Tell us about your personal style.
I love adding a feminine touch to classically masculine styles; a lot of oversized blazers, button up shirts and fitted high-waisted pants. I see Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally, and Elaine from Seinfeld as such style icons. My wardrobe consists of staple pieces I have invested in and will keep forever, and then unique vintage and thrift finds that give outfits a pop of personality. Many of my favorite things have come from thrifting or vintage markets, thrifting never gets old. I’m petite and have short limbs so dressing for my shape means high waisted pants, and I usually need to get everything tailored or cropped so it fits. It might seem like oversized is a thing for me, but that’s just because the clothes never fit right. I’ve embraced it. Some days I feel like going for a sort of Audrey Hepburn chic minimalist look, and other days I want to feel like a cowgirl, all rough leather and sass. It really depends on the mood, hey? That’s what is so great about fashion.
What do you like better, acting or directing?
This is the ultimate chicken or egg question for me. I honestly can’t pick – and hope never to have to! They’re both very important to me. I see different parts of my creativity emerge depending on which role I am taking on, and I crave that variety. Sometimes I want to be on the ride, as an actor, and sometimes I want to be building the ride, as a director.
Tell us about your shoe collection.
I basically wear two types of shoes: boots and loafers. I am not a big heel wearer, and I don’t really wear sneakers for fashion, but loafers and boots give me joy. I have a few staples that I love: a pair of furry Stuart Weitzman loafers that I got at Crossroads, a pair of pink leather Gorman loafers (an Australian designer I love), and a pair of black leather brogues with silver studs for when I want to feel like that badass cowgirl. I love how I can feel either dressed up or casual in them, but always comfy.
My favorite boots are my two pairs of RM Williams (another Aussie designer). I’ve got a brown leather pair from the 80’s which are super beat up and gorgeous, they literally have holes and I continue to wear them – and funnily enough they get complimented all the time. The other pair are brand new Adelaide’s, they’re walnut brown and feel so lush and fancy on my feet!
Do you have pets?
I always had both cats and dogs growing up. Right now, though, I frequently travel between LA and Australia for work so my lifestyle is too complicated for a pet. I’m so excited for the day I can have a pet again! For now I live vicariously through all of my friends who have furry pals.
What is your favorite color?
Yellow!
What is your favorite type of food?
Oh that’s tough, I love food. The best kind of food is the shared kind, everything tastes better in the company of mates or family, but there is so much good food to explore in the world. It’s become one of my greatest joys to travel and eat! I love Italian, Israeli, Thai, Japanese, and Indian food to name a few. Also chocolate. Obviously.
Tell us about your funniest moment on set.
It was a few weeks into shooting my first TV show when I was 17, and I had this scene where I was all by myself in the kitchen. In the scene, my character messily eats chocolate and accidentally lights a fire on the stove, and then has to chaotically put out the fire whilst chocolate drips down her face. At the end I had to deliver the line “Oh poo!” and oh man… for some reason every single take went wrong somehow, the fire wouldn’t light or it would be out of control, or the chocolate would spill too much, it was just a total shit show. The production crew and I couldn’t keep it together, we were laughing so hard that for me, trying to deliver the line ‘Oh poo’ at the end was near impossible. We did so many hilarious takes of that scene.
Riffing with Ken Jeong between takes on Occupation Rainfall stands out to me, too. We were shooting this intense action sci-fi film but my cheeks were spasming because I was laughing so hard with him.
Who is your favorite designer?
Celine, and lately I have been loving Nanushka.
What is your favorite thing in your closet?
Right now I am obsessed with an oversized green felt coat I found at an Idyllwild thrift store last month. It’s so gorgeous, I love the tortoiseshell buttons and how it seems to work with any outfit. Also my leather jacket, which I will love forever.
Where do you go to relax?
Nature: mountains or ocean. A hammock and a glass of wine always does me well.
Tell us about what is next for you, projects, roles?
I recently played the role of a young woman who gets spun into psychosis in a psychological thriller film which I directed called Seafoam. We’re currently editing that now and it’s looking so freaky and great, I can’t wait to share it. I’m currently on board as a director and producer on three other short projects which are in development, and I’m really excited about Occupation: Rainfall releasing in June. I got to reprise my role as Bella Bartlett, a tough resistance fighter who will stop at nothing to save her family from an invasion, she’s such a badass so it was a great role to revisit.
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@izzystevens
Images shot by: Ben Cope
