Angela Sarafyan is on top of her game and playing the field. In the last year alone, the young actress has dabbled in TV (co-starring with Colin Hanks on "The Good Guys"), big-budget tentpoles (playing Tia in "Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn") and somehow finding time to shoot an indie or two.
Next week, Sarafyan will be at SXSW in Austin, Texas to premiere her latest film "American Animal," written, directed and co-starring Matt D'Elia. In the movie, Sarafyan plays Angela, a friend of Jimmy (D'Elia) who, along with Jimmy's roommate and her friend (also named Angela), becomes sucked into his madcap world of pop culture and personal torture. Part comedy, part drama and like nothing you'd expect.
Sarafyan talked to us about the innovative process of working on "American Animal," along with details on why shooting a "Twilight" movie isn't that different then a tiny, micro-budget indie.
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Are there influences or inspirations that sent you down this career path, and more specifically, ones that made "American Animal" a film you wanted to make?
God, I love John Cassavetes. Throughout my acting career and continuing to be an actor and grow, I think there have been so many outstanding actresses and I hope I can live up to the things they created and continue that on. I think Gina Rowlands is an amazing actress. [I've seen] her in a lot of Cassavetes' films like "Opening Night" and "A Woman Under the Influence." The list could go on and on. And I love Meryl Streep in the "Deer Hunter." I don't know, I could make an endless list, even actors, like Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Anna Magnani � so many out there.
What is next for you after the madness of South by Southwest?
Well, you may have heard, but I'm about to head to Vancouver to finish shooting "Twilight" ["Breaking Dawn"]. That has been really great, a lot of fun. This will be my first time in Canada and everyone tells me it's a good time.
So you started shooting and now you�re returning?
We were shooting down in Baton Rouge for about three months and I just got back to Los Angeles, we were shooting there. And when I get back, then we'll finish in Vancouver for a month. And that will be the end, the end of "Twilight!"
How different is the experience of shooting a big, Hollywood movie like "Twilight" as opposed to a smaller film like "American Animal?" I imagine they must be two ends of the spectrum.
It's funny you say that because it was quite the opposite from what I expected. It's a very big, big film and you'd think it would be filled with pressure and� it's not at all like that. It's very intimate. Easy to do, somehow. The people I work with are so helpful, kind and welcoming. It's been fun to go to work with those kind of people, especially under very extraordinary circumstances.
It doesn't feel as big as you'd think, which has been good for me as an actor. I get to play around and create things and have fun in the moment. We're only one part of it as actors, because the special effects and visual effects all come in [after]... and [director] Bill Condon conducting the whole thing � only half the film is being shot, the other half is in post-production. It'll be a huge surprise at the end, [laughs] I don�t know what it will look like!
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