From Spring Issue 61
Glass talks to US actor Emma Myers about starting out young, what followed after her breakout role in Wednesday, and how she’s learned to remain calm under pressure
From her emotionally-charged turn in the hit comedy horror series Wednesday to her forthcoming Warner Bros film, A Minecraft Movie, American actress Emma Myers is cementing her place as a youthful force in contemporary storytelling, using her craft to inspire others.
Yet it’s hard to believe she’s only 22, having started out as a child actor and become a screen professional at the tender age of 16. “The earliest memory I have of the acting realm is in theatre,” she tells me via Zoom in a way that’s bubbly and poised in equal measure. “I used to do community theatre when I was really young and in one of my first theatre jobs I played a Munchkin [from the Wizard of Oz].”
Photographer: Lacey
Born in Florida and one of four children, she was homeschooled, a happy state of affairs that gave her the time to attend auditions and script readings. “Because I was homeschooled, I got to do that quite a bit because it was considered extracurricular,” she explains, adding, “I was also really big into dance – I was on a competitive dance team for years.”
As a youngster drawn into a system whose framework is smoke and mirrors, I cannot help but think it must have been hard making her way into the biz. “It’s a tricky business and there’s definitely no specific way to do it,” she agrees. “Everybody has their own journey into it, so you can’t really rely on other people’s stories to tell you how it’s going to be. I started doing film and TV when I was around 16 and it’s a tough journey. But it pays off – that’s why I tell people to just stick it out.”
At the start, learning how to handle rejection proved tough for the up and coming star. “But that’s the way it is,” she declares with a casual shrug. “Most of this job is auditioning and likewise getting rejected. I think that was the most difficult thing for me to wrap my head around and to just learn how to let go.”
Photographer: Lacey
Over time, Myers learned how to zone in on her scripts and draw out her characters in a naturalistic way, a self-possessed talent that enables her to make an emotional connection with the viewer. This is clearly the case in her lead role as amateur sleuth Pip Fitz-Amobi in the current BBC series A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, as well as, of course, in her blow up part in Netflix’s Wednesday (released 2022) in which she plays Enid Sinclair, a cheerful student werewolf at Nevermore Academy, managing to convey a sense of energy and optimism that’s palpable on screen.
“In my role in Wednesday, Enid is quite different from me,” Myers explains. “But I really didn’t find her difficult. She came very easily to me because she’s so different from how I normally am. The most complex roles, I’d say, are the ones that are closest to you, which is why I find Pip, who I play in The Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, the most complex character I’ve tried to play, especially because she comes from a book series. So there’s already source material out there of her, and getting her right, doing her justice and, you know, making it authentic is harder, I would say, than playing a character that’s so far out there and different from you.”
So how did she prepare for the role? “I’m sort of a wing-it person and do whatever comes naturally,” she says matter-of-factly. “So the character that you see on the show is quite different from how I actually auditioned her as. And through the audition processes, read-throughs, prep and shootings she evolved into something much more different than I started out with.”
Photographer: Lacey
Her latest project, A Minecraft Movie, she describes as “funny” and “so light-hearted”, not to mention being an essential lesson in creativity. “Minecraft is a film based on a famed video game and it’s all about creativity and learning to express yourself and stay who you are,” she elaborates. “I play a girl named Natalie, who gets stuck in the Minecraft world with her younger brother.”
The pair go on an epic journey with a bunch of other characters, endeavouring to master this world while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter. Together, their adventure will reconnect them with the qualities that make each of them uniquely creative. “I had fun on Minecraft especially when we were shooting in New Zealand,” she adds. “On my days off, I got around and explored the country so I’ve made so many friends on this job.”
Myers particularly enjoyed having the opportunity to act alongside a high-profile cast that included Jack Black of School of Rock fame. “Honestly, it felt like such an honour because you watch these people when you’re younger, especially working with Jack Black who’s a childhood hero of mine,” enthuses Myers. “I just felt so lucky to be there because you learn a lot watching great actors do their thing on set, and no amount of acting class will do as much as just watching somebody and learning that way.”
Who else has inspired her? “I really look up to my mom, as she’s been somebody who has really been with me this whole time,” she asserts. “Through this, she’s always been really supportive and I owe a lot of my success to her. She reminds me to stay true to myself and remember who I am.”
Myers adds with an appreciative smile, “She’s such a great role model and an elegant woman.”
Photographer: Lacey
Moving onto broader territory, she speaks about mental health and dealing with the parallel worlds of daily life and acting practice with unguarded honesty. “I try to take breaks,” she exclaims. “I mean, it’s hard when you have a packed schedule but I’ve learned to just separate it.”
When she gets home, she believes all the stress accumulated during the working day needs to be left at the door. “I don’t need to be thinking about anything else unless I have, like, something huge to prepare for,” she tells me. “But other than that, I’m good about leaving it behind and letting myself chill, you know.”
Photographer: Lacey
Acceptance of one’s limitations can also be found in Myers’equation. “You just kind of have to remind yourself that you’re human and nobody’s perfect. There’s a lot to feel pressure about, but I almost ignore it. I don’t know if that’s healthy, but I feel like it works for me. If I don’t want to think about something I will not think about it – there’s no way that you can be the ideal role model and perfect person for everybody all the time. That’s not realistic.”
Myers’ rise within the ranks is not led by an agenda for excess or success but simply wanting to deliver a job well done. “I think the more you’re on set and the more you’re working, the more you adapt,” she states, going on to compare herself to when she began her screen career and how she is now.
“When I started I was very nervous all the time but I’ve grown out of that because I’m in that environment quite often and as you meet people who are also in this industry your outlook and process change. I feel like I’ve just grown to be more comfortable with the whole process.”
With an impressive resume already under her belt, Myers is positioning herself as someone who can open doors for others coming of age with her — a power she leaves me with no doubt that she’ll use in the right ways.
by Chidozie Obasi
Photographer: Lacey
Stylist: Julia Muller
Make up: Ralph Siciliano using MAC COSMETICS
Hair: Eddy Scudo using BUMBLE AND BUMBLE
Manicurist: Mamie Onishi using OPI
Movement Director: Jorge Dorsinville
Set Design: Jared Lawton, Dp Brett & Pony
Body Double: Mio Ishikawa
Retouching: Touch Digital
Studio: Pier59 Studios
Talent: Emma Myers
All clothing and accessories FENDI SS25 Collection