IN CONVERSATION WITH DELANEY QUINN
interview by JANA LETONJA
Delaney Quinn is co-leading opposite Rose Byrne in A24's ‘If I Had Legs I'd Kick You’ making impressive rounds in the festival circuit, including Sundance and Berlinale and upcoming TIFF, and NYFF. The dramedy heads to theaters 10th October. She next will be seen in Searchlight's ‘The Roses’, Jay Roach's reimagining of the 1989 classic ‘The War of the Roses’ that hits theaters on 29th August.
tweed coat, blouse, floral vest, lace pants LITTLE CREATIVE FACTORY
rose broaches FLEUR'D PINS
shoes GOLA
You’re co-starring alongside Rose Byrne in A24’s ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’, which is having an incredible festival run. What was it like working on a project that’s both intimate and emotionally intense?
It was fun working with Rose, A$AP Rocky and Christian, but it was also challenging. Some of the scenes were really intense, but everyone was great about keeping things fun in between. I like doing projects that are challenging though, and I don’t have a problem switching back and forth between the emotions of my role and real life. It’s fun to push myself and see what I can do.
The film deals with some heavy themes. What did you find most challenging or rewarding about stepping into such a complex world?
I knew before we started that the story was very personal to writer and director Mary Bronstein, and I asked a lot of questions about what she thought my character and my character’s mom were going through. I met Mary’s daughter, and we are good friends now. It was an honor to be able to help tell this story about a mom and a daughter.
What was your reaction when you found out the film would be shown at both Sundance and Berlinale? Did you get to attend any of the premieres?
Well, I didn’t really know what Sundance was at first when my mom told me, but I always like going to film festivals. I was excited to go to Utah because I’d never been there. When we arrived, I realized everyone in this little town is there because they really like movies. It’s such a cool, well cold actually, thing to experience. I didn’t attend Berlinale, but Rose and Mary did and they looked amazing and so pretty on the red carpet. It’s showing at some more big festivals soon too.
plaid blazer LITTLE CREATIVE FACTORY
knit top MISHA & PUFF
shoes DOLCE VITA
vintage embroidered pants talent's own
Next up, we’ll be seeing you in ‘The Roses’ where you play the daughter of Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch. How was it working with such celebrated actors, and what did you learn from being on that set?
Oh my gosh, it was so fun working with them. They are both such talented actors, but also super nice and relatable. Jay Roach, the director, was so kind and really cool and he knows how to explain things perfectly. I learned that timing is super important in comedy, and also that everything is so much funnier when you say it with a British accent.
Jay Roach’s reimagining of ‘The War of the Roses’ brings a new tone to a classic story. How does your character Hattie fit into the dark comedy’s modern take?
Hattie is Theo and Ivy's daughter and has a twin brother Roy. I really liked her. She’s fun-loving, kind of sarcastic and stubborn like me. Theo has to become a stay-at-home dad and the kids get to witness all the changes he goes through. They are really honest about what they see, which can be funny but also stressful for parents.
vintage dress talent's own
tights POLO RALPH LAUREN
With its theatrical release scheduled for 29th August, what are you most excited for audiences to experience in this film?
I’m just excited for everyone to see how funny it is and what a great job everyone did. It’s funny, but it’s also dark, so you will laugh but you will also be horrified at the same time. It’s hilarious.
You’ve had experience across both TV and film at a young age. What feels different to you when you’re preparing for a film role compared to a recurring TV part?
When you shoot a movie, it’s like a brand new thing. Everyone has to get to know each other and figure out how it’s going to go and what the vibe is going to be. It might take a couple months max to film a whole movie. With TV, you’re coming into something that’s already going on. Everyone mostly knows each other and the show might be running for months or years already before that episode, so everything is pretty smooth and routine for them. Each television episode takes a week or two to shoot, or maybe only a couple days for your part, so you’re done a lot quicker than when you film a whole movie. I was recurring on ‘New Amsterdam’ and ‘Raising Kanan’, and it was a little family reunion every time we saw each other. I’ve also done one episode of shows where you come in as a guest and just get to see how that show does it for a little bit of time. That’s fun too. Some really involved TV shows are more like mini movies for each episode, such as ‘The Last of Us’ and ‘Stranger Things’, and that’s something I’d like to do someday. A dream role would be a part like Ellie on ‘The Last of Us’ or Eleven on ‘Stranger Things’.
floral dress, turtleneck LITTLE CREATIVE FACTORY
shoes FLORSHEIM
Is there a format or genre you’re particularly drawn to right now, and why?
That’s easy. Horror is my jam. I’ve been watching really scary movies since I was little and I’m obsessed with all things horror. I like to watch them over and over until the jump scares aren’t scary anymore, and I’m just watching for details and to figure out how they filmed them. My favorite horror movies are the ‘Fear Street’ movies and the ‘It’ franchise. I love dystopian horror stuff like ‘The Last of Us’ and ‘The Hunger Games’. ‘Stranger Things’ is way up there on my list of faves too. I’m working on a new horror movie right now, called 'Buddy', that I’m really excited about. Casper Kelly wrote and directed it and I can’t wait for it to be out in the world. I can’t talk too much about it yet, but it’s going to be great.
You’ve worked with an impressive roster of directors and co-stars already. Who’s on your dream list to collaborate with next?
I definitely want to work with Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in the future. They are both such amazing actors. It would be great to work with Maya Hawke someday too.
You’re quickly becoming a standout young talent in the industry. How do you stay grounded while juggling such major projects?
I think my sarcastic parents and 4 mean older siblings keep me pretty grounded. No way they’d ever let me get a big head. I’m kidding, kind of. But no, actually my parents really try to make sure that my sister Fiona and I don’t have our whole world wrapped up in acting and getting jobs. We do regular kid stuff like sports and school and hang out with friends whenever we can. I play soccer, am on the swim team and in the orchestra and band at school. I also take archery classes every week and want to start ballet this fall. It’s important to experience real life as much as you can if you want to be a good actor. That’s what my mom says and I agree.
CREDITS
photography JEFF SUTERA
styling BARBARA EISEN
hair + makeup NORAH SALAZAR
