Interview: Mia Goth – ‘MaXXXine’

It’s not often that people get the pleasure of speaking with the incredibly talented Mia Goth, an English actress who has firmly established herself as a rising star in the film industry. Mia not only stars as the titular character but also serves as an executive producer in A24’s MaXXXine. Directed by Ti West, this film is the third and final chapter in a highly acclaimed trilogy, all featuring Goth. Following the aftermath of X, the story tracks the thriller’s sole survivor as she ventures to Los Angeles on her journey towards fame. The film was released in theaters nationwide on July 5, 2024.

Mia previously starred in, wrote, and executive produced Pearl, a prequel to X that earned her two Critics Choice Awards. She will soon wrap production for Frankenstein, directed by Guillermo del Toro, an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel, co-starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, and Christoph Waltz.

Goth’s impressive filmography includes her role as Harriet Smith in Emma., opposite Anya Taylor-Joy, in the adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel, and starring roles in High Life alongside Rob Pattinson and Juliette Binoche, Suspiria with Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton, and The Secret of Marrowbone with George Mackay and Charlie Heaton. Her performance in A Cure for Wellness, opposite Dane DeHaan, and her role in The Survivalist, which earned her a nomination for the “Most Promising Newcomer” at the 2015 British Independent Film Awards, are also notable highlights of her career.

Mia’s other credits include her acting debut in Lars Von Trier’s Nymphomaniac: Vol II, Everest, and appearances in the acclaimed PBS series Wallander and Sky network’s The Tunnel. Additionally, she has been featured in Prada’s La Femme fragrance campaign.

The ‘X’ trilogy has made a significant impact on the horror genre, blending psychological depth with innovative storytelling and striking visuals. Each installment has pushed the boundaries of conventional horror, delivering a unique narrative that captivates audiences and critics alike. Goth’s performances have been lauded for their intensity and complexity, making her a standout figure in contemporary cinema. The trilogy’s exploration of ambition, fear, and survival resonates deeply, establishing it as a modern classic in the genre.

Join us as we delve into Mia Goth’s experiences, insights, and her latest work in the magnificent MaXXXine.

Mia Goth Interview

In Maxxxine, you’re returning to your role as Maxine Minx, now living in Hollywood in the 1980s. What has making this film and indeed, this trilogy, meant to you?

Mia Goth: It’s hard to put into words. I could never have anticipated what it was going to turn into when I first met Ti West back in 2020, we were discussing the movie ‘X’ and the role of Maxine. At that time, I didn’t even know about the prequel of ‘Pearl’ and this third movie, ‘MaXXXine’ that was revealed to me later on. It’s just changed my life. I don’t know if I’ll ever have an experience quite like it. It’s been the most creatively fulfilling experience of my career and two of my absolute favourite characters in Maxine and Pearl to play. I’ve just had so much fun with it, created so many friendships and learned so much. I feel like a much stronger performer because of these three movies. I’m so proud of them, and I’ll look back at them fondly for the rest of my life.

It’s common for women to play the victim in the horror films, particularly in films from the 1970s and 1980s. How does someone like Maxine Minx, in a movie set in this era, turn that around?

Maxine is fearless and that’s one of the things that’s so attractive about her. She deals with extremely traumatic situations a lot of people would probably not be able to move forward from, but there’s such a fire in her and she’s not going to let anything get in her way. And that’s why I love playing her so much. It’s really one of the reasons why I wanted to play her, because so often it is hard to come across female characters that have such agency over their lives and they’ve such a clear vision for themselves. That’s one of the reasons why I’m so drawn to the genre, I guess because Maxine’s just so powerful. Too often I come across female roles and they’re usually the witness to everything that’s going on. And I don’t like playing that. I don’t like playing the witness to all the action and life that’s happening. I want to do that myself. And in horror, I’ve found a platform for that.

Can you think of a female actor who has also worked in the horror genre that you particularly admire?

The Shining is one of my favourite movies. I think Shelley Duvall is amazing and is incredible in every movie that she’s in. She’s definitely someone that I look up to and admire.

How much of yourself has gone into the character of Maxine?

One of the things that I have come to realise that it’s not so much about me trying to step into these other characters’ lives. It’s more the other way around. It’s more looking inward and me trying to understand myself more and to try and find those
characters within me. That’s become more of my process. It’s less about me and them as a separate person, that’s the character. Everyone that I play, I really try to find them within me and it’s me dialled up or it’s me dialled down, but then I try to blend the two
as much as possible. But I think that is the only way to work. Otherwise, I feel I’m just putting a mask on. Then it’s more like a caricature.

