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Havana Rose Leo is doing everything she can to keep US job numbers at a respectable level. Not only does she have two films in theaters at the moment – Danielle Rohr’s Tuner And John Carney Power song — but she also has a third movie coming in July, Nicolas Winding Refn’s Her own hell. If that trilogy of films wasn’t enough, she’s already teamed up again with her latest star, Sophie Thatcher, in the Cate Blanchett-produced film. Peachesthen has three A24 films in the pipeline from filmmakers Jesse Eisenberg, Arcasha Stevenson, and Alex Garland.
The Brooklyn native’s prolific string of seven new features is even more impressive when you consider that she never planned on becoming an actress. She was discovered on the street when she was a student at New York University, and her career has largely taken shape during the pandemic. Starring role in the twentieth century No Exit (2022) and a striking role in the critically acclaimed high school comedy Bottoms (2023) seems to have opened the flood gates from there.
“When you present everything like that, it makes me feel exhausted,” Liu says. Hollywood Reporter In response to her recent list of works. “I still feel imposter syndrome all the time. But I gave up a lot to live this life, and it makes me feel less outside of it. I’ve found a home here.”
in Tuner – Rohr’s first narrative appearance after winning the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Navalny (2022) – Liu plays Ruthie opposite Nikki Liu Woodall. She is an advanced composition student in music and is working on a piece that will mark the culmination of her studies and potentially give her a great apprenticeship with a first-rate composer. She first met Nikki when he interrupted her practice time at her music school in order to tune the piano.
They gradually get to know each other and fall in love with each other. Ruthie learns that Nicky was once a piano prodigy until he developed hyperacusis—a rare hearing disorder that makes a person hypersensitive to everyday sounds. Nikki, in turn, discovers that Ruthie’s musical ambitions stem from her recently deceased grandmother. The piece she was working on, “Pearl Watch Rhapsody,” serves as a eulogy to her. But Nicky doesn’t reveal to his budding romantic partner that he’s working as a safecracker in order to pay his mentor’s (Dustin Hoffman’s Harry Horowitz) hospital bills.
For Liu, the role of Ruthie proved to be deeply healing having just lost her grandmother before receiving it Tuner script. script.
“By experiencing Ruthie’s process of transforming her pain into something with purpose and creative brilliance, it made me think more about how my grandmother would appreciate this tribute, so this performance is my tribute to her in some capacity,” Liu explains. “I definitely incorporated a lot of her clothes — and other things that were meaningful to her — into the movie. So the whole experience felt really unique and special in how healing and moving it was.”
Below, during a conversation with THRLiu also discusses learning advanced piano in a couple of months, before offering the shortest motivational quotes for her upcoming powerful slate.
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in Tuneryou play an advanced composition student named Ruthie, and I have to imagine you are overwhelmed by the prospect of having to sell her skill level at the piano. At what point in the audition process did they tell you that you would have to learn to play the piano?
It was up front. While I was reading the script, I understood that it would be part of the challenge of the role. But it was also very tempting to learn a whole new skill in two months, and I seem to love the adrenaline.
Between lessons and practice, did you play for about four hours a day?
Between lessons and practice, I honestly don’t have a rough estimate to give you because I was basically practicing anytime I wasn’t eating, sleeping, or in class. We initially offered classes with great instructors about three times a week, and eventually, we started doing them more frequently.
Ruthie’s grandmother set her on the path by teaching her to play the piano, and throughout the film, she works on a piece of music that serves as a eulogy to her grandmother. I read that timing Tuner Fairly close to home due to the recent loss of your grandmother at that time. Has this role proven somewhat cathartic?
Yes. When I started talking about this film, I wasn’t sure whether to share the personal nature of it. But experiencing Ruthie’s process of transforming her pain into something with purpose and creative brilliance, it made me think more about how my grandmother valued that honor, so this performance is my eulogy for her in some capacity. I definitely incorporated a lot of her clothes — and other things that were meaningful to her — into the movie. Everyone was so supportive of the process, and the entire crew helped me get through this grief. So the whole experience felt really unique and special in how healing and moving it was.
You and Ruthie work in incredibly competitive fields. She likely sacrificed much of her social life growing up to reach a point where she could apprentice with a world-class composer. I was going to ask you if you made similar sacrifices growing up, but then I learned that you fell into acting by chance during your final years at NYU. Has your success helped eliminate any imposter syndrome you may have felt early on?
Yeah, it was crazy how much I had imposter syndrome. I felt like I woke up every day and wore someone else’s clothes. I still feel imposter syndrome all the time. But I’ve given up so much to live this life, and it makes me feel less outside of it. It’s like I gave everything I could to be who he was inside From him. So I feel myself appreciating the title [of actor] A little more than that, and regardless of whether I classify myself as an actor or feel any way about it, I love doing it. Whether it’s someone’s birthday or a wedding, I’ve given up a lot in order to keep doing what I love, and it speaks to the fact that I have to love it so much. I found a home here.
Being as focused as Ruthie is, do you think she mostly avoids romantic relationships? Is Nicky (Leo Woodall) the exception?
