IN CONVERSATION WITH MIA TOMLINSON

interview JANA LETONJA

British actress Mia Tomlinson stars as Judy Warren in ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’, the final chapter in the record-shattering $2 billion horror franchise, which released on 5th September. Mia brings heart, intensity, and emotional depth to the iconic universe alongside Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson. A self-described “computer nerd” with a passion for visual storytelling, Mia also writes, directs, and stars in indie projects that showcase her creative range, including her haunting French-language short film ‘Je Vis Je Meurs’. Fluent in both English and French, and equally at home on a blockbuster set or behind the camera, Mia is carving a bold, multidimensional path in film, on her own terms.

You’re starring in ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’. What went through your mind when you found out you’d be playing Judy Warren in such an iconic horror franchise?

When I found out I got the role of Judy Warren, it was hand-rubbing excitement of course. But on reflection, I guess, a huge part was feeling a sense of pride in myself for having kept pushing forward and committing myself to the work.

Acting isn’t an easy ride, there seems to be plenty of talent and not enough opportunities for everyone and for me, coming into ‘The Conjuring’ auditions, I admittedly did think “This is a big franchise, you’re an English actress, the chances are slim.” So, there was an element of “Is this really happening?” It made me realise that maintaining focus and believing you are capable is vital. What a dream come true, and really what a wonderful role to have as my first cinema debut. I’m infinitely grateful for being a part of this franchise and to the fans who so-far seem taken by Judy. 

You’re stepping into a universe that’s grossed over $2 billion and has a massive fanbase. Did you feel pressure or freedom stepping into that legacy?

Naturally, stepping into a franchise with such an invested and loyal fanbase carries a sense of responsibility. ‘The Conjuring’ audience really is part of the family, and since Judy had been portrayed before, prominently in ‘Annabelle Comes Home’, I wanted to honour the role.

When we first started shaping Judy, Michael told me “I want you to also make this your own — what you brought into the auditions.” That gave me permission to balance both respect for the beautiful work of the actresses before me, with my own instincts about where Judy is in this story. I was especially inspired by Grace McKenna’s guardedness, which fit perfectly with the Judy we meet in ‘Last Rites’. The girl behind a mask. 

‘The Conjuring’ family made me feel instantly supported, from Michael to the producers, to Vera and Patrick. I’ll never forget walking into that first table read, nervous as the new and final Judy, but Vera immediately threw her arms up and said “Welcome to the Warren family! Congratulations.” From that moment, I felt at home. 

Judy Warren is not only the daughter of Ed and Lorraine, but also the emotional anchor of this final chapter. How did you approach capturing that weight and complexity?

For me, the complexities of human nature have always been at the heart of why I love acting. With Judy, I was immediately drawn in by the tension between her inner life and the world around her. Her instinct is to mask, to conceal what she truly feels. As someone who’s naturally more extroverted, I found it fascinating to embody a character who guards so much of herself. That restraint creates an undercurrent, this kind of bubbling energy of excitement, anxiety, and repression beneath the surface.

A lot of the Judy we see requires the audience to read between the lines, to intuit her emotions rather than having them plainly expressed. She isn’t someone who discloses herself easily, which means her silences and subtleties carry as much weight as her words. I loved the challenge of having to play the delicate line between concealment and revelation. For Judy’s character, there’s a longing for a “normal” life, yet simultaneously, she’s battling a darkness that only grows stronger the more she resists it. I came to see her journey as archetypal. She has to walk through the darkest place in order to reach the light. That daunting journey, but also very relatable I think to many, felt very moving to explore. 

Perhaps, having also auditioned for young Lorraine in addition to Judy, and having acted out the intensity of the childbirth scene and the heartbreak of it, helped me enter within the world of what Judy meant and represented emotionally to her parents, and therefore what is at stake. In inhabiting that space, I could sense the quiet courage she carries beneath the surface that, in a way, mirrored my own feelings stepping into this franchise as a newer face.

James Wan and Michael Chaves are known for their distinct horror styles. How did their creative vision influence your performance?

