A Travel Inside Laura Mitchell’s Life
By Valentina Gaeta
Photography By Aaron Aubrey
Makeup Artist Alexandra Zenchuk
VG: As you know, our magazine discusses lifestyle. So we are very curious about your lifestyle; especially after the movie, your life must be changing a lot. So what do you do to relax during your free time?
LM: For me, what gives me the most joy is to travel. So whenever I have time off I make sure to book a trip and go travelling and explore a different culture, and different ways of life. It’s really what makes me feel very happy; as long as I have a good book and I’m able to find somewhere new, that’s where my happy place is. For instance, I’m going to Italy next week; it’s a family trip and we are going to Tuscany and Apulia.
VG: Oh, that’s interesting. That is the region where I was born. It’s very nice. By the way, I have always lived in Rome, I hope you’ll go to visit it as well.
LM: I would love to go one day! I’ve been to Italy so many times but I’ve never been to Rome. The only thing is that I find that there are so many tourists and it’s so busy in the summer that I would probably go during the off season. There are so many different regions I would love to explore.
VG: I have seen that you post a lot of your trips on Instagram. Do you like connecting with people through social media?
LM: Yes, yes I do. I love Instagram and visual storytelling. I also love fashion and try to make many of my posts reflect my personal style in addition to my travels and film work. I have also been able to connect with fans on there as well which has been really lovely. It has been so inspiring to get that feedback and be able to connect with people all over the world.
VG: You take a lot of pictures of food too. So what’s your favourite food? Do you also like to cook or do you prefer to eat?
LM: I really enjoy to cook but I, unfortunately, don’t get to do it very often with such a busy schedule! I love to cook for my boyfriend. There’s something really satisfying about cooking for the one you love.
VG: In which areas of your life do you like to indulge? When do you like to splurge?
LM: I would have to say that travelling is definitely my most indulgent luxury. My boyfriend and I usually take two months out of the year to travel. In the last few years, we have done most of Eastern Europe, India, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Bali. We are both in the film industry so we’re able to make our own schedules and explore whenever we can. In terms of fashion, I love being able to mix high and low. So I will splurge on an expensive item if I know I’ll have it and love it forever.
VG: Do you have a good luck charm that you wear or always bring with you, something that you feel lost without?
LM: There are actually some gold rings I picked up while I was travelling in India that I love so much and have not taken off my fingers since I bought them. I shower with them, I sleep with them and so. I kind of feel that they are a part of me and I don’t ever like taking them off. It always feels weird when I take them off for a role. I think it’s because I associate them with such a beautiful place that means so much to me and the memory of the day I got them is still there when I look at them. They are very special to me.
VG: Do you have any traditions that you follow?
LM: A lot of the most important people to me are all over the world and I don’t get to see them very often. So whenever I do, I always love to sit down and share a beautiful meal, a great bottle of wine, put away all technology and just enjoy the experience of being with friends and family.
VG: Now I want to ask you a question regarding the movie. Your character, Kate, has a very cynical approach to life at the beginning of the film. How much do you identify with Kate? What are the differences and similarities between your characters?
LM: I don’t think that it’s so much a cynical approach as it is her being protective of the people she loves. I can very much identify with that because I am very protective of the people I love, and I think that that’s who she is in the beginning of the film. She is concerned and protective of her brother-in-law because she went through such a harrowing ordeal with the press and the media, so she doesn’t want to have that happen to Harry.
She’s also concerned about what could happen with Meghan being an American, who’s divorced and biracial. I don’t think that it’s coming from an evil or mean place, I think it’s coming from a concerned and loving place. But as you see by the end of the film, she realizes that this is true love and that this woman is extraordinary and very special. Kate then welcomes her into the family and into her life. I think I connected with Kate in the way that I too would probably be concerned and protective of the people I love.
VG: Is there any character that you have played who is more similar to you?
LM: To create a character I have to examine the life of the person. What motivates her, how she sees the world, her relationships, her behaviours, and her motives. Once I find out what drives her I am able to build a character. You always have to take into account their surroundings and how they were raised. It’s very much like being a detective and delving into all the elements that make a person who they are. I find ways I can lend myself to the character and how the character lends herself to me. I have played a lot of different characters and I feel I can always find a way to anchor myself to something within them that I can relate to.
VG: Expectations about the role of Kate were very high. How did you feel during the filming? Did you feel anxious about fulfilling the expectations?
LM: During the filming, I wasn’t nervous about that because I didn’t want it to affect how I played the role, the energy on set, or anything like that. It was such a lovely experience on set with the filmmaker and all the other actors and crew that being nervous wasn’t an issue. I think that everyone knew we were making a special film. I did however become a little bit nervous after we had finished wrapping. I realized the kind of attention and the kind of press it was getting and it was a bit overwhelming. I wanted to make sure that I had portrayed her well, and had done the role justice.
VG: What are your future projects? Besides the trip to Italy, of course.
LM: I’m going to be going to Toronto for a couple of months, to audition and work there, so that should be really exciting. I have a few independent films coming up that are fairly dark and gritty. I’ll be playing some characters that are definitely a departure from the roles I’ve been getting lately so I am really excited for the change and for the challenge!