Yes, that’s definitely the way I built it. She lives in this zone where she feels she has to choose between ambition and romantic relationships or intimacy with others. Also, because of her heartache and recent loss, she feels very closed off. It’s in a tender place. So their specific chemistry opens the door for her to feel more comfortable about letting intimacy into her life, but not at the expense of the work she wants to do in the world. It’s actually a boost to it.
Yes, Ruthie emphasizes the arrangement of her live performances, prompting Nicky to suggest adding a keyboard. Ruthie thought it was “annoying” how she came up with the perfect idea straight away. This is also how I described working with Leo. You said it was “so annoying” how good it is. So I wondered if you were using the word annoying because your character also uses it to describe his personality.
Mashallah, he is very talented and fast in his work. I was filled with dread. And I never connected those dots [between that scene and working with him]. This section was partially improvised, so I may have just used my own word “annoying” there.
In the classic motion picture ignorantThere’s a comedic scene where Cher (Alicia Silverstone) receives a man who, as soon as he enters her house, remarks that something is on fire. Then she rushes into the oven to find her torso mangled from cookie dough. Well, you and Leo have the painful version of this scene, and I appreciate the way you sold the horror of the moment as the smoke exit tortures his character’s very sensitive ears.
I have not heard that[[ignorant]Take it before, but I’d love for us to reinterpret it. I love this scene. It was a real turning point in the relationship, and filming was also really interesting. We shot this section in Ruthie’s Room basically in chronological order because we forgot Obey it. It was an interesting place to understand how their relationship developed. He softens in this very special way, and his shyness is very evident. It’s one of the first moments you realize they feel something deep for each other. There is tenderness and a desire from her to make him feel safe, and his need for that is very clear. So this scene looks very raw and beautiful to me.
Tuner It is Daniel Rohr’s first feature film after years of documentaries. Did he approach the process differently than most people?
Yes absolutely. On the first day of filming, they called for a blocking rehearsal, and Daniel turned to me and Leo and said, “What is this? What’s blocking?” (He laughs.) And I remember that Leo and I exchanged glances, Oh my gosh, this is really cool. Daniel pushed forward with all his might, and had such deep faith, confidence, and knowledge that he was going to learn throughout the process, so it seemed as if it was our responsibility to help the pastor. He was very comfortable having a beginner’s mind about the process which gave us a lot of space to explore new ways that you can’t get to with other directors who have a built-in process.
His style of documentary – which is essentially to film life as it is and create a story from that – has greatly influenced his process as a narrative director. Often, if he didn’t have an answer to what was happening in a scene or what needed to be adjusted, he would hand it over to us to create life another way. In our scenes and in Dustin [Hoffman] The scenes, we were able to do such crazy improvisation left and right in order to make things go right. Daniel really felt like he was there to capture life.
He talked about his fear of actors and his fear of giving feedback, and it showed in some areas. But when he gave notes, they weren’t the most classic notes. He was talking about these characters partly as real people, so it was a very specific and unique process.
I’m glad I asked you about imposter syndrome earlier because asking a director about blocking is a surefire way to not feel like an imposter anymore.
Yes! Honestly, yes. That’s why I love working with a first-time director in this way. We both go into it as if this is our first time, and we have to figure out our process together. There’s a version of it that feels like we can tackle the unknown together in an interesting way.
In our final moments, I want to rush through your next list, because you didn’t just get some jobs, you got all the jobs.
(He laughs.)
John Carney Power song It is another one of your films that revolves around a musical theme and will be released across the country on June 5. Did you photograph it before you became a virtuoso pianist?
Yes, I watched Nick Jonas, a talented pianist, first.
It was a sign of things to come.
Yes, maybe. I’ve been looking forward.[[Author’s note: I haven’t seen it Power song At the time of this interview, so I didn’t know that yet THR Factors at the conclusion of her character’s story.]
I then shot a third film about music directed by Jesse Eisenberg and A24. Was this after you became talented Anist?
Yes it was. This is…I’m so excited to see it.
Her own hell It hits theaters in July, and we’re talking two weeks before the film’s May 18 premiere in Cannes. What was your time like in the crazy world of Nicolas Winding Refn?
Oh my God, crazy. It was absolutely crazy, brilliant and wild. I haven’t seen this movie yet. So I’m just like you in the unknown, but I’m very excited to see it soon.
You and Sophie Thatcher worked together on this film, and after that you were soon involved in a comedy set in Hong Kong called Peaches. Was the instant reunion just a coincidence?
Just a few months later we started filming together again, and it was absolutely amazing. It was just a coincidence. This happened beyond our control. Neither of us were in a position to promote the other person anyway. It just happened, and it was so synchronistic and wonderful. Sophie is an absolutely amazing actress, and I felt very lucky to have her as a counterpart in the next film. We built a lot of safety and courage with each other on the set of Nick, and then it was folded into the pulp of the next movie so beautifully.
I recently shot another A24 film with Arcasha Stevenson …
And I was having the time of my fucking life. I love everyone involved, and I’m excited to see what this person becomes.
And you’re currently filming another A24 film – an Alex Garland one Al-Din ring.
When you put it all that way, it makes me overwhelmed. (He laughs.) The only thing I can say is that I thoroughly enjoy the process and everyone involved.
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Tuner Now showing in cinemas across the country.
