Ever Anderson in conversation with Guia Ortolani
GO Ciao Ever, where are you right now? And how are you going to spend your Summer Holidays?
EA Hello Guia! I am with my family in Malibu. We decided to stay here for the summer which is so much fun for me and my sisters. We love the ocean. I’m doing some surfing, taking long walks and enjoying some quiet time reading.
GO I must confess I’m obsessed with your Tik Tok lately…I saw a video where you sing (in Japanese) and you also play the guitar. Please tell me more!
EA I have been so fortunate to visit Japan throughout my childhood. It is such a beautiful country and the people are always so kind. Learning languages is something I really enjoy. This past February I began teaching myself Japanese through a language App, but after a month found it limiting so I asked my parents if I could study Japanese more seriously. I found a wonderful online tutor who I meet with once a week. She had recommended that I learn some songs in Japanese to help me with the rhythm of the language. Then my grandmother told me about a Japanese song she loved from the early 60’s sung by The Peanuts, Koi No Vacance, that has a great melody. I play a little guitar and taught myself how to play it well enough that I could sing along to it.
GO Soon we’ll see you as the female protagonist of the long-awaited Peter Pan & Wendy movie. How did you prepare for the role? And what does Wendy have in common with you?
EA I grew up watching Disney’s animated version of Peter Pan and always loved Wendy. So when I heard about the audition to play this iconic role for a live action version of the film, I was beyond thrilled to be given the opportunity to read for the part, let alone land the role. To prepare myself I re-read the original story of Peter and started to incorporate my own take on Wendy, bringing some of my own experiences being a big sister into that character; I also grew up practicing TKD which was super helpful for all the sword fighting I had to learn and the wire work we did for the flying scenes. We had weeks of physical training leading up to filming so by the time we started shooting, transformation was complete and I was entirely Wendy!
GO As a teenager making her path in the creative industry, where do you see yourself going professionally? You are now focusing on acting…I would love to know if you also have any other plan in mind for the future.
EA Yes. Eventually I would like to set up my own production company where I can develop projects that interest me bring stories I love to the screen.
GO In balancing school and acting career, how do you always stay motivated and focused?
EA My parents were very hesitant to allow me to start acting professionally at such a young age. Coming from the industry themselves, they were concerned that working might interfere with me being a kid. After a couple of years of me asking over and over if I could audition for things, my Mom finally agreed, but under the condition that I kept high marks at school, and if they dropped I wouldn’t be allowed to continue. Being on set is so exciting, and for me that’s the motivation to keep up with my school work. I also really enjoy learning new things, so it hasn’t been a huge struggle to balance the two.
“I re-read the original story of Peter Pan and started to incorporate my own take on Wendy, bringing some of my own experiences being a big sister into that character.”
GO Which Series are you binge-watching lately?
EA I am a huge Succession fan and can’t wait for the next season. I also really enjoyed the limited series Inventing Anna. Julia Garner is incredible and was also my favorite character on Ozark which I also loved! Another favorite is 1882 which my Mom and I watched together. Oh, and I highly recommend Maid with Margaret Qualley.
GO I found out that you are an avid reader in your free time. What are your reading lately?
EA I have been reading so much over the summer. I just finished The Shining by Stephen King. I also read Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. I’m currently re-reading Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet is one of my favorite literary characters. Next on my reading list is a book my Italian friend Leonardo recommended to me, Zeno’s Conscience by Italo Svevo. I found an English translation of it and ordered it online.
GO In last week’s horoscope, Rob Brezsny has focused on Scorpios’ special skill to dominate their mind, to control what they are thinking…as I know you are a Scorpio girl, I’m curious to find out your tricks!
EA Well… they wouldn’t be my tricks if I shared them! I will say that I can get pretty tunnel visioned when I’m focused on something, which is not always easy on those around me. Once I set my mind on something there’s no talking me out of it. I like to set goals for myself and achieving them makes me feel capable of anything.
Read the full interview on Muse September Issue 60.
