Sasha Lane is Hollywood’s new indie it-girl

Girl Cult

Sep 12, 2017 @ 1:00 pm By Lisa Yoo

Sasha Lane’s story as an actress might remind you of Hollywood in the 1940s — she was “discovered” by the director Andrea Arnold while on vacation in Miami, and then cast in her film “American Honey.”

But while her origin story has a #tbt vibe, Sasha is a thoroughly modern actress who feels totally of-the-moment. She won’t lose her dreadlocks just because a casting director says so, for example, and she has no problem admitting she acts based on gut instinct instead of classical training.

After slaying in “American Honey,” Sasha has seven more movies on the way — including “Hellboy,” a big-budget action movie that’s gonna totally put her on the map.

Read on for our interview and photo shoot with Sasha.

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Alright so, let’s talk about the Met Gala. This was your first Met Gala. Did you smoke in the bathroom?

Did I smoke? I feel like I can’t even say that now. I definitely went into the bathroom though.

What’s the bougiest thing you saw there?

The bougiest thing… Um, probably like I don’t know just like the way the carpet was.

What do you mean?

No, I don’t know — probably in the bathroom smoking in gowns.

Alright, smoking in gowns. Is that also maybe the most ratchet thing you saw?

Honestly yeah, yeah. It was quite the image. [laughing]

Well now that you’re famous what’s the bougiest thing you do?

Uh, probably get my nails done.

Really? That’s it?

That’s honestly it, and it just started. I’m already kind of like, that’s a little much’ That’s my one, “ooh, I’m gonna treat myself.”

Alright, are you an acrylics girl?

I just started on this like little…

Little claw?

Half inch claw thing. Yeah.

What’s the inspiration behind your Insta bio that just says “floating”?

I’m just floating in life, I don’t really know exactly what I’m doing, and that’s just how I go about everything. Just float. Let it be. Let it go

If you could perform any movie role in history what would it be? And why?

Something like really intense and passionate. Something to do with like mental illness because that’s such a big thing for me. I’m really into that and I feel like it would be so good to like where it’s your body language and your eye contact are more telling than the story rather than just words. So yeah, I’d be super into something like that.

Will you ever do TV?

Yeah, possibly. It just depends because TV keeps you from movies and it’s like a locked thing. Ya know. You’re in it for a minute. Ha! That rhymed. I would have to make sure it was something I’m really about.

Do you get super into shows and what’s your favorite show right now?

I do get super into shows. I get really invested.

Are you a binger?

Yeah, oh yeah. Um, Shameless was it. Now I’m watching Sense 8. It’s so good.

Is it? I couldn’t get into it.

I’m so into it! Me and my friend keep watching it every time she comes over now. I’m pretty in that.

What’s the last book you read?

It’s called Be Here Now.

What’s it about?

This guy talks about his trips that he’s taken and they’re all very spiritual. It’s just kind of like reminders to be here now. It’s talking about energies and life and like getting rid of anger and getting rid of time and all of that.

Do you meditate?

I try to meditate, but I get really like anxious, and kind of move around. Um, like I’ll just kind of sit with my thoughts. Like I’ll sit at my window and just do what I do.

Do you ever meditate with crystals? Are you a crystals fiend?

Um, not really as much as people would think I would be, but I love crystals. I just never really like do anything with them. I mean I’ve gone to a healer though they had some crystals, and that was pretty dope.

Have you ever had an agent or manager tell you to change your hair to get more roles?

They told me to like push it back a little bit. Ya know, make it seem like you don’t have dreads right now. I’m like, oh, ok. Yeah, but they know I’m really serious about my hair.

How’d you react when they told you?

Well, I got that. Cause at least I’m like “ok, I’ll let them see, but let them know this is what I have.” This is not going anywhere unless it’s like the role of a lifetime. So, I’m like they can dream, but that’s about it.

Do you feel like actresses need classical training?

Classical training?

Like go to an academy and learn.

I don’t think so because I think everyone has their own style, and I think sometimes that takes them away from being natural, and just letting things be. I mean there’s a lot of amazing actors and actresses who I think I guess have taken classes and do really well. I guess whatever matches your vibe.

So, you got discovered in a totally old school way that you don’t often hear these days. Would you have been an actress if that didn’t happen?

Oh definitely not. I think American Honey is the only movie I come into and be like ‘ah! this is what I want to do.’ Other than that, I’d be doing something with psychology or like gone somewhere on an island selling fruit.

So, you never thought of it before then?

No, no.

So you said you’d be doing psychiatry or traveling or something like that?

Yeah, like I don’t know I just wanted to help people and I wanted to be at peace.

That’s a great goal.

Yeah. Just doing that and living life. Just chillin.

That’s the ultimate goal, to be at peace.

Yeah!

What was it like to have your picture all over Daily Mail last year?

Oh, that was weird. It was really weird, it wasn’t like fun for me. It was actually really weird.

Tell me more. Did you feel like exposed a little bit?

Yeah, I felt it was really invasive and people were coming to my house in Texas. I just thought you wouldn’t do that to any other person. You know you wouldn’t put that much thought into it. So yeah, I didn’t feel too great about that.

As a woman of color in Hollywood, do you feel extra pressure to be a good role model or to set an example?

Yeah, because there’s not many of us and there’s not a lot of opportunities. You gotta try… like what is your purpose? What are you going to uphold? How are you going to represent yourself? I’m also big on being me and I’m not gonna change that just to match someone’s image of what I should be like.

Do you feel like that’s a lot of pressure?

Yeah everything, I feel like the entire thing is pressure.

Just having eyes on you.

Yeah, the entire thing is pressure. I think it’s kind of ridiculous pressure because I mean we’re gonna make mistakes and we’re gonna do what we do because we’re all humans. So, screw the pressure!

Would you ever get into writing and directing?

Yeah, I think so. Directing I like because I like to see. You’re just kind of like envisioning things, and that’s kind of cool. So, sometimes I’d help out Riley or something. And writing, I can’t really write like script form, but I have ideas you know, and it’d be cool to see it put to life.

What’s the least woke thing about you?

The least woke thing about me? Pssh, I’m like pretty woke in life.

We heard you just got a tattoo for a music video. What’s your tattoo philosophy? Do you have one?

It’s more of an in-the-moment type of thing. If it feels right, I go for it. You know, it’s not like, “Oh, I’m gonna have this for the rest of my life.” It’s like, this is a time in my life where I felt this, and that’s what it’s gonna be. It’s art, I think. It’s like posters on the wall.

I’ve actually had friends tell me that are super into tattoos that if they attach a meaning to it, then they end up hating it because it’s like you always change. They’re like, “I just get something if I think it’s going to look cool”. Then I’m always going to think it looks cool versus If it’s something that I think I care about at the moment, like I probably won’t care about.

Some have meaning. Some I’m like “oh, we’re doing a music video and we have a tattoo gun? Put a heart on me!” You know? Like awesome!