By Paul Risker.
From Pascal Chind’s short film Extrême Pinocchio (2014) to a contemporary retelling of Cinderella in After the Ball (2015), if as wisdom suggests there are only a limited number of archetypal stories to be told, then these two films frame storytelling as being comparable to the game ‘Chinese Whispers.’ But as Chind explained when I spoke with him earlier this year: “Storytelling is always Chinese Whispers. Everyone always puts their own spin on everything. Look at religion…” And for After the Ball’s leading lady Portia Doubleday, the contemporary take on an old tale did not escape her. She explained: “The value in this story is the evolution of a modern day Cinderella who is trying to discover herself; trying to follow her dream; understand what it takes to get there and failing, and then trying again. I just think that this is an important way of showing a Cinderella story.”
Speaking with Film International Doubleday reflected on her journey so far; a journey that was imbued with certainty or belief from a young age. The actress, who appeared opposite Michael Cera in 2009’s Youth in Revolt and in Kimberly Pierce’s 2013 remake of Carrie, took us behind the scenes to discuss her process to reveal a perception that the potential to fail is something that should be embraced, while her conversation of her character’s journey in After the Ball mirrors the uncertainty of her own journey as an actress.
In spite of the brevity of our conversation, the impression the young actress affords is of a student of both her craft and the storytelling process, and who having studied psychology shows an interest not limited to the inner workings of the human mind, but also the psychology of film and the processes that animate it.
Why a career as an actress? Was there that one inspirational moment?
I don’t know that there was one moment. I kind of always had this feeling; this notion as a kid. I just never thought that I would do it as early as I did. I grew up in a house where my parents were actors. They owned a theatre and the night I was born my dad was teaching acting class. So I kind of grew up in that environment, and I guess I just always loved to be in my head. I was a loner and I was constantly in my own imagination. I loved that aspect of it, and I think I just always thought I would be an actress. I was interested in other things, but it was always: oh yeah, that is going to happen; I just don’t know when [laughs]. And I remember when I met with my agent when I was eighteen how I was: “Well I just plan to be working in ten years.” But it was because I figured that I would have to study for that long, and this was when I would become an actress as opposed to starting at eighteen.
I don’t know; it kind of unfolded that way. But I am constantly inspired by other artists around me, and that fuels my curiosity about wanting to play different characters. Every project is just another opportunity to discover something new, and I guess that’s what I love about it.
“I just always loved to be in my head. I was a loner; I was constantly in my own imagination.” This part of your answer immediately strikes me as interesting because you studied psychology. How has psychology influenced your approach to performance from the reading of scripts and your preparation process to performing on set?
Oh man, it is different in everything, and it is different on every project that I get. I think it is the instability of being an artist period, because everything that you make is in its original form. As I studied for so long and kind of everywhere, I picked up different things to utilise, and sometimes they don’t work. Sometimes I will try exercises to prepare or I’ll go to the library and I’ll get pictures, which is something that I do to visually show an arch, and to give me ideas.
For me I guess it is just a very slow process on a daily basis of thinking about it, and making a connection to it. Then when that works: great, and well if that works then let’s try this. It is always a different experience for me when I am creating a character or working on something.
What was the appeal of the character and the story when you first read the script for After the Ball?
A couple of things. I have always played characters that seem to have everything together: very confident or very calculated characters. What I loved about this was first of all I had the opportunity to play two different people. The transformation and trying to create the opposite; what’s their dichotomy like. That was very intriguing to me, and I liked being Kate because I think there is something very goofy about her. Also I think I was very impressed that this was the first Cinderella story that I had read, but also seen where a female protagonist is not saved by a male character. It is very much about her journey and her evolution in discovering her own identity. It’s not dependent upon other… She depends on other characters, but it is a very independent journey, and that was very attractive to me because she is a really strong character, and as she’s a strong person it was very interesting to me that it wasn’t just in the end that she gets the guy. No, if she can get the guy that’s a plus, but really she finds herself; finds what she loves, and she’s determined to do that. This was her priority and that’s what I was really attracted to.
Talking about the importance of the character’s journey as opposed to the destination, stories are of course a journey for the filmmakers as well as for us the audience. Talking with writer-director Christoph Behl recently he spoke to me about how he evolves with every film. Looking beyond your character’s journey, do you view every project as a journey on which you are evolving as a performer?
Oh my God, yeah; definitely. I was just talking to my friend about this yesterday and why I sometimes obviously have trouble with creating something is that there is no right answer. Sometimes I completely fail and I know it. I’m like: wow, this is not working at all; this is not functioning. It is not necessarily wrong, but it is not just functioning. I guess this is also the fun of it where I have the opportunity to fail, and that in and of itself is amazing. That’s where this world happens, and that’s where after three hours of mulling something over and playing around; asking what she would do in this situation or what happened here; let’s try it this way and no wait that doesn’t work, then you discover that one moment where you think: oh that’s it; that’s what this film is about. So yeah, I would definitely say that each thing I do is a journey on which I have no idea what is going to happen or what I’m getting myself into. I think it is just uncovered as you go along.
After the Ball is an interesting film to discuss because the story itself is about role playing or performance. The story could be surmised as a mirror reflecting the self-conscious or self-aware nature of storytelling and performance.
Yeah it was a weird process, and I actually thought about that because she is aware that she is being somebody else in the movie. But the truth of the matter is in a way both characters were the same to me, because when Nate was Nate, he believed that he was Nate a hundred percent. So when I was Nate I had to fully believe that’s who I was, and I did. My body picked up on it and bought this person, and I had to know when I would have to pull into Kate like sometimes when I dance. There are a couple of moments where I break in and out, but for the most part I didn’t have too much trouble. The make-up and hair transitions were obviously insane [laughs]. Within the scene there were three hour changeovers and the nose was coming off, but during the scene it wasn’t too hard to go back and forth. I mean it’s fun, and yeah you are right, it’s playtime, and that’s what I think the movie is like: it’s fun.
As an actress is there a certain joy or even privilege that comes from being able to explore classic tales and reimagine them through what could be described as an interactive exploration?
Definitely, and again I love that this is a girl that transforms into this confident woman. I said this in my other question, but this is how I feel. I just think it is so important to have more movies like this, because in a lot of Cinderella stories it is about the romance. It is about Cinderella being saved from her circumstances by being with this man or a prince, and that is the value of the story. The value in this story is the evolution of a modern day Cinderella who is trying to discover herself; trying to follow her dream; understand what it takes to get there and failing, and then trying again. I just think that this is an important way of showing a Cinderella story.
Paul Risker is a critic and writer for a number of on-line and print publications, including Little White Lies, Flickering Myth, Starburst Magazine, and VideoScope. He is currently based in the United Kingdom.