Just before Jessica Henwick was cast in “Game of Thrones” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” the then-aspiring performer had already left Los Angeles for her hometown in England.
“I ran out of money, so I returned back to live with my parents,” she explained.
Although she hadn’t given up acting entirely, Henwick had difficulty finding work in front of the camera. Before leaving LA, she worked as a set crew member, which she leaned on for her role in Rian Johnson’s “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” which premieres Friday on Netflix.
Henwick plays Peg, the assistant, and handler to model and sweatpants company founder Birdie, in the star-studded ensemble picture (Kate Hudson). But her time on the set was more than simply a source of inspiration for the role; it was also “hugely instructive” for an actor, according to Henwick.
Going on a set and listening to how the director interacted with the cast and crew and how it ran was quite educational, she added.
Despite receiving tremendous acclaim for her role as Bugs in “The Matrix Resurrections,” she still considers herself a “jobbing actor.”
“I’m not just getting stuff handed to me,” she stated, but she concedes that working with Keanu Reeves was a watershed moment in her career and a personal achievement.
“I mean, what a symbol. They don’t create ’em like that any longer. “It’s kind of depressing,” she admitted.
Henwick mourned the changes in the Hollywood landscape after her encounter with Reeves.
She said, “He comes from a time when being an A-lister or star meant something. “These days, there are so many actors. I’m not sure if it’s just diluted or if we’ve become too accustomed to social media.”
Henwick had always understood her prospects of making it in Hollywood were poor, which she believes influenced her choice to drop out of acting school after landing the main role in 2009’s “Spirit Warriors,” a BBC television program.
She expressed concern about the issue of equity in acting, citing the high cost of training in England.
It’s plainly biassed in favour of privileged people, she said. I fully understand why schools charge what they do because we have some of the best teachers in the world, but it does mean that people from lower-income families cannot attend.
Henwick, whose mother is Singaporean Chinese, was also aware of the restricted prospects for people of color in England, which she said was one of the reasons she moved to Los Angeles in the first place.
“In terms of entertainment, historical dramas are England’s principal export. We are the finest in the world at what we do. Austen and Shakespeare. “‘Downton Abbey’ was the biggest show at the time,” she recalls.In the past, I yearned to be in one of those. The outfits, the language, everything. It’s called poetry.”
When asked how she would address the shortage of representation, Henwick credited “Bridgerton” executive producer Shonda Rhimes with bringing diversity to the genre.
After years of traveling and large initiatives, Henwick looks forward to a more rooted and relaxed 2023. However, she stated that if she has her pick in the future, she aspires to collaborate with Nicolas Cage.
She chuckled, “All I want to see is the technique behind the insanity. “I also feel as though I’m going through a catalog of action figures from the 1990s. I’ve collaborated with Keanu. I’ve worked with Edward before (Norton). “You’re next, Nicolas Cage.”