review | raye live in london

dress. L’Amour Brut
shoes. Vaquera x Converse

Julia Wolf is an artist of many faces. There’s the angsty lyricist who so candidly puts her deepest thoughts into song, there’s her inner child from Long Island, New York, hooked by Twilight and pensive walks in the woods, and then there’s the woman who sits in front of us in her dressing room, hours before opening up for MGK at the Adidas Arena in Paris. “Seeing the crowd’s response every night has been so encouraging and welcoming, especially as an opener. You don’t always know what you’re getting into,” says Wolf.

Wolf is warm and inviting with a personable charm. She’s been on tour mode for the past six months and gushes about the gothic architecture and pierogies that welcomed her in Poland. Before her Paris show, she uses her set list to scribble down notes on how to say her show intro in French. It’s clear that behind the art, Wolf is truly just a girl with big dreams that are coming to life. 

look. Azura Archive
right.
necklace. Disturbia
top. Topshop
shorts. Sarah Garfield
shoes. Vaquera x Converse

Onstage, Wolf’s vocals are as hauntingly captivating as on her studio records. She ends her set with hit track ‘In My Room’ which perfectly embodies Wolf’s unapologetic embrace of  vulnerability. “I’m just saying crazy stuff that [people] resonate with that we tend to maybe keep to ourselves,” she shares. “I always say that I don’t have an imagination because if I try to make something up or put myself in a scenario I haven’t lived, it’s very obvious that I’m speaking from my head so that’s why I tend to just write what I know,” she adds. “I feel like, I stalk myself on the internet to see what you’ll find, is just the epitome of me and it explains how my brain works.”

dress + boa. Eleanor Bathgate
rings. Julia’s own
right.
dress. L’Amour Brut
shoes. Vaquera x Converse

Wolf puts no limit on her musical identity. As a result, the artist has a diverse discography that pulls from emo pop, metal and trap-R&B. “I start getting antsy when I get labelled as only one thing because I feel like I do love so many genres that why not just tap into them when I can?,” she says. Her ability to effortlessly navigate between genres has led to collabs with the likes of Drake, MGK and more recently jumping on a dance music track. “As long as someone is cool and I like what they’re doing, I’m always going to be down to do the collab,” she adds, naming Phoebe Bridgers as her number one dream collaborator. 

On her ascent, Wolf is already ticking off goals that only existed in her childhood dreams, like playing intimate live shows at Bella Swan’s home from Twilight, a movie that carries the same air of nostalgia as Wolf’s music. “I was in 8th grade when it first came out. All of high school was such a struggle with friendships and self-hatred and all of the things. Then I found a character, Bella Swan, who’s kind of going through those same insecurities and self-doubt,” she says about her love for the film. “Seeing how she went through high school feeling the same way, it’s just my comfort.”

jacket. Gwendoline English
top. Topshop
shorts. Sarah Garfield
tights. Falke
right.
dress + boa. Eleanor Bathgate
rings. Julia’s own

Wolf feels very at home in the world of all things spooky, it’s an interest she credits to her mum. “I’ve always kind of gravitated towards the dark, gloomy, weird creatures of the night,” she says. “Since I was in the womb, she was always playing that stuff on the TV. My first crush was like Jack Skellington. It’s one of those things where I just grew up with it and it’s my comfort now.” Similarly, the world Wolf has created through her music is one of solace and familiarity. In being unafraid of the shadows of herself, Wolf sheds light on the tender nuances of being human.  

jacket. Azura Archive
ring. Julia’s own

This Schön! online exclusive has been produced by

photography. Matt Moorhouse
fashion. Brittany Newman
talent. Julia Wolf
makeup. Maya Man @ Stella Creative Artists using Anastasia Beverley Hills
hair. Michela Olivieri @ Caren Agency using Fenty Hair
photography assistant. Ben Renshaw
retouch. Lex O’Neill
production. Clara La Rosa
casting + words. Shama Nasinde
location. Aethos London Shoreditch
Special thanks to FORWARD Agency

jacket. Amir Taghi
heels. Malone Souliers
jewellery. Awe Fine
tights. Stems

Sitting at home in Brooklyn, Sarah Yarkin is a far cry from the cynical, sarcastic Rhonda she plays in teen drama series ‘School Spirits’. Rather than the sharp edges of her on-screen counterpart, the California-born actor and producer is warm from the outset, her openness emanating through the Zoom call. It’s a contrast she’s well aware of. She admits that she originally found it hard to connect to Rhonda – a ghost who has been roaming the halls of Split River High for 62 years, ever since she was killed by her guidance counsellor, Mr Manfredo.

