As a budding artist and actress, I find myself deeply inspired by Skye’s journey, not just in “Smile 2,” but also in her real-life adventures. Her ability to seamlessly switch between writing for herself and creating characters is truly commendable. It’s like she’s a chameleon, adapting to different creative landscapes with such ease and grace.
Actress Naomi Scott, known for her 2-star smile, has joined a list of recent performances in genre films that truly deserve recognition. Performances like James McAvoy in “Split”, Toni Collette in “Hereditary”, Lupita Nyong’o in “Us” and Mia Goth in “Pearl” all fall into this category. Scott’s performance, just as compelling, shouldn’t be ignored because of the genre it belongs to. It’s high time for more actors like these to win Oscars in the horror genre, a field that has only seen a handful of exceptions, such as Ruth Gordon in “Rosemary’s Baby”, Kathy Bates in “Misery” and Jodie Foster in “Silence of the Lambs”.
In the follow-up to Parker Finn’s 2022 blockbuster, the actor portrays Skye Riley, a struggling pop star trying to regain fame following a car accident that claimed the life of her renowned boyfriend, Paul Hudson (played by Ray Nicholson). However, Skye’s journey back into the spotlight becomes even more challenging when an encounter with an old school friend at night results in a chilling, fateful smile.
Despite his vested interest, Finn genuinely believes that Scott deserves awards recognition.
Naomi delivers an extraordinary performance in ‘Smile 2‘, a showcase of her immense talent. If I were on an awards panel, I would argue she’s more than worthy of recognition. I sincerely hope the entertainment industry begins to acknowledge this,” Finn expresses to The Hollywood Reporter.
Just like she lent her voice to the character of Princess Jasmine in Guy Ritchie’s 2019 live-action version of Aladdin, Scott also contributed her singing talent to the movie Smile 2. She went a step further by co-writing two songs for Skye Riley, the character she portrayed, on the film’s six-track soundtrack EP. Throughout the movie, you can see Scott performing most of these songs in different ways.
Originally from West London, this individual’s commitment was profoundly evident, even in the grim aspect of the film. A chilling sequence features Skye physically slapping herself to jolt out of what she believes is a nightmare or illusion. Unlike relying on cinematic tricks, Scott chose authenticity and indeed made her strike herself, acknowledging the gravity of the moment.
Scott reveals that Parker questioned him, ‘So, what do you think about it?’ Even though it’s the right thing to ask, Scott replied as if he wanted to hit himself instead. He explains, ‘I knew it had to happen.’ In fact, everything felt perfectly fitting for Skye, the story, and the moment. It was entirely justified.
As a devoted admirer, I enthusiastically decided to emulate Finn’s portrayal of a pop star with a chic short bleached blonde hairstyle. Following this transformation, I, along with Finn and Angie Johnson, the head of the hair department, drew inspiration from an array of styles. We looked to Tilda Swinton and one of my fellow stars from the 2019 reboot of “Charlie’s Angels” for style cues as we shaped my new look.
Although she’s a friend, Kristen Stewart remains someone notable, as Scott points out. He shared a photo of himself and her side by side, featuring Skye’s sleek hairstyle from the gala. Kristen had a distinctive red carpet look that he admired, so they decided to emulate it for Skye’s gala outfit. In his opinion, it turned out quite effectively.
As a devoted admirer, I can’t help but acknowledge that part of what propelled “Smile” (2022) to earn over 13 times its $17 million budget was its ingenious marketing strategy, which included the eerie appearance of smilers at nationally broadcast playoff baseball games. In line with this trend, it seems that “Smile 2” has taken things up a notch, but now that the movie is out, I feel compelled to urge fellow fans of the series to exercise caution when regarding its lead character as if she were Skye Riley.
Scott requests you not to flash a disconcerting smile at him. He’s happy to engage in conversations about the weather, music, food, your grandma, but he prefers to avoid such uncomfortable moments. Scott mentions that he’s quite easily startled and, as a sensitive individual, he finds it distressing, so he kindly asks for your understanding.
In the latest chat with THR, Scott shares some difficult scenes from the upcoming project ‘Smile 2’ along with Skye’s excessive consumption of Voss water bottles.
First things first, are you alright? You and Skye Riley went through a lot on this one.
