The following Career Dispatch was written by Amy Forsyth, who is nominated for best supporting actress at the Film Independent Spirit Awards for her performance as Jamie Brill in “The Novice.”
“You should try talking less,” I was told as a young girl. And so I did—for a day.
Talking was my superpower. It was how I connected with people and how I learned about myself and others. Conversation came easily to me, and I was proud of it. Being told that something I was good at was something to be ashamed of was devastating.
“Fight for the projects that feel special. Send the email. Shoot your shot. Ask for it. Get loud.”
Those five words haunt me every time I send an email to my team, ask a director to chat, or ask for what I need. Don’t be difficult, I think to myself. Be easygoing. But through trial and error (and lots of therapy), I have learned that little me was onto something: Speaking up does not mean that you’re being difficult. Quite the opposite: It’s your strength.
When my friend told me about a script she read called “The Novice,” I was immediately interested. A dark thriller about a queer college freshman who joins the rowing team that isn’t stereotypical—or actually about rowing—but rather about grit and mental health? Count me in! If only it were that easy, right? As we all know, auditioning can be grueling and painful.
I connected with the director, Lauren Hadaway, and we made plans to meet over coffee. I felt so cool. You always hear about actors having director meetings that go on for hours, and they just click and know it’s the perfect match. Was this my moment?
Amy Forsyth and Isabelle Fuhrman in “The Novice,” Courtesy IFC Films
The meeting went swimmingly, and we did, in fact, talk for hours. I got an email asking me to put myself on tape for the producers. I thought I did a terrible job, but I convinced myself I needed to cool it with the negative self-talk, so I sent it off. I heard nothing back for months.
One day, while doing laundry in my building’s basement, I decided that if I didn’t try to fight for this role, I’d never know. What’s the worst that could happen? I took my shot.
I sent an email expressing my passion for the project: “If you’ve found your Jamie, I am so happy for you; but if not, I would love to be involved in any capacity.” In response to my email, and after months of (legally) stalking Lauren, she offered me the job.
If I had allowed that advice from my childhood to get to me, I wouldn’t be where I am today. And I would never have been in the middle of a river in Canada in October in the freezing rain, in a boat that could have tipped if I sneezed, having the time of my life.
This industry is hard and can feel truly impossible. At times, it feels like art and creativity take a backseat to politics and the latest headlines. So fight for the projects that feel special. Send the email. Shoot your shot. Ask for it. Get loud.
This story originally appeared in the Feb. 17 issue of Backstage Magazine. Subscribe here.
