Mia Goth explains how her characters are all “different facets” of herself
In the ever-evolving landscape of cinema, few emerging talents captivate audiences quite like Mia Goth. With a magnetic presence on screen and a penchant for taking on diverse roles, Goth has swiftly carved her place in the film industry as a versatile and compelling performer.
Following a short stint in teenage modelling, Goth transitioned to acting, marking her film debut in Lars von Trier’s 2013 erotic art film, Nymphomaniac. Her acting prowess garnered widespread acclaim, notably earning her two Critics’ Choice Super Awards for her performance in Ti West’s Pearl, and she also clinched an award at the Sitges Film Festival for her outstanding work in the same film.
While Goth portrays her characters exceptionally well, many notably deviate from conforming to the conventional societal norms within their worlds. For instance, in Suspiria, she portrayed a troubled dancer, delivering a performance brimming with intensity and vulnerability. In Pearl, she played the titular role of a complex woman whose distorted view of reality lands her in some intensely frustrating and explosive situations.
As a viewer, it’s easy to assume that Goth’s characters are nothing more than just that — characters. However, in an interview with Vanity Fair, the actor discussed how the exact opposite is true. When co-writing Pearl, Goth explained how her process coincided with her mentality when approaching characters: “I would wake up very early, put my phone on a timer for maybe an hour at a time, and write in the style of a stream of consciousness, rather than script form, because I found that to be an obstacle in me getting my ideas down,” she says.
Adding: “I would write as Pearl, as me…but Pearl is me. I mean, all my characters are me, turned up or turned down. It’s all me exploring different facets of myself.”
Taking place on a Texas homestead in 1918, Pearl appears as a determined yet already violently-inclined character. As a result, she perceives her parents as barriers obstructing her aspirations for silent movie fame. Goth shaped Pearl using two personal benchmarks: the rootedness of Björk’s performance in Von Trier’s Dancer in the Dark, and Judy Garland’s innocent portrayal in The Wizard of Oz.
However, despite the film’s references to the technicolour era, Goth admits to not being particularly drawn to that style of cinema. “I really needed to ground it in truth,” she explains, “so that’s where my references come in: to balance the naive insanity of [the film’s] technicolour with an honest, vulnerable portrayal of who Pearl is.” Perhaps this inherent understanding of such a multifaceted character was what enabled her to improvise some of the film’s most pivotal scenes on set.
However, while she won’t be reprising her role in the X trilogy as a writer, Goth expresses a newfound vigour stemming from the experience. She reflects that a character like Pearl would have intimidated her even just a few years ago. “To be so involved with a project from its conception and see an idea morph into what it then becomes was extraordinary, and really empowering in many ways,” she says. “I think roles come to you right at the time when you’re ready to receive them.”
