Chloe East has a distinctive mechanism for dealing with the pressures of her growing fame: She convinces herself that every project could fail. Her first major role was in the 2021 HBO teen drama Generationand when network executives touted the series as “the next Euphoria,” his first thought was, “Is it, though?” Later, she landed a part in Steven Spielberg's biopic The Fabelmansas Jesus-loving Monica, a mashup of the director's various childhood love interests. She went to the premiere at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival and was emotional about the possibility of being cut out of the film entirely. Now, just a few weeks away from his first starring vehicle: A24's latest thriller Heretictogether with Hugh Grant and Yellow jackets' Sophie Thatcher: she has the idea that no one will see it.
Of course, she has been proven wrong every time. Generationdespite being a one-season wonder, it is responsible for launching the careers of young talents like Chase Sui Wonders, Justice Smith, and Lukita Maxwell. And she transformed The Fabelmans it was a real scene stealer. “They included me in a lot of the movie and people were laughing at me,” East recalls of that premiere. “I was like, 'What?' And then I saw people leaving reviews on Letterboxd — an app I respect with all my heart — and saying my name. It was a big shock.
Since then, East has been consistently booked. Her next year will be an embarrassment to IMDb riches: She'll be alongside Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano in Liz Feldman's next show, No good deeds; has a part in Kogonada's highly anticipated film A big, bold and beautiful journey; will play Amy Adams' daughter At the seaside.
The 23-year-old grew up in San Clemente, California, but says her tastes were honed by childhood visits to independent theaters in Los Angeles. “I was a movie snob at 13. I remember my father taking me there once Holy Mountainwhich is an R-rated film,” he says. “We got to the Aero Theater and they said, 'We absolutely can't let your daughter in.' ” He has an almost insatiable appetite for work, but perhaps the most important key to building his career is his ability to spot when a role is – and isn't – right: “If spotting a character for an audition feels like work really tough, there's probably someone better suited for the job.
When he read the script of Heretiche knew he was right. The film, which comes from the co-writers of A quiet placefollows two Mormon missionaries (East and Thatcher) who knock on the door of a potential recruit. They are drawn in by Hugh Grant's apparent charm (and his assurances that his wife is home), only to find themselves trapped in a deadly cat-and-mouse game of religious fanaticism. East is not Mormon herself, but she was raised religious and has many practicing childhood friends — some were even on missions while she filmed.
“It sounds arrogant, but I felt like no one knew the character more than me,” he says. “I felt protective of the role and desperately wanted it so I could give a respectful portrayal of a Mormon missionary. I felt it in my bones.”
Hugh Grant with Sophie Thatcher (centre) and East in Heretic.
French Kimberley/A24
The film is both an examination of religiosity and a fun, gory thriller, and while East herself isn't a horror fanatic, that element appealed to her cinephile side. “I would really get lost in the sauce while filming,” she says. “We would do these long 15-minute takes, and you sit in that fear for so long that you start to believe it.”
The Vancouver-set production was also her first experience as a lead, and while the job seemed the same as her past work, she was impressed by the star treatment A24 offered: a personal refrigerator constantly stocked with Yerba Mates, a ride to and from the set every day (it was the first time she hadn't driven herself) and even a Taco Bell truck (she let it slip that she was a fan). “Since there is more pressure on you [as a lead]things like that can make things a little easier and more fun, but I hope I never actually want the princess treatment,” she says.
As much as he tries to resist – or, at least, resist believing it – his life is changing. East is conducting this interview via Zoom while in production on his next effort, a project too secret to say anything. (“I only told my family and my dog,” he admits.) It's a heavy mental load for someone so young, but he's learning to utilize the industry veterans he shares a call sheet with. She has remained close to Adams since they wrapped production At the seaside. “I've worked with a lot of incredible people that I can't relate to at all. For example, Hugh Grant and I do not exist on the same planet. But with Amy, she started out in a Spielberg movie, grew up religiously, had a rapid rise. It seems like we speak the same language.” East points to his iPhone and displays a list of “Questions for Amy” in the Notes app.
“The most important thing for me is to make sure that I'm always in the position that, if everything went away, I would be OK,” he says. “I think that's why I try to convince myself that every job will be a failure: I'm putting that feeling to the test. “If I couldn't act anymore, it would be a shame, but I can still go surfing, see my friends and bake a chocolate cake.” ”
This story appears in the Oct. 30 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to sign up.