone asking about kind of films and your household: Is there a film that unites
your household?
Well, we really love Spirited Away.
It's my favorite movie when I was growing up.
So I think, you know I gave that to my younger sister so she just saw it and I'm excited
to be able to share, you know, those kinds of moments with her, with them.
If you could play any of your fellow Rising Stars’ nominated roles, which one would
you choose and why?
I should remind the viewers at home who those other nominees are as well, so it's Ariana
DeBose from West Side Story, Harris Dickinson from The King’s Man, Lashana Lynch from
No Time to Die and Kodi Smit-McPhee from The Power of the Dog.
So I would love to do a James Bond.
I mean, that's a classic, isn't it?
I mean, I don't know that you can beat that!
Have you ever let a spoiler slip and ruined the film for someone?
Oh my God, I think I'm actually really good on that front.
I've not given any spoilers.
Yeah, nobody's been able to get any spoilers out of me and I'm very proud to say that.
It must have been very, very difficult with A Quiet Place, too.
Very difficult indeed.
Yes, yes, yes.
So many people are like ‘tell me what happens next.’
It was hard, but I did it.
I'm trustworthy.
Where and with who is your favorite way to enjoy a film?
Well, I'm going to go with my brother and definitely at home sitting on the sofa sharing
popcorn.
My brother and I have very similar tastes in movies, so it's really easy for us to enjoy
them simultaneously.