Chloe East talks ‘heretic’ and why she’s perfect for the role

Chloe East has a special mechanism for coping with the pressure of growing fame: she convinces herself that any project can fail. Her first big role was in the 2021 HBO teen drama. Generationand when network executives touted the series as “the next Euphoria– her first thought was: “And yet?” She then landed a role in Steven Spielberg’s biopic. Fabelmansplaying Jesus-loving Monica, an amalgamation of the director’s various childhood love interests. She went to the premiere at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival and braced herself for being cut from the film entirely. Now, she’s just weeks away from her first starring vehicle, A24’s latest thriller. Hereticalong with Hugh Grant and Yellow JacketsSophie Thatcher – she entertains the idea that no one will see this.

Of course, she was proven wrong every time. GenerationEven though it was a one-season wonder, it launched the careers of young talents like Chase Swee Wonders, Justice Smith and Lukita Maxwell. And it’s her turn Fabelmans was an outright scene stealer. “They put me in most of the film, and people laughed at my role,” East recalls of the premiere. “I was like, ‘What?’ And then I saw people leaving reviews for Letterboxd—an app I respect with all my heart—and saying my name. It was a big shock.”

Since then, East has been constantly booking tickets. Her upcoming year is an embarrassment of IMDb riches: She’ll be starring alongside Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano in Liz Feldman’s next show. No good deed; she has a role in Kogonada’s highly anticipated film The Big, Bold and Beautiful Journey; she will play Amy Adams’ daughter By the sea.

The 23-year-old grew up in San Clemente, California, but says her taste was honed by her childhood visits to independent movie theaters in Los Angeles. “At 13, I was a movie snob. I remember how one day my father took me to the cinema. Holy Mountainit’s an X-rated movie,” she says. “We went to the Aero Theater and they were like, ‘We absolutely can’t let your daughter in.’ She has an almost insatiable appetite for work, but perhaps another key to building her career is her ability to pinpoint when a role is right and when it’s not: “If choosing a character to audition for seems like really hard work, maybe there’s someone better suited for the job.”

When she read the script Hereticshe knew she was right. Film created by co-authors Quiet placeis about two Mormon missionaries (East and Thatcher) who knock on the door of a potential recruit. They are seduced by Hugh Grant’s apparent charm (and his assurances that his wife is home), but find themselves trapped in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with religious fanaticism. East is not a Mormon herself, but grew up religious and has many childhood friends who practice—some were even on their missions while she was filming.

“It sounds cocky, but I felt like no one knew the character better than I did,” she says. “I felt protective of the role and desperately wanted it so I could do justice to the Mormon missionary. I just felt it in my bones.”

The film is both an exploration of religiosity and an entertainingly gory thriller, and while East isn’t a horror fan herself, this element appealed to her cinephilic side. “I really got lost in the sauce while filming,” she says. “We did these long 15-minute takes, and you sit in that fear for so long that you start to believe it.”

Filming in Vancouver was also her first experience as a presenter, and although the job felt similar to her previous jobs, she was blown away by the star treatment that A24 offered – a personal refrigerator constantly stocked with Yerba Mates, travel to and from the set every day (it was her first time not driving herself) and even a Taco Bell truck (she let it slip that she was a fan). “Because there’s more pressure on you (as the lead), things like this can make things a little easier and more enjoyable, but I really hope I never need the princess treatment,” she says.

No matter how hard she tries to resist it – or at least not believe it – her life changes. East conducts this interview via Zoom while working on her next job, a project too secret for her to say anything. (“I only told my family and my dog,” she admits.) It’s a tough mental load for someone so young, but she’s learning how to take advantage of the industry veterans with whom she shares the call sheet. She has maintained a close relationship with Adams since they wrapped production on the film. By the sea. “I’ve worked with a lot of incredible people that I can’t relate to at all. Like, Hugh Grant and I don’t live on the same planet. But for Amy, she started doing a Spielberg movie, she grew up religious, she had a quick rise. It feels like we are speaking the same language.” East points to her iPhone and shows a list of “Questions for Amy” in her Notes app.

“The most important thing for me is to make sure that I’m always in a position that if it all went away, I’d be OK,” she says. “I think that’s why I try to convince myself that every job is going to be a failure—I get that feeling. “If I can’t play anymore, it’ll be a bummer, but I can still surf, see my friends and bake a chocolate cake.” »

This story appeared in the October 30 issue of The Hollywood Reporter. Click here to subscribe.