INTERVIEW BY VIOLETA NICOLA

Rising star GIANNA KIEHL currently stars on the second season of Amazon Prime hit series “Hanna” as Jules Allen. The coming-of-age drama follows the story of a young girl raised in the forest who tries to unearth the truth behind who she is while being on the run from a CIA agent.

Aside from her roles in the short films Still Standing and How To Read Minds, “Hanna” is Gianna’s big break as an actress.

In this exclusive interview, Khiel disclosed everything from getting the role a year after finishing drama school, to filing the show and what life looks like for her now.

How would you describe this series to those who haven’t seen it yet?

“Hanna” is the story of this very special young woman who was brought up in the woods by her father. She goes on this amazing journey of self-discovery, revenge, and growth. The story is a beautiful one, centering around the theme of family, young women, and so on.

What makes it different from any action-suspense-drama out there?

What makes the show different from any action-suspense drama is that it is told from such a unique perspective. The story is told from the point of view of this powerful, strong, and innocent-in-many-ways girl Because of this, the action-suspense angle gains a unique sensibility from the girl but it doesn’t lose its attributes.

How would you describe Jules’s character?

Jules is new in season two and she is one of the other genetically enhanced girls that has grown up in this facility where Hanna was taken out of. She is really funny, strong, and becomes good friends with the other girls. She is fiercely independent which I really admire. She is very inspiring to me.

How would her character play out in the grand scheme of things this season?

Jules and the other girls are living in this socialization facility. They start the season being introduced to this new way of life, from basically being robots and training to become weapons to being given these secret identities and being out in the world. The freedom that comes with their access to all of this new information sparks some really interesting storylines.

How was it to be a new character in the show?

Being a new character on the show was no different to me than being on a new show. I had a lot of support from the producers and all the other creatives on the project which really helped me discover my character deeper. We have had lots of conversations with the people who made the costumes and did our hair about the way these things affect our characters so I felt very supported in that way. What was frightening to me was the fact that I have never done a show like this before.

How was it to bag this role right after graduating from The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts

Even though I got the role so quickly after graduating from drama school, around a year, it still felt like a long time. I know that most actors get a job like this after a relatively long time but I definitely stopped hoping for a big break. I was working as a nanny when I got this job and it all felt so surreal when I found out I got such an incredible role like this.

Everyone’s process is different and each has its unique approach to things. Can you walk us through your creative process whenever you go and film a scene?

My process going in to film a scene changes a lot. I would often lie in bed and think about a way in which  I can approach a certain scene that makes me feel comfortable with the way I act in it. For me, focus is a massive thing so sometimes, when things just don’t click, one thing that I try to do is I try to let go of all my fears and my anxiety and just give in to the scene.  I try to lower the chatter in my brain and focus on my character’s present moment. I remember all the things my character has done in the past and focus on what she really, really wants at that moment. Sometimes I try to focus on her mood and think to myself “She's angry now so I have to be as angry as I can”, and sometimes, the environment that she's in helps get the scene to where it needs to be. The process is always different because I keep evolving as a person so naturally, that will evolve as well.

How did acting start for you? Was it something that you’ve always wanted from a young age?

I always feel so awkward saying that I've been acting my whole life but honestly, it's true. For as long as I could remember,  acting was always a part of my life. Maybe it all starter from my parents sending me to acting camps but that just maybe because of the type of kid that I was so they picked up on my interest in acting. I wasn't allowed to watch television so we would only watch around 2 movies a month or so.  I wasn’t exposed to a lot of them, but that meant that every time a watched a movie, it was the most amazing thing in the world. I got attached to a lot of the actors that I watched on screen and certain stories stuck with me on such a level. Films always felt very personal to me and they always filled me with excitement and a need to be a part of them. I will always remember that feeling. There was no doubt in my head that I would do anything else as a career. I was always thinking about what acting classes I  could take next so I could become better at it. I wanted to know how to be good at it.

What’s your dream project?

Right now,  I would love to do a small cast, contemporary American play like Samuel D. Hunter or Annie Baker do. I honestly just want to work with brilliant actors and amazing directors and get to do a five-week rehearsal process, dissect the play and do like a forty show run. I really miss theatre. Another project that I would love to do is something similar to Spy Kids where there's a lot of action, I get to run around with a gun and do all these cool stunts.

Aside from acting, what else keeps you busy?

I find that a lot of things keep me busy but it's not always positive For example, I can spend the whole day rearranging a drawer in my room because I'm a massive collector and I keep a lot of things. When I finished filming “Hanna”, I was in such a heavy headspace because I was thinking about acting and how to get my character right so, in order to get my mind off of it, I started baking and doing crafts. I've been baking a lot recently.

What are you most excited about in the near future?

Right after this interview, I get to meet with my friend that I haven't seen so long in the park.  That is making me so excited as I imagine we will spend hours talking and catching up. I'm also excited about the industry slowly getting back on its feet.