Absolutely, you’re correct. We’ve faced numerous challenges, but I’m doing well and incredibly content. I feel blessed because I get to share something I’m deeply passionate about and take pride in. In the future, I can point to my accomplishments and say, “This is what I achieved,” which is quite exciting. To put it simply, I’m absolutely thrilled.
When I heard I might be getting my hands on Smile 2, I couldn’t help but feel an instinctive urge to seek out a mirror and practice crafting the spookiest grin I could muster!
It turns out I’m quite fond of Parker’s work. I’d seen his 2020 short film titled “Laura Hasn’t Slept“, and naturally, I went on to watch “Smile“. What truly captivated me was how deeply character-driven the story was. Parker seemed to prioritize this aspect to tell his tale effectively, making the characters integral rather than mere plot devices. For me, it was more about understanding “Who is Skye?” rather than focusing on a smile as portrayed in the movie. After all, we don’t even know if Skye smiles at any point, right?
When you’re out in public, people might start singing “A Whole New World” or “It’s morphin’ time” upon seeing you, but are you ready for the frequent, potentially unsettling grins that will come your way from hereon?
Oh, I really hope people don’t do that. Do you think they’re going to do it?
I hope not, but I think they will.
“I appreciate our conversations about various topics like weather, music, food, and even your grandma, but could we avoid that unsettling smile of yours? It makes me quite uneasy, as I’m easily startled. I’m quite sensitive, so I kindly ask you to refrain from doing that. By the way, I hope this doesn’t trigger a defensive reaction in me, causing me to react unpredictably. I wouldn’t want anything to escalate into physical violence. I trust we can maintain a pleasant and respectful interaction.
I’m knocking on wood right now.
Thank you! I appreciate it.
So was pop stardom your original dream? Or was it on the same level as movie stardom?
Music has always been a significant influence and passion in my life, serving as a powerful motivator for me. Music was the first love I ever had. From an early age of 14, I’ve been writing songs, and it feels like the path I was destined to follow. I am deeply passionate about music, and I find joy in composing it. Over the years, I’ve been trying to find compatible collaborators and define my identity as an artist, deciding what message I want to convey and creating the sound I aspire to. It’s a tremendous privilege to be able to create music with individuals whom I admire greatly. My objective is not fame or pop stardom, but rather having the means to produce music and share it with anyone who resonates with my musical journey. Therefore, that’s what I focus on.
Every time I believed I had encountered the situation that caused you the most distress, another one would appear, making it even more intense.
(Laughs.)
Which scene would you least like to relive again?
buddy, the number of tasks at hand was overwhelming, but those four days spent dealing with the freezer were undeniably the most challenging for me. To put it bluntly, it was a tough stretch. Yes, I’m referring to the ordeal with the freezer.
Could you clarify on the part where the characters seem to actually slap each other. The scene appeared extremely authentic; was that a genuine interaction or simply film techniques at work?
Wow, that felt incredibly real! I couldn’t help but wonder if there’s some movie magic trick for self-slapping, seems like something they could do nowadays, right? But you’re probably correct. It was indeed in the script, and Parker asked me, “Hey, what do you think about slapping yourself?” Now, that’s not a typical question you get at work, but in this business, anything can happen! So, I agreed, “Of course, I’ll slap myself.” It’s funny because there aren’t many jobs where such a conversation takes place. But for this role and this story, it was necessary. Everything fit perfectly with Skye and the narrative, making it entirely justified.
Was the flash mob sequence in your apartment one of the more unusual days you’ve experienced on set, too? (Or alternatively, Was the flash mob scene at your apartment among the strangest days you’ve ever spent on set?)
Indeed, what appears at first glance might seem peculiar, but you’re actually witnessing the scene from Skye’s viewpoint through the camera lens. Despite its initial strangeness, I found it engaging, and the dancers performing were indeed Skye’s own for this performance. By then, we had established a connection, so when the physicality and intensity increased, and they started to interact with me, there was a sense of trust. However, I must say their movements were captivating. Their skill in narrating a story through body language and producing almost supernatural movements was truly impressive.
You were very well-hydrated on this movie.
So well-hydrated.
Were you sipping on Voss during your preparations, or perhaps popping into the local bar for a few bottles of it?
