Two young women, Tara and Vega, at different stages, are both experiencing terminal illnesses. The two women meet in the bathroom of a hospital. Vega is facing the extreme challenge of accepting her health. She is in the bathroom getting ready to shave her head. Tara walks into the bathroom and is immediately intrigued with Vega. The two strike up a very common, awkward, stranger-to-stranger, conversation with each other. Here the beauty of the story unfolds. In this conversation, truths and realities are revealed that show both Tara and Vega they’re not so different after all…. this is ‘It’s Just Hair’, the new movie from Bahamian-born actress Leslie Susana Campbell. We sat down with the diverse actress to talk about making award-worthy movies and living in Los Angeles.
Before we talk about the movie, how would you describe the projects that you typically prefer?
I absolutely prefer projects where there is some form of personal attachment. The projects that I’ve been in so far have been driven by my colleagues, and fellow storytellers’ desire to reveal how said attachment has impacted their life. The end result has always been a beautiful working relationship, and an even more beautiful project. I prefer projects that have a deeper history to the creator. I prefer projects that impact our understanding of the set status-quo, or cultural hegemony if you will. I have an utmost preference for projects that reveal some sort of undiscovered truth about the human condition.
How important is training for you?
Training for me is paramount. My background is in Athletics. Training is an opportunity to have a laser focus on my craft. I have no other way to gauge my emotional athleticism, or the state of my ‘instrument’ without it. Training for me is my personal laboratory. Here I can tinker with extremes, and unusual choices. Training is where I give myself permission to ‘go’ where I have never gone before, without the pressure of delivering a polished performance. Training is my investment into my craft. The sweat I put in now will help me call upon the strength I need on a day of performance, if I need to save my scene partner, or if I’m being offered a gift from my same partner. I can play and collaborate with them because I am in excellent enough acting “shape”.
Can you describe your creative process when preparing for a movie?
When preparing for a role, I rely heavily on the tools I have acquired throughout all of my years of training. Where I begin depends on the nature of the project, the genre of the project, my character’s dramatic function, the plot, and who I have pieced together my character to be based on having read the script several times. I research everything I have no understanding of. Even the things I do understand, I research to refresh my memory or expand my understanding. I then look for any personal hang ups, reservations, fears, worries that arise from me when I am piecing together how to best bring a character to life. I don’t attack them head on because I don’t believe in pushing myself to ‘get over’ these themes. I believe in working with them to understand the truth of how my personal emotional experience is being affected by the characters’ emotional life. Our reservations, and our hang-ups are always connected to the truth of the inner lives of our characters. What we are afraid of is exactly what the character is asking us to bring to the forefront.
I also very much believe in having extensive talks with the writer and the Director about their understanding and their vision of the project because at the end of the day, my job is to fulfill their vision, while simultaneously being a champion defender of my character. Another tool that is extremely crucial to my process is music. I always make a playlist, and it truly depends on what I feel I need, but regardless, the music serves to tap into my character’s inner world.
Tell us about the movie ‘It’s Just Hair’. What character do you play?
I play the lead character Tara. I definitely have Tara’s silent, resilient, fighting spirit. I am definitely a renegade in the sense that I will go out on my terms. Tara understands the significance of being who you choose to be despite your circumstances. I think I very much align with the same philosophy. I also resonate with Tara’ s desire for connection, but her inability to fully engage with the closeness she so desires. As strong as Tara is, she is also, innately, incredibly sensitive.
How did you prepare for the role?
Initially, I started preparation as I would have for any character. Also, Paola was very good at providing us with prompter questions for the direction she was interested in having the dynamic lead us. Her questions were very focused on relationship and history with our illnesses. I began detailing Tara’s bio; up until the moment she walks into the bathroom. It’s something that I like to use to exercise my imagination. I need a background on a character in order to be able to tap into the pulse of their thought process, and therefore their unconscious convictions. Once I did that, I focused on physicality. this led me to the question of which specific illness taro was suffering from at the time I knew that the characters were based on Paola’s grandparents. The next rehearsal we had, with Paola’s consent of course, I probed the question of her grandparents’ history. (I am a big believer in, if you have access to a primary source use that as your guideline). What she reveals to us I immediately incorporated as the foundation for the choices I made, as Tara.
We definitely became a strong team by the end of filming, our Director cut her hair the final day of shooting. She cut her hair in order to honor both her grandparents whom the characters and the dynamic of the story is based on, and solidarity, with cancer, patients, and those suffering from terminal illnesses. It was such an amazing moment to be a part of because she had people on set cut sections of her hair and she trusted me to cut the last chunk, making her transition 100% official and complete. It was also hilarious because I did not even have time to change out of costume and prosthetics so the photos behind the scenes of me cutting Paola’s hair. I still have my ball cap on.
Is the film available now to watch?
The film is currently on the film festival circuit.
What is up next for you?
I have film projects in the pipeline, but I also want to direct, and star in my own projects. I have two in development, and they will begin shooting. Stay tuned for more of that!
What’s the best way to follow you online?
My work can be found on my IMDb and my Instagram for all things me!
