Elizabeth Lail
To say that Elizabeth Lail is an old soul doesn’t really do her justice, though the 27-year-old Texas-born actress does keep getting cast in psychological thrillers (see: You and Countdown), which makes you wonder if her preternatural wisdom and maturity aren’t what casting directors are picking up on when she auditions. While she laughs freely, binge-watches Friends, and still has the kind of youthful skin that requires little else than lip balm, her deep knowledge of her craft, composure, and insight into human nature betray her age entirely. The Bare Magazine caught up with Elizabeth in New York City, where her most recent psychological thriller, Unintended, just had its premiere.
Bare: Why do you think you keep getting cast in psychological thrillers?
Elizabeth Lail: What is it about me? I’m just so killable! The thing is, you never get cast the way you think you’re going to get cast. But I do have a girl-next-door aesthetic on the outside and a bit of darkness and sadness on the inside. It’s not a place I inhabit every day, but it definitely helps me connect with these characters.
Bare: What attracted you to acting?
EL: Acting chose me. It was cathartic. When I was younger, I always tried to be the good girl. But whenever I was at a play or in a movie theater, I found I was able to feel the full gamut of my emotions. When I was 12, my mom forced me to audition for a play at a community theater. She was like, “I know you’re going to like this.” She was right. I went to a summer program at University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) when I was 15 and it was life changing. I was surrounded by artists. I found my people! After that, I went to UNCSA for high school and college.
Bare: And you’ve been working steadily since, congratulations! To what do you attribute that?
EL: A month or so after I graduated from college, I booked “Once Upon a Time.” I’ve had a very lucky trajectory since. School gave me the tools to become an actor — and the industry connections. [Elizabeth met her manager through school, too.]
Bare: You’ve been so focused on acting since such a young age, do you ever think of what you might do if you weren’t an actor?
EL: I really can’t imagine myself doing anything else. There’s something about actors. We always experience discontent. We’re always wanting to discover more and challenge ourselves. If I didn’t have a career that created the opportunity for me to do that, I think I’d feel even more dissatisfied.
Bare: You are quite an intense person, what do you do to decompress?
EL: I drink tea. It sounds silly. But we’re always doing ten things at once. If I just sip tea, it immediately brings me peace. I also like to watch Friends and eat popcorn. I call it wallpaper TV. It surrounds you in comfort.
Bare: We hear you’re a big journal keeper, too.
EL: Yes. I have all of these old journals and I’m afraid to toss them out. It’s my meditation. I write stream of consciousness. Sometimes it’s strictly about gratitude. It’s really just a place for me to check in. My full complexity comes out when I’m free to say whatever I want to say in my journal. Sometimes I look back at a page and it gives me great perspective. It makes me go “man, everything really does pass.” Then there are new issues, joys, and things to celebrate. You see that life is like a series of seasons, and you never know which one you’ll find yourself in next.
Bare: Speaking of passions, you’re very active with Sea Shepherd, right?
EL: Yes. I was doing press for Unintended, and one of the film distributors who was involved with the organization noticed I was interested in the environment. So, he made the connection and that’s how it began. These are people doing the really hard work to protect the oceans. Not just carrying reusable water bottles, though that’s great too, of course. I was honored to be a mouthpiece for them the other day when the Empire State building was lit up in blue to honor Sea Shepherd’s commitment to the ocean. I got to flip the switch on the lights!
Bare: Do you have pets?
EL: I’m such an animal person in general. I have a cat, who I love dearly. I fostered this cat who I just couldn’t not keep, so now she’s mine. Her name is Jo, inspired by Little Women. So many people are anti-cat, but when cats decide to love you, it’s really exciting. I feel like I was a cat in a past life.
Bare: What’s your dream project?
EL: I’d love to do a play. Some kind of kitchen sink drama. I like family and relationships, so I’d love to do a really incredible play on Broadway or the West End. That would be a major milestone for me. I become a better actor when I’m working on a play.
Bare: Who has been your biggest inspiration personally or professionally?
EL: I’d have to say my family. My parents, sister, and grandparents. I stem from all of them, and I’m happy about it. I mean, I can literally see my mother and my grandmother in my hands. They’re such an intrinsic part of me. I always say that siblings can be a real shot in the dark, but my older sister chose to love me, so we were a team growing up. When we got in trouble, she made sure that she got in more trouble.
Bare: And do you have a partner now?
EL: Yes. And he’s not an actor. I call him a normal person.
Bare: Are most of your friends actors?
EL: It’s a pretty even split. I don’t discriminate against actors the way some people do. For the most part, actors are people who are interested in other people, which makes for a really good friend.
Bare: What theatrical work has had a big impact on your life?
EL: Les Misérables. It’s one of the first musicals I ever saw. I felt so connected to Éponine. My parents had seen it in London and often played the soundtrack in the car, so it was also part of their story, too. I’ve seen it a couple of times on Broadway, and I relate to a different character each time. I can always come back to it. The straight play that moved me the most was All My Sons by Arthur Miller. There’s just so much to be had, so much to discover. You could dig endlessly inside of his plays.
Bare: How would you define your style?
EL: My style is … comfortable. I’m willing to wear anything that’s available, but I prefer comfortable and cozy. Clothes that feel like home.
Bare: And what’s your hair and makeup routine like?
EL: I’m very into simplicity in beauty. I have been a consistent user of Burt’s Bees Lip Balm in pomegranate. But my dream is no makeup! I even let my hair air-dry. That’s the way it looks. I did let Tina [Bare Magazine’s Creative Director, and the makeup artist whose work you see here] put some makeup on me for this shoot, though.
Bare: Ok, saving the biggies for last. Are you fundamentally an optimist or a pessimist? Do you think human nature is good or bad?
EL: I would consider myself fundamentally an optimist with some pessimistic tendencies. And I think human nature is neither good nor bad. Mostly we just are who we are on any given day. Not to say that there aren’t bad people in the world, but as a concept we’re neither. We’re just beings.
Shot at Elizabeth’s home in Brooklyn wearing her own clothes.
