Mia Goth says Ti West’s ‘X’ trilogy has “changed my life”
English actor Mia Goth has reflected on her role in Ti West’s X film trilogy following the release of the third instalment, MaXXXine, and explained how it has transformed on her career.
The new movie, which arrived in cinemas on July 5th, continues the odyssey of Maxine Minx, played by Goth, who was first seen back in West’s 2022 horror, X. The first picture follows an adult film star looking to make her big break, Maxine’s efforts were upended by Pearl, a jaded former actor who was jealous of the youthfulness of the performers making movies on her property, with the protagonist barely getting out of the horror comedy alive.
In a turn of events, Goth played the villain in X in the follow-up prequel, Pearl. The movie provided a chilling exploration charting how the titular character became filled with venom and jealousy. With MaXXXine, Goth and West have drawn a line under the trilogy, in the murder mystery, the protagonist tries to make her name for herself in the fame-hungry city of Los Angeles in the 1980s. Simultaneously, a looming shadow is cast over LA by a serial killer, known as the ‘Night Stalker’.
The collaboration with West has given Goth a platform to express her greatness, and prove herself to be one of the most unique talents in Hollywood. Before being cast in the role, she had appeared in celebrated movies such as Emma and Nymphomaniac, but the X trilogy was the first time Goth had risen to a starring role. Now, she’s set to star in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, and certify her status as the horror queen for this generation.
In an exclusive Q&A provided to Far Out, Goth said of the trilogy and the effect it has had on her life, “It’s hard to put into words. I could never have anticipated what it was going to turn into when I first met Ti West back in 2020, we were discussing the movie X and the role of Maxine. At that time, I didn’t even know about the prequel of Pearl and this third movie, MaXXXine that was revealed to me later on. It’s just changed my life. I don’t know if I’ll ever have an experience quite like it.”
From an artistic perspective, it’s also been a thrilling ride, with Goth stating, “It’s been the most creatively fulfilling experience of my career and two of my absolute favourite characters in Maxine and Pearl to play. I’ve just had so much fun with it, created so many friendships and learned so much. I feel like a much stronger performer because of these three movies. I’m so proud of them, and I’ll look back at them fondly for the rest of my life.”
Goth went on to describe Maxine as “fearless” who has a “fire in her” and “not going to let anything get in her way”, which she believes is a rare trait in female characters. She elaborated: “Too often I come across female roles and they’re usually the witness to everything that’s going on. And I don’t like playing that. I don’t like playing the witness to all the action and life that’s happening. I want to do that myself. And in horror, I’ve found a platform for that.”
In a three-star review of the new movie, Far Out wrote: “The camera stayed still on a fake bloodied cast of Maxine’s head, clearly as a loose nod to the remarkable shot of Pearl that caps off the previous movie. However, as a lesser take void of the emotion or nuance that carries its predecessors, that alone is a perfect example of why MaXXXine shot itself in the foot.”
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