Photo Credit: Claire Thais Photography
We caught up with young actress Kylee Levien who was recently Princess Issa’s (played by Stella Grace Fitzgerald) stunt/photo double in Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire on Netflix. She also starred the indie Roswell Delirium alongside Anthony Michael Hall and Dee Wallace. Her role in the film earned her both the Best Lead Actress Award at the Eastern Europe Film Festival, as well as the Best Young Actress Award at the Five Continents Film Festival. In Roswell Delirium, Kylee’s character sends signals to space to try and connect with her father but soon finds herself ill from radiation poisoning.
Kylee tells us all about working on Roswell Delirium, working with Zack Snyder on Rebel Moon and what went into her stunt work, acting advice, and her passion for and involvement with nonprofits including Baby2Baby and South County Outreach.
Check out our conversation below.
What can you tell us about Roswell Delirium and your lead role in the film?
Kylee Levien (KL): Having a role written for you is such a huge honor so when the director, Richard Bakewell, gave me the storyline, I was already thinking of how I thought the character would be. I made her a little sassy to fight the bullies, strong, and determined. I filmed all but 2 days and had the most fun on set because the crew all taught me their jobs. I got to pull focus, fly the drone, be a boom operator, and be in the auditions as casting. I learned so much from everyone around me and I worked with some very talented actors. Our night scenes were fun because we were either screaming in neighborhoods or running in the street and I’m sure people were wondering what in the world was going on!
What was it like working on Rebel Moon: Part One from a learning experience perspective?
KL: Who wouldn’t want to work with director Zack Snyder? He was so down to earth on my shoot days and he engaged with his crew and cast in such a fun way! I was a stunt and photo double for the princess role and it’s actually not that easy. You have to do the exact same fall, movements, and turns as your actress. The coolest part was wearing the same outfit and feeling like I had a twin sister! Most actors don’t want to discuss a role like this but I feel, that to really understand my career, I want to do every job. Making TV/movie magic goes way beyond the actors. There are so many people who bring their talent to the sets and I want to walk in all their shoes.
What can you tell us about your involvement with nonprofits?
KL: I love the fact that I can help others without the acknowledgment of it. My heart is with babies and children so some of the nonprofits I volunteer weekly for help distribute food, diapers, and clothing to children in need. This world can be brutal so if I can just spread a little love and kindness to people who need it the most, I will!
What do you enjoy the most about being an actress/storyteller?
KL: One of the best parts of being an actress is getting to bring a character on a piece of paper to life. I relate each character to someone in my life or an experience that I’ve had and then add a sprinkle of me to her. It’s really fun to be someone else that I created with the help of the writers.
What has been the best advice someone has ever given you about acting?
KL: Funny you ask; when I work with some of the most incredible actors, I forget to ask their best advice but I did recently get some encouragement from Robert Downey Jr. when we were talking about how hard this industry can be. He summed it up in 3 little words: JUST KEEP GOING. While that sounds easy and obvious, it’s actually not! Not only are child actors in school, and usually sports, we get tons of auditions that we then have to memorize, change our character, take meetings with our team, directors and then are told “No” a lot, and that can really be hard for kids (and adults too). We balance many things at once and have to have the right people in our corner to keep us going and focusing on our dreams.
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Follow Kylee Levien: Instagram