(Chuckles. ) In this film, I felt like asking for another scene change, honestly, I was just kidding! Truth be told, gulping down a bottle of Voss wasn’t as easy as it seemed. To be fair, I didn’t expect it to be that awkward. For instance, the one-shot ending with me destroying the shower, that took an hour to set up. We only did that take twice, but we started in a place where it would later be edited out. Parker didn’t want to squander a full take and reset if he knew it wasn’t the best one, but we did it five times. So each time, I had to finish off the bottle, and I was quite determined to do so at that particular movie moment. There was a scene earlier where she drinks quickly, but she doesn’t empty the whole thing then. Or maybe she does at the start as well; I can’t recall exactly. But you’re correct; there was indeed a lot of bottle-chugging in this film.
I was frequently recognized for always having a large 2.5-liter water bottle with me, which we nicknamed Gidget. For nearly an entire month, I seemed to be constantly releasing fluids due to my frequent crying and sniffling. As a result, I needed to regularly replenish myself by drinking water.
Angie Johnson, who leads the hair department, mentioned that Kristen Stewart served as an inspiration for creating Skye’s hairstyle. Is it unusual to draw inspiration from a previous colleague when designing a new look?
She’s still an icon, regardless of our friendship. It’s Kristen Stewart we’re talking about, someone who’s often a point of reference. The specific inspiration came from a certain look she had at a gala, which was Skye’s sleeked-back style in this case. I even showed her a picture of us together to make sure I got it right. Kristen has a particular red carpet look that I admire greatly, and when I saw it on Skye, I thought, “This is fantastic!” So we decided to emulate that for the gala, and I believe it turned out quite well.
By the way, we collaborated on a few songs for Skye Riley that are featured in the film. Among them, I particularly enjoy the piano rendition of “Just My Name.” Does crafting lyrics in character make for an engaging creative process?
Absolutely, it’s quite engaging! Even when you’re engrossed in creating music for yourself or collaborating with others, there are instances where you find yourself writing from a character’s perspective. This can be an exciting creative challenge to add variety. I relish these moments, and I love the thought of being in a session and asking, “What if we crafted a song for this person?” The Skye Riley EP had elements of that, making it enjoyable because we let go of some artistic restrictions. In such instances, we dabble in things we wouldn’t typically attempt and explore unique singing styles. I’m singing words that aren’t usually mine, expressing feelings that are different from what I’d normally write about, and that’s an intriguing process.
Alexis Kesselman, also known as Idarose, penned and produced four songs from the album. She’s around my age and incredibly gifted. Writing alongside her was an absolute joy, and it’s amusing to note that we began writing “Just My Name” together over Zoom shortly after I secured the role. Later on, we wrote “Death of Me,” the end credit song, post-production, making it a delightful full-circle moment.
Did you also design Skye’s signature that plays a prominent role in one sequence?
Yes, as Parker suggested, I created several variations, and we ultimately chose the one we liked best.
In a similar vein to when Skye asks for water for her daughter or requests it from the waiter, do you have any pre-performance routines or habits that you follow before acting out a scene or singing a song?
When I’m singing or doing vocal exercises, or when I’m in the recording studio, I find it quite dull. I have an app on my phone that provides a 20-minute warmup routine, and that’s usually what I do. However, during that scene, I believe it was Parker who found the sound appealing. I agreed, saying, “Yeah, I like it too. It has a certain atmosphere.” So we decided to go with it, and there’s something slightly unconventional about the water [as previously mentioned]. This slight oddity works surprisingly well in the scene.
Might you and your friend, Princess Jasmine, reconnect at some point in the future, much like how Dylan Gelula’s characters Skye and Gemma might meet again?
Absolutely! A film is currently being developed featuring characters Skye and Princess Jasmine. This unique production combines two universes, promising a melodious tale infused with enchantment and mysticism. Get ready for this magical cinematic experience soon at a theater in your area.
Lastly, what can you say about the movie you produced not too long ago?
Interestingly, I discovered that I secured this position the same day I finished filming “Eternal Return,” a heartfelt love story. It has a touch of whimsy and deals with themes of grief, letting go, self-discovery, and moving on. This film is quite unique compared to “Smile 2” as it features an entirely distinct character and tone.
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Smile 2 is now playing in movie theaters.
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2024-10-19 04:55