What was it like playing in the reboot of the hit series, “And Just Like That…”? How did you prepare for your role?
It was so amazing. It’s just an iconic show and I am so honored and proud to be a part of it! The first time we filmed on location on the streets of New York – I realized there were so many fans – people were excited to just walk by the cameras. They were taking videos and posting and it was so cool to see how much love there is for the show in New York. Of course, it’s Sex and the City – and I really saw the city part. About preparing – my dad was like – let’s watch the pilot of the original show. And we started and – we kind of realized it wasn’t for my age group – I was eleven when I first auditioned. So I’m going to wait until I’m fifteen to watch the entire show. For the audition itself – my mom and I work on auditions together. And the audition scenes were all mother daughter scenes so we could really relate to them. Actually – some of the important story scenes were there – the scene where Rock/Rose tells Charlotte they don’t feel like a girl and also the Tik Tok scene. I could really relate to the relationship and the gaming and also the fact that Tik Tok is where my peers and I say some important things first. I loved the Tik Tok scene – I had been doing this funny beard gesture for a while and my mom was like – great – let’s USE that – finally – a place where that works! For the actual scene when we filmed it – we found this Justin Bieber video and I was like – that’s it! It was the right kind of cringy cool vibe.
Being one of the youngest on set, what do you believe you brought to the table that differed from the more experienced actors?
I think I brought the knowledge of kids today – how we speak and how we communicate. And also today’s culture – like music. The whole familiarity with gaming and Tik Tok and I guess I am a kid so I have the street cred for that. And also I’ve been working a lot with cool film makers – we’ve done a lot of stuff with students at NYU and Columbia and other local film programs and so it’s nice to know the stories that young people are telling today. Also – there are so many stories on Tik Tok and Instagram and I think a lot of kids my age are so steeped in today’s culture.
Did you learn any valuable lessons?
I learned so many! From Cynthia Nixon – who directed an episode – I learned that when you have a scene where you eat a sandwich – you should be aware whether the camera is on you! Because you don’t have to eat very much on each take. And when you are not on camera – you don’t have to eat at all. From MPK – I learned that no detail is too small for a show runner. From SJP – I learned that you can do so many things well – like acting and running your own amazing shoe company! From Kristin – I learned that being a kind and warm person on set does not mean that you can’t be very serious toward your work and that it is good to expect a lot of yourself and others when working. Kristin was so lovely and I was so happy to play her child. Kristin is also very thoughtful – she gave me an amazing wrap gift – this super cool Miu Miu mini purse. Sarah and Cynthia were all very kind and professional and inspiring in every way! From Molly and Danny – I learned that style matters and that style inspirations come from everywhere – especially street and everyday cool original people doing their thing. Also- -there are some lessons I already know from my parents – be reliable! Show up! Work hard! Stay humble! Work harder but also take time to enjoy family and stuff you love. Like video games 🙂
Share with us a story that had a strong impact on you while filming “And Just Like That…”
I said to Kristin that I think they’d be really big if there was social media then at the time of Sex and the City. And she said – you know – we were big, right? Very big. Like on the covers of magazines etcetera. And I suddenly understood – OH – of course! They were very famous. People loved the show! And then we filmed outside and crowds of New Yorkers showed up to watch – they were so excited to see the show back in town getting made – whenever we filmed anywhere – and I was like – Oh – I get it now.
Love your character’s arc. In what ways do you believe your role helps portray important current themes such as gender exploration? I think it normalizes the idea of a child being themselves and not only cis gender. So if there is a child that’s not cis gender – they can relate to Rock and their parents can relate to Rock and Charlotte’s story. And maybe the child can be less afraid and the experience can be less unknown. And same for the parents – they can be less afraid and more familiar with that experience. So it can help people be part of a community that is accepting – to create that community.
Why did you want to get into acting?
Ask my mom! Ha. Okay – I come from a family of entertainers and artists. My mom, Inna Swinton, is an actress writer and standup comedian. My father Rolfe is a trained architect and did photography and set design as well – he is now a tech entrepreneur. My mom’s dad – my grandfather is an amazing ballroom dancer. His mother was a singer and so is his brother. My father’s mother modeled and sang and of course – my father’s distant cousin is Tilda Swinton. When I was three years old – my mom played with us a lot and she saw I loved to pretend play – and sing and dance and make up stories. She had some time – she was pregnant with my brother – and she thought it would be fun for me to do a professional project. That’s how I worked on my first film – it just happened to star Paul Giamatti and was made by this amazing artist Matthew Barney and it was actually a zombie movie but also this crazy art film. I didn’t really get any of that at the time – I just danced and sang with this band of children and then had to cry when a zombie came though the wall. The zombie was this jazz musician. The movie had these Yale connections too – Matthew Barney and Paul Giamatti are Yalies and both my parents went there. I would love to go to Yale so that’s fun. My siblings act and sing and play instruments too. My sister Ava Swinton studies at a special arts high school and my brother Maxim Swinton is a standup comedian too and he just did two projects with Ewan McGregor and is now working on Fleishman is in Trouble with Jesse Eisenberg.
Do you have any sort of bucket list? Share.
Ah – yes. All the items on my bucket list are about Taylor Swift 🙂 I am a huge Swiftie and have been listening to her nonstop since she released her album in 2021. My family is so sick of it I think but I don’t care. I would like to meet Taylor Swift! And play a concert with Taylor Swift! Oh and go to a Taylor Swift concert./ Also I would love to meet Miley Cirus and Pete Davidson, definitely. I am a huge SNL fan – we have been watching that as a family forever – probably not so appropriate but – yeah.
And also I would love to work with Andrew Garfield – I just saw Tick Tick Boom and he was incredible. I would love to do a musical.
I also would love to make a movie about the Holocaust. We have lost family members in the concentration camp in Minsk (Belarus) and also in the Riga ghetto on my mother’s side of the family. My grandfather survived the war – he was a refuge in Russia. I hear these stories a lot – my grandparents live with us – and I want to make sure I contribute to sharing the truth about the Holocaust so that people in my generation know this history.
And I want to travel to Japan. I haven’t been there, and I’m in love with their architecture and views. It’s an absolutely stunning country.
What comes next?
I hope I can have my own room soon! It’s crazy but I have always shared a room. We travel a lot so we do stay in so many places but still. I want to have my own space and to decorate it. I recently went to Miami with my sister Ava and I loved the design district there and the colors. I love to design on Sims 4 and I would love to design a room and even a house – not in the game. I would love to visit Paris again – I was there when I was young – well – younger and I remember we stayed at an apartment with a view of the Eiffel Tower and we saw it light up at night. However, I think I would appreciate it all more now that I am older. Future plans with acting and music – check out my family Youtube channel – The Swinton Show where we post comedy videos and our singing. I will be releasing new music soon too and performing live. And who knows – maybe there will be a Season 2 of Sex and the City although of course I haven’t heard anything about this yet. But fingers crossed. Immediate plans? School, family, skiing, and improving my Wordle stats.
@BELLOmag
Talent Alexa Swinton @alexaswinton
Photo credit is Brandon Leger
Interview Alexandra Bonnet @alexbonnetwrites