IN CONVERSATION WITH MALIA PYLES
interview by JANA LETONJA
Malia Pyles is quickly becoming one of Hollywood's most exciting rising stars. This year, she takes on what many are calling her breakout role in Apple TV+'s Cape Fear, starring opposite Academy Award winners Javier Bardem and Amy Adams in the highly anticipated reimagining of the Martin Scorsese classic. She also continues to build an impressive body of work with acclaimed indie projects, including You Tryna Say You Love Me?, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and She's the He, the SXSW hit that earned a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score.
Cape Fear is one of the most anticipated series of the year. What first excited you about joining the project?
Of course the big names and the IP itself was super enticing, but really it was the character description that really solidified my interest. Smart, self-confident, and extremely dangerous, her personality can change completely depending on who she's interacting with.
It’s always been my dream to play someone so complicated and it was obvious that Nevaeh would be a role that would equal parts challenge me and intrigue me. She was someone who knew how to get under people’s skin, and I wanted to get under hers. And I’m a huge Scorsese and Spielberg fan so there’s that.
Your character wasn't part of the original 1991 film. Without giving away spoilers, what can you tease about her role?
It’s my opinion that Nevaeh takes certain elements of Cady’s original archetype and function in the genre and twists them. She’s someone that uses her sexuality to gain power over people, and she also has a large wound that she’s operating from. She becomes very intertwined with the Bowden children, and I think it’s through her the audience learns some of their deepest insecurities and darkest secrets.
What was it like sharing scenes with Javier Bardem and Amy Adams? Did you learn anything from watching them work?
I learned so much from them. They’re both such masters of the craft, but approach the work in their own ways. I think it really showed me there’s no “right way” to act. But what they share is their compassion, their soulfulness, and their utter professionalism. Those are things I hope to never leave at the door.
This role is already being described as your breakthrough. How does it feel to hear that?
The idea of the breakthrough has always been challenging for me. I don’t think the industry is as quick to reward its actors as people might assume. But I feel lucky that I’ve gotten to speak to vastly different demographics through my work. Most of my past projects felt like I was breaking through something, or at least have represented some personal breakthrough for me. For me, Cape Fear has definitely allowed me to trust the process and fall deeply in love with the work. I also really love this genre in particular, so I hope the show allows me to continue to work with directors and creatives that excite me and really are pushing the envelope in the space.
Was there a particular scene or moment in Cape Fear that challenged you the most as an actor?
They all presented their own unique challenges, but my mind always goes straight to the theater scene. We were paying homage to the iconic De Niro scene where he laughs bombastically in a theater. I didn’t know I’d be tasked with that moment until after I signed on, but started working on the laugh right away. I took a clown class at my yoga studio. Looked at hyenas and babies laughing to try to grasp that kind of unencumbered sound. On the day, even balancing smoking a bong, eating sardines (tofu and oil) and ritz crackers, then throwing said food on a real life child were quite the task. But I always tried to ground it in my understanding of Nevaeh. She would annoint a child in sardine oil and she would laugh as if no one was watching because to her, no one really was. Her utter shamelessness was just so fun to inhabit.
You've worked on everything from prestige TV to indie films and comedy. Do you actively seek out variety in your roles?
I do. I feel being in my 20s, I’m in a period of experimentation and redefinition, and it’s been really exciting to defy what I know about myself and where my interests lie. I do feel like all the characters I play share a kind of intensity that maybe I’ve always had. I remember when I was a child an acting teacher told me I seemed like the type “to burn down a barn.” I always look for young women that have an engine. That manifests in different ways.
Indie film making has always been something I’ve aspired to. As a lover of independent film, and as a person that wants to be really involved in filmmaking. I love Cassavetes. I was 12 when I watched my first Harmony Korine movie. I think that bug got into me young. But regardless, I think I just want to work with people whether in TV or ULBs that have something to say.
Looking back at Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, how did that experience help prepare you for where you are today?
Pretty Little Liars changed everything for me. I am so grateful for that experience. I think of it a lot like college. It was my first time as a series regular and it was there I truly learned the mechanics of set and of technique. It was also my first time working in horror, and one of my favourite things I extracted from that set was my scream.
I also feel so fortunate that I was able to make some life long friends on that show. It set the tone for my career in a lot of ways and I will never not look back at that time fondly.
What do you look for when you're reading a script for the first time?
I look for something that scares me. In the case of Sasha, that was her confidence and dance. Nevaeh, it was her sexuality and her violence.
Most recently, I just wrapped a period piece called Royal Blood, directed by Bianca Catbagan. It takes place in the Philippines and examines colonization and female agency. The dialogue is all in Spanish. That felt like a big no, so I pushed myself to say yes.
Overall, I look for something in the story that deeply resonates with me. I want to be part of things that I learn something about myself and/or the world around me by the end of it.
I think as I go forward, I want to explore style more, and look for things that have a distinct visual language.
As an emerging actor, has your definition of success changed over the past few years?
It’s changed in ways and hasn’t in others. I think success ultimately has always been the ability to choose. Choose what types of projects to be apart of. Choose when to work or when to go home. I’m finding maybe choice has always been an option, it’s more about trusting myself and my timeline to run towards the things I really want.
You have Stockholm Squad coming up as well. What can fans look forward to from that project?
In a lot of ways, I’m playing a similar archetype to Nevaeh, but in a completely different genre. It’s a really punchy comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously. For me, it was a fun exercise after the 8 months of being in Cape Fear land of letting go and laughing. My hope would be that we take the film on the road and audiences get to take a brief break from the ever exhausting world around them.
Outside of acting, what keeps you creatively inspired?
There’s a lot of things that keep my blood pumping. I love writing songs and poems. I love reading plays. Last year, I wanted to confront some of the dissonance I felt with my body, so I really tried to embrace different forms of movement. I try to find inspiration in almost anything, and I feel grateful that I have really versatile artists in my life. Nature also really inspires me. When I’m learning lines, I always try to take them on a walk. Everything makes more sense under the sky.
TEAM CREDITS:
talent MALIA PYLES
photography APRIL BLUM
styling WORTHY DYE
hair and makeup ASHTYN THURBER
interview JANA LETONJA