You were born in 1983. How much research did you do into the 1980s as an era, and what inspired you most?

When I think about the 1980s, I think of my mum a lot. When I was growing up, she always spoke to me about the ‘80s and how much fun she had, the music and the parties that she would go to, and the fashion. When it became time to start researching this, it always felt like even though I wasn’t around during that time, I felt very close to it. I was very comfortable in this time. It’s such a fun era and I don’t know if there’ll ever be another era to compare. And researching the time was so informative. I didn’t really know who Maxine was going to be at that time. I didn’t know how to position her; I didn’t really know what angle to approach her with. Then I started listening to the music and I started watching Debbie Harry interviews, and Blondie videos in particular that inspired me. It took a firm understanding of the 1980s to get a firm understanding of who Maxine was going to be.

The Hollywood of MaXXXine features the protests of the 1980s that accused it, amongst other things, of being ‘the devil’s playground’. What is your take on that part of Hollywood’s history?

I don’t know if I would agree with that necessarily! But I do think that there’s a duality to Hollywood, which is interesting how on one level there’s this seedy underbelly and it’s a little grimy and a little dangerous. And then on the other side, it’s incredible, there’s so much potential, it’s where people come to fulfil their dreams and there’s so much hope here. I think Ti West nails that duality really well in this movie.

Maxine has a burning desire to be a star, perhaps now she’d just be on Tik Tok. How do you think celebrity culture today compares to that of the 1980s?

I don’t really engage with that celebrity culture. I am not active on social media and that’s a conscious decision from my end to maintain a veil of mystery and to protect myself, it’s not what I’m trying to do. So, it would always seem very clear to me that they’re different worlds.

The film starts with an unforgettable audition scene between Maxine and director Elizabeth Bender, played by Elizabeth Debicki. Could you relate that scene to your own audition experiences?

I didn’t actually audition for Ti West! He and I just met up and we had a conversation and we got on really well. He’d seen my work up to that point and I guess he responded to it. So that’s how I got that meeting. But yes, I’ve been on countless auditions, and I was able to pull from my own experience in this scene. Like Maxine, I really loved the opportunity of auditioning and relished it. I always knew that it wasn’t even necessarily about getting the movie, it was just a way to practice my craft, my acting. I really do think that acting is like a muscle, and if you don’t use it enough or often enough, it tends to atrophy. I just love the competitive nature of it too. I am very competitive, as is Maxine. It’s a similarity between the two of us I never really feel intimidated going into an audition.

Elizabeth Debicki plays that very rare thing – a female director in Hollywood during that era. How important was that to you, to have her on board?

Yeah, I’ve been a fan of Elizabeth for a long time. I’ve always thought she’s a very strong actor and she came to set, and I was just blown away by her for a lot of our scenes. I’m just listening to her. I had a lot of time to just absorb her and all her strength, she’s so powerful and she has such a commanding nature on set. I’m completely in awe of how she processes how a scene can evolve from start to finish. I think she’s one of our strongest actors that we have. In fact, one of the most pleasant things about the shoot was working with all the supporting cast who came to set. I usually got about two or three days with each actor and was always amazed at the quality of their work and how much they had thought about everything and how much they brought to their characters. It really was a highlight of making this movie, just having a chance to work with such incredible actors.

It’s been just over a decade since you had your first film role with Nymphomaniac Vol:II. What have you learned and where would you like to take your career now?

I’ve been incredibly privileged and yet I’ve worked hard to get to this position. I’ve been making movies since I was 18 years old, and X was the first lead role that I played portraying Maxine. It took a long time to get to that point, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. When you are in the middle of it and very hungry and you are wondering when that opportunity is going to come, you can feel a little impatient. But now in retrospect, I think it all happened at the perfect time. I don’t know if I would’ve been equipped to played two roles like that in X, both older Pearl and Maxine. I don’t know if I would’ve been able to have made Pearl without all that experience that I had from my own heartache of feeling so close to certain projects and then not getting it in the end. I think in the future, I’d like to just continue trying new things and challenging myself and doing things that scare me.

MaXXXine is still available to see in cinemas, don’t miss your chance to see it on the big screen.

Maxxxine trailer