MIKA ABDALLA — A BOOK OF MAGAZINE

Exclusive interview with SEX APPEAL actress MIKA ABDALLA on her character Avery, the challenges and the highs she faced on the show, life lessons, and her desire to venture into directing someday.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I grew up in Dallas and moved out to Los Angeles by myself when I was 17 to attend college and pursue my career full time. I started acting when I was six. I’m first generation on my dad’s side (who’s from Bulgaria), an only child, and stupid close to my family. I also have three cats that all look the same who I love like children.

Tell us more about your character Avery from Hulu’s Sex Appeal. What drew you to this role?

My character in Hulu’s Sex Appeal is named Avery. She needs to have control over everything in her life, and failure to her isn’t an option. Throughout the film, Avery is forced to come to terms with the reality of being human and having faults - and to be okay with that. I was immediately drawn to her because of the similarities we share. I definitely struggle with perfectionism and get extremely anxious when I feel like things are out of my control. Avery’s arc resonates with lessons that I have had to learn transitioning from a teenager to a young adult.

How would you describe the show?

Sex Appeal is a coming-of-age comedy about navigating the boundaries of love, sex, and friendship in high school. My favorite thing about the film is that it doesn’t follow the tropes of films before it, in that it’s a female-centric story of sexual exploration. My character has three moms whom all want her to be proud of her body and sexuality. It promotes an open conversation about the importance of being safe and consensual while simultaneously prioritizing yourself and what feels good for you, physically and emotionally, especially for young women.

What’s the most challenging part of doing this role?

I found myself falling into the same patterns as Avery when I was on set: being hypercritical of my work and carrying a lot of self-doubt. I loved the project and wanted to do Avery justice, so I was incredibly hard on myself whilst in her shoes.

How did you rise above these challenges?

In the least hippy-dippy, tortured artist way, I viewed Avery’s story as my own. As humans we can’t be on it 100% of the time, same as me. It was honestly like free therapy.

What’s the proudest moment of your career so far?

Rediscovering my love for the work. The transition to adulthood from being a child actor can be extremely disheartening. I’m incredibly proud that I didn’t give up on myself during the hardest season of my career thus far.

What inspires you?

The feeling of finally discovering a way to connect to a character’s experiences inspires me more than anything. It’s so rewarding to be able to use imagination to deeply connect to situations that are outside of your personal comfort zones. I’m inspired by the empathy my job pushes me to find.

What scares you?

On a higher level, embarrassment. On a simpler level, the news. The two are interchangeable.

Guilty pleasure?

Mindlessly rewatching 90s sitcoms to an obscene degree. It’s actually really embarrassing when people ask what shows I’m currently watching and I have to find a way to not say Seinfeld for the 9th time.

Name your top 5 favorite films of all time

The Big Lebowski, Ode to my Father, La La Land, Titanic, and Inglorious Basterds.

Last song that got stuck in your head

December, 1963

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

In terms of acting, what you’re able to provide creatively is way more interesting than how well you’re able to replicate what’s on the page. In terms of life, nobody cares what you’re doing as much as you do. People are way more concerned with how they’re perceived than how they perceive you.

What’s your ultimate goal?

To reach a point in my career where I’m able to have more of a voice in the production process. I’d love to venture into directing. I’ve also been slowly writing a feature over the course of the pandemic, so getting to move forward with that project in the future would be incredibly fulfilling.

What are your dream projects?

I’m really big on films that are loosely based on reality. I think if I were my age in 1997 I’d have killed to be in Titanic. In the same vein, I’d love to do a biopic. It takes an insane amount of research to justly portray a nonfictional person, which I guess sounds like both a dream and a nightmare.

Is there a skill / talent that a lot of people don’t know about you?

I’m really good at losing irreplaceable objects. I’m obsessed with old jewelry and trinkets that have a story, but I’m really bad at keeping track of things. It’s a curse.