“It’s an instant yes, if Sofia Coppola’s name is on it,” mentioned actress Cailee Spaeny of accepting the lead position in “Priscilla,” whatever the challenges it could deliver, and the movies it might be in comparison with. “You just don’t ask any questions, even if it’s something like this, which is so intimidating to take on. Within her hands, it’s a no-brainer.”
Long earlier than she was tapped to star within the Oscar winner’s film adaptation of Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir “Elvis and Me,” Spaeny thought-about Coppola a private hero who helped form her cultural tastes. “I found Sofia’s work when I was around 15 years old, through ‘The Virgin Suicides,’” she mentioned to IndieWire over Zoom. “I never thought about who was behind the camera until I watched her movies.” Within a yr the younger Missouri native obtained her first callback from the director for a movie that didn’t find yourself taking place,
However, it was getting on the radar of Fred Roos, a former casting director and present producer who works carefully with the filmmaking household, years later that put Spaeny within the working for “Priscilla.” All of the sudden, there’s a name asking if she is free to seize espresso with Coppola in New York. “Ok, my bags are packed. I’m ready to go. What does she want,” mentioned Spaeny within the second. Entering the assembly with the director, nonetheless having no clue what was occurring, “20 minutes in, [she’s] pulling out her iPad and saying, ‘I’m really interested in this story,’ showing me photos of Priscilla Presley,” mentioned the actress. “I think maybe you could do it,” mentioned Coppola.
Having the filmmaker’s muse Kirsten Dunst (Spaeny’s co-star in an upcoming Alex Garland movie) as a private reference sealed the deal. “Obviously, I grew up watching them collaborating, and so to enter into this movie with that approval was nice,” mentioned the 25-year-old.
Coppola shortly exceeded any expectations Spaeny had of working along with her, making it clear early on she had religion within the actress and Jacob Elordi, who performs Elvis reverse her Priscilla, “which is something that you don’t always have,” mentioned Spaeny. “She’s really great at setting a tone where everyone feels like they can collaborate, and she has a perfect balance of knowing when to hone in and also knowing when to relax and have fun, and just celebrate the fact that we get to make movies. So it’s a really gentle set to be on, which is almost never the case.”
Especially given how the A24 movie solely had 30 days to finish manufacturing. “The amount of scenes we had to try to film in a day, and the age ranges within a day were almost a joke,” mentioned the star. Determining how one can navigate enjoying Priscilla as a bashful Catholic college lady, a high-glam 60s rocker spouse, and a extra modern, unbiased girl of the 70s, in what might be all in in the future, “all came down to money. ‘What’s going to save us the most money? How can we be the most resourceful,” mentioned Spaeny. “And then the second conversation is, ‘Is this practical? How are we going to get the jet black eyeliner off her face in time to make her look 14 again?’ and ‘Are we going to have enough time to bronze her skin for the 70s?’”
“It’s always a dream world that you’re not going to take any of that on, but when you’re in the trenches, and it is such a collaborative project you do,” she added. “You’re there like, ‘How do I help you? How do you help me? How can I get this wig off in time? I need to hold still, so you get this wig on my head. You make me look good, I make you look good.’ In a fantasy world, you’re like, ‘I’m just going to be in my bubble and I’m going to be in my moment the whole time.’ But it doesn’t work out that way, especially when you’re flying by the seat of your pants and you’ve got all creatives and heads of departments going, ‘How are we going to make this work?’ And scrambling till the last second.”
In her estimation, it was Coppola’s kindness via the wrestle to execute her particular imaginative and prescient in such a short while that saved collaborators at their A-game. “This was a tough shoot for all departments, but they got creative and they just made it work,” mentioned Spaeny. “Everyone had to be in tune with each other. There was no room for whatever bullshit sometimes happens behind the scenes. We all are trying to do the same thing, we’re heading for the same goal. We’re doing this for Sofia, we’re doing this for Priscilla as well, and we don’t have time to mess around. We all had to be team players.”
Despite the age hole between Elvis and Priscilla Presley being a significant factor within the movie, Spaeny is just one yr youthful than her co-star Elordi, making their familiarity with the fabric extra comparable. “We approach movies in similar ways, and we’re really just nerds about the whole thing. We would call each other and swap notes or, ‘Oh, I found this bit of footage. Have you seen this before,’” mentioned the actress. Being within the trenches on a hurried, unbiased manufacturing, “We really had to trust each other, and I knew that anytime I came to set, he was going to be prepared. He was going to come in with ideas and thoughts, and I was always excited, every day, to see what he brought to the table,” mentioned Spaeny.
Priscilla Presley herself was additionally a supportive presence, having an hours-long assembly along with her earlier than manufacturing to inform her “I have all the faith in you. You’re going to do a great job. I’m right here, if you need to talk about anything, whether it’s the movie or if you’re just feeling stressed and you need to give me a call,” mentioned Spaeny.
“Priscilla” lastly premiered on the Venice Film Festival in early September to a lot acclaim, together with a seven-minute standing ovation, which was such a whirlwind expertise for Spaeny that she continues to be processing all of it. “I didn’t even know that was a thing,” mentioned the star of being awarded the competition’s Volpi Cup for Best Actress. “I actually haven’t even looked up who the past winners are. . . Hopefully it’s good for the film. It’s such a relief taking on this, the most complicated character I’ve ever played, and to have that appreciated is so nice. And maybe it’ll be good for me. I don’t know. I don’t know what those things mean. I just know they’re good, so I’m trying to just enjoy it.” It is particularly significant to listen to optimistic suggestions from Presley after working so arduous to do proper by her story. “It’s amazing that we’re getting a great response and critics like it, but that is the ultimate review,” mentioned Spaeny.
The breakout approaches her first award season in a similar way to how she took on the lead position, doing her finest to remain grounded via all of the noise. “I want to really take each one of these moments in and appreciate it, and just not take it for granted,” mentioned Spaeny. “A lot of these things can be overwhelming, and I can black out because it’s a lot, but the thing that I try to remind myself is to just be present.”
It is difficult for her to find out what to do subsequent, particularly with the SAG strike nonetheless ongoing (although theater is a problem that pursuits her), however Spaeny already has wrapped a number of tasks with administrators like Garland and Zoe Lister-Jones. She wouldn’t dare ask Coppola when their subsequent collaboration will likely be, however Spaeny does say “I want to be working with creatives who have a strong vision and I’ve gotten lucky to work with many, and Sofia is right at the top of that list. So I hope that my career continues, and I keep working with people who just have a distinct clear view and have original ideas.”