Michael was very visually clear and inspired. Like the hand on Judy’s shoulder in the diner scene, he’d shown me a film scene he was inspired by. So I knew most of the time the visual experience he was going for, which is important for understanding how performance collaborates with visual mood. Choreography, positioning and playing in tandem with lighting is a very important element to horror films. Eli Born really created such atmosphere and terror with his lighting, especially for Judy in the final act. I remember it came down to mere millimetres when turning to Lorraine as Dark Judy by the chair, so precise. And yet, seeing it on the big screen, you realise just how crucial the lighting is. Every shadow, every streak of light becomes part of the fear itself. It’s in that precision that you understand how profoundly visual choices shape the tension and unease we feel. And Michael and James both really know this. They know what it takes to create horror. And in ‘The Conjuring 4’, Michael’s passion for the mise en scene, and deep knowledge of film and the horror genre, was definitely something that could be felt by everyone around and something we all invested in with him. 

You’ve been described as having a “spirited eccentricity” and radiating joie de vivre. How do you bring that energy into your performances?

I am definitely an excitable person and curious beyond. I have a signature hand rub my friends and family associate me with, which appears when I’m excited, which seems to be very often. I do try to see a lot of beauty/good around me, along with humour. Sharing laughter being important to me. It comes down to my ethos of holding onto your child-self, being prepared to play and truly believe in the character and what they feel. Children make the most wonderful actors, getting lost in a world of make believe to the point of real embodiment. Everything is done with the utmost conviction. No judgement, just play and explore. And for horror, that was integral, as sometimes we are reacting to an empty space that has to be filled with terror, and being able to roll with it and make it convincing was crucial.

I like to think I’m quite like a sponge. Ready to soak it all in, people’s stories and emotions. I believe that sometimes we forget that everyone has a story, has a uniqueness in what they’ve experienced, an outlook we may not have explored and it is why I’m always prepared to listen and ask questions. I’m very curious and really enjoy getting to know people. There’s so much beauty to be found and so much to learn. 

But in terms of the admittedly and apparent kooky side, I grew up fortunately with artistic parents, my mother being very attuned to the emotional side of stories, educating me with touching films such as ‘Cinema Paradiso’, ‘White Ribbon’ and ‘West Side Story’. She would often buy me box sets of various films. I remember being thrilled and greedily consuming my Audrey Hepburn and Tarkovsky DVDs which was probably a little unusual for my age at time where there wasn’t an option to have films at your fingertips. On the other hand, my father exposed me more to the very visually striking side of cinema like ‘Event Horizon’ and ‘OldBoy’, and the more unusual worlds of ‘Edward Scissorhands’ and ‘Fifth Element’, which I equally adored and desperately wanted to play. So, I feel like I’ve found myself somewhere in the middle, with an invested interest in the emotional depths and stories of people, as well as an appreciation for the visual and metaphorical capabilities of film and storytelling. I have been told by directors I’ve worked with that there’s a collaborative way to how I work because I embrace a character within the world the director wants to create. 

You’re classically trained but also deeply involved in indie filmmaking. How do you balance those two creative worlds?

If I’m honest, I don’t think I’ve actually had the chance to explore that enough. But in my time as an actor, that hasn’t stopped me. I write a lot and film a lot wherever I am, snippets of what could inspire a future film or character. I have a walking playlist made up of film scores that I’ll listen to on long walks as I people watch, and that allows me to exercise my love of storytelling and creation. With all the lessons I’ve learnt from this last experience, it has opened a personal chapter for me to trust more in my voice and explore this with a sense of more openness and confidence. I’m very fortunate to be beginning this chapter.

Your short film ‘Je Vis Je Meurs’ is hauntingly beautiful, especially considering it was made during quarantine. What inspired that story?

It’s funny because I didn’t actually realise that was still on the internet and actually I’m a little embarrassed that my French accent seems so poor now in comparison. I didn’t actually speak much then, but with lockdown thought I’d try pick up the beautiful and poetic language once again. I had a friend read word for word and I would try and repeat and pronounce correctly. Tout en coup was almost impossible. I think I was feeling pretty helpless ,as many of us were, and needed a creative pursuit. Fortunately, I was living with my dad who has a camera and could film it for me. I’d come across Louise Labe’s poem and felt such an affinity with the duality of emotional states and ultimately loss. Her words, despite coming from the 16th century, felt so relevant to me. I was dealing with an accumulation of various experiences that a lot of us go through, and creating a film around these very moving words helped me feel I had more of a grasp. 

