Check out our interview with talented actress Sarah Hay who will star in the upcoming independent feature film, Unidentified Objects.
Sarah stars as ‘Winona Jordan’, a sex worker who develops an unlikely friendship with a Gay dwarf (Matthew August Jeffries), in search of her childhood alien abductors. The film will have its World Premiere at Inside Out Film Festival and Frameline Fest in San Francisco. The film was directed by Juan Felipe Zuleta (Cannes Silver Lion Award). Sarah will next be seen opposite Shane West in Lionsgate’s Mid-Century. Sarah is best known for her Golden Globe-nominated role as ‘Claire’ in Starz Network’s critically acclaimed ballerina series Flesh and Bone.
Follow Sarah @sarahhayofficial
Hi Sarah, please tell us a little about you?
I’m a frog who sleeps under a mushroom when it rains, I’m the baby elephant that lives in the apartment above you when you can’t sleep…. Or I’m a ballerina turned actress and producer. Depends on the day.
Describe yourself in 3 words?
ADHD, dyslexic… what was the question?
How did you get started into acting?
I was dancing in Germany and luckily, moments before I walked out and threw my wigs at the director, I was cast as Claire in Starz’s “Flesh and Bone” where I got to portray all the pain and abuse, I had suffered as a ballerina in a corrupt, systemically abusive industry. Which reminded me that art can still be a form of expression and catharsis.
How has this changed your life?
I feel very grateful that I have the opportunity to be my own “life choreographer” in a creative sense.
What is the best and worst part of being an actress?
Best: Getting to step outside of my own experience into the potential experience of another.
Worst: Auditions!
How do you prepare for a role?
I usually just imagine what it would be like to really be that character. I love psychology, so it’s mostly just a study of someone’s inner workings.
Tell us about your work on independent feature film “Unidentified Objects,” and about your role as Winona Jordan?
Working on this film was my FAVORITE experience as an actor so far. The character teeters between dreamer, lover and perhaps delusional. Making her believable and grounded was my goal, without losing her child like dreams and wonder.
What other projects you have been part of?
There have been a handful… my favorites are,
“Braid”, Apple
“Room 104”, HBO
I’m dying up here, Showtime
“Flesh and Bone”, Starz/Amazon
“Sea Oak”, Amazon
What kind of roles do you like or would like to play and why?
I want to be a superhero, or a super villain, anything with “super” in it is ok by me.
What is the most rewarding part of your work?
When I actually get to work, it is quite rewarding. Do you know anyone who wants to reward me?
What’s your advice for the newer actors?
RUN.
What would you say are the greatest lessons you learned so far in this business?
… make sure to really do your homework on who you work and collaborate with. It has taught me that most people in this business are in it for the wrong reasons. Vet intentions, including your own.
How would your best friend describe you?
Whatever that bitch says, don’t believe a word of it.
If you are a book, what would be the title of the book and why?
‘How To Not Fill Up Your Bathtub With Clothes’ (Sarah Hay’s Guide To Procrastination, Setting Boundaries, And Being An Adult In An Age Of Man Babies.)
Or!
‘Horticulture for ADHD’
Or!
‘ADHD For Horticulturalists’
-DUH
What advice would you give to your younger self and why?
Stop grinding your teeth.
And…. Wash the makeup off your face completely before going to sleep.
And…. Making mistakes is ok, that’s how you learn what NOT to do.
What book should every entrepreneur read?
“The Giving Tree”.
What’s next for Sarah Hay in 2022?
Queer film festivals. YAAASSS QUEEN!
What is your favorite healthy food?
Mushrooms.
And your favorite cheat food?
Vegan/ Gluten free mac and cheese!
What is your own definition of happiness?
Laying in the sun with my boyfriend and puppies.
If you could meet someone living or dead, who would it be and why?
My Fab Four, the “Golden Girls”.
They would know all the secrets a woman needs to know in life.
Best advice ever given?
F*** it.
Do you support any charity?
I support the criminalization of ecocide, ending plastics, and stopping the damage incurred since the industrial evolution began.
Where do you see yourself and your career in 5 years from now?
I see myself being a founder of a production company whose goal is to help reverse the effects of climate change.
Favorite song? Why?
“Can’t Seem To Make You Mine” by The Seeds. It spins on a record player in such a way that I become hypnotized and dance in my underwear.
What do you think of Social Media?
A great tool and a terrible master.
Where can we follow you?
Instagram @sarahhayofficial
Book: “How to Change Your Mind”, Michael Pollan.
Quote: “Water Off A Duck’s Back”, Jinx Monsoon.
Movie: “Captain Fantastic”.
TV Series: “Ru Paul’s Drag Race”.
Favorite Food: “Soooshi”
Travel Destination: Anywhere tropical.
Sports Team: Let’s go METS!
Photo Credit: Gerrad Wilson