You wrote, directed, and starred in it — in French. What was the biggest challenge in bringing that project to life?

I was lucky to have someone be such a help in terms of camera and knowing film. But I think the biggest challenge for me has been and still remains, “Is this good enough?” And so, embarking on a project and sharing that with a sense of appreciation for yourself and the hard work you put into it, and turning down the volume of the voice that holds you back, was the biggest achievement. It was important to me at the time to have a collaborative moment with my dad. It was cathartic for me in its subject and creatively gave me a sense of voice and purpose. Even as a small project. I wish I did it more. I have a stack of scripts I’ve written, of similar quirkiness, that perhaps I’ve held onto too long. It has been nice to hear this film pop up again after so many years.

You’ve called yourself a “computer nerd” with a passion for visual storytelling. How does your interest in graphic design influence the way you approach film and character?

It is all linked. Creating worlds, experiences, inciting emotion and feeling is just my passion. I love the infinite possibilities of the mind and how we can replicate that in storytelling and what we see. I was lucky to have been introduced to computers young for my generation. My dad had his computer to edit his photography, and I became intrigued from a young age then to create clips, stories of friends and my siblings, film them and edit them together. So, from a fairly young age, I was playing around with Photoshop and Premiere/Final Cut. I haven’t been as consistent with my practice now, but from time to time, I like to work on something creatively that I can do within a shorter space of time. 

The downside of acting is that scratching that creative itch can be tricky outside of filming or working in a theatre. You have to find other avenues. It can feel quite difficult to get that outlet as you depend often on work, or financing classes. Really outside of this, it’s going to the shop with a different walk or a different accent, playing in public with mirroring to work on physicality or watching other actors perform. I’m grateful to have other practices where I can express myself and feel like I’m continuing to explore an emotional landscape. 

What kinds of stories are you most drawn to telling, and what do you hope audiences feel after watching your work?

For me, the human condition has always been at the heart of what drew me into acting. I love to study what drives human behaviour, what are the consequences and then what is the negotiation we do with ourselves in finding solutions. I’ve always loved psychology and studying people, so I think stories with a lens specifically on the human experience and condition in an experimental way would appease my eccentric side. I’ve grown up being very drawn to films like ‘The Lobster’, ‘Petit Maman’, ‘Holy Motors’, ‘Requiem for a Dream’, ‘Triangle of Sadness’, ‘Nimic’ and ‘Under the Skin’. And then of course, with me there’s this duality between experimental and emotional worlds, so I’d also have to say stories that explore the emotional scapes in womanhood/humanity, of less experimental leaning but equally emotionally impactful, like ‘Notes on a Scandal’, ‘Worst Person in the World’, ‘Closer’, ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ and ‘Little Women’. 

I want audiences to come away, either feeling an affinity with a character or an empathy. A person that feels real and human, who drives a personal story we feel invested in and can hopefully in someway prompt a more empathetic lens on others. Thought-provoking and reflective in summary.

‘The Conjuring’ franchise is a major global moment. What kind of roles or stories are you hoping to explore next?

I’ve loved being a part of “The Conjuring” which is such an established horror, and I have come away from this learning a lot about myself as an actor. Vera and Patrick were very inspiring to watch and work alongside, in their work ethic, abilities as actors and just in their encouragement of young talent. I will carry that with me for life. 

In terms of roles, I’m open but hopeful to embark in this stage of my career onto roles that explore the human condition and allow me to delve into the depths of a character. I feel like I’m a sponge in a room that absorbs a lot emotionally around me, even when its’ not apparent. For me, the depths of characters are an endless trove of nuance and truth. I know I have a lot more to explore and want to continue to challenge myself. Perhaps, even one day in French.

CREDITS

producing LIV COHEN DYER

photography CLAUDIA CANTARINI

styling MORGAN ELIZABETH HALL

hair KEI TAKANO

makeup DAVID GILLERS