In the first two seasons, Rhonda’s prickly demeanour acts as a wall of indifference, boxing in her trauma and keeping others at arm’s length. By the third season, however, her true self finally comes into focus. “There’s this moment where she takes off her mask, and she goes, ‘This is me.’ I think that’s the most vulnerable we’ve ever seen her,” Yarkin shares. For the actor, that shift opened up new emotional territory to explore, particularly a queer love story that exists beyond the confines of a traditional coming-out narrative. “We’re not just sitting there talking about being gay,” she says. “That’s an amazing thing in the media today.”

Ahead of the show’s season finale, Schön! sits down with Yarkin to delve deeper into Rhonda’s character development, what it means to be part of the queer storytelling in ‘School Spirits’ and what she’s looking for in her next project.

bodysuit. Zeynep Arcay
opposite
bodysuit. Zeynep Arcay
skirt + corset. Eman Alajlan
heels. Tamara Mellon
jewellery. Awe Fine

Congratulations on season three of ‘School Spirits’! I remember watching season one and being shocked by the finale. 

Season one’s finale was insane. I actually cried. I remember watching it – and I was there during the day, I know what happened – and seeing Peyton [List]’s performance, I was actually crying. And I think that happened again in season two’s finale. And I’m always shocked when they put it together, and I’m like, “That’s powerful.”

It’s gripping, so I’m really excited to see what they do at the end of this season. Over the last three seasons, we’ve really seen Rhonda face her trauma. How has it been for you to unpack such a complex character and get to play her as she evolves? 

That’s such a good question. When I first got this breakdown for the audition in season one, I was like, “Wow, that’s such a dream.” Doing a period piece, a character from another time [is something] I’ve always wanted to do. Someone with such a horrible backstory, as an actor, is such a terrible thing and also such a gift. It’s very three-dimensional. There’s so much going on, so much research to do, and so many of these conversations with the creators of the show, Nate and Megan Trinrud about what actually happened to her? What do I think happened to her? What is spelt out in the script? What backstory am I creating?

She has just such a huge trajectory over these three seasons. In season one, she’s the most closed-off character. She’s sarcastic, she has no energy, her eyes barely open, she’s saying mean things, and flipping people off. In season two, she starts to challenge that to see if there is a way out of there. And then season three is this amazing payoff of all of that work, where she’s actually willing to connect – and connect with Quinn in this really sweet, beautiful way – and be honest with the other ghosts that she hasn’t been honest with in 30 or 40 years. It’s been really exciting to play these different facets of her as she’s changing, and although she can’t age, she’s still changing and growing in so many ways. 

top. Libertine
skirt + belt. Avvenn
heels. Stylist’s Own
jewellery. Awe Fine

This season, she finally experiences true happiness free from trauma. How important is that scene for her story, but also the way that audiences perceive her?

What’s interesting is that when we actually did the scene, it was written very differently. It was written where she goes into more of her trauma and Mr Manfredo. There was some automated dialogue replacement in the scene, and I don’t even know if people notice – of course, I do because I’m like, “That’s not what I did!” – but there was more going into depth like, “I haven’t kissed anyone in 62 years because of what happened to me…” It was a more emotional, heartbreaking scene talking about her trauma, and then kissing and having this great moment. 

Some of the editors, the creators of the show, and the producers all told me later, “There’s so much trauma in the show – that is what the show is about – and there’s so much trauma in queer love, as well. What if we have a moment where it’s not about trauma? What if we have a moment where she acknowledges it, but it’s not wrapped in her trauma?” As an actor, I was like, “No, put in my moment where I’m sad and I’m crying, I want that,” but to see it come together in this incredibly heartfelt [way], I think that’s almost the most honest moment we have of Rhonda. That is her admitting that she’s been lying, that this bravado is an act, that she is just a teenager. She puts on this show, and I had a hard time stepping into that role in season one. I was like, “I’m not cool. I have no bravado. How do I do this character?” So, there’s this moment where she takes off her mask, and she goes, “This is me.” I think that’s the most vulnerable we’ve ever seen her. 

She says she hasn’t been kissed in 62 years, and directly contradicts her comments in season one. Did knowing that she had said that as a front make you see or treat her differently this season? 

I fought back. I was like, “Wait, no, no, no, in season one, she said this, and in season two, she said we’ve all done whatever.” They were like, “No, this is who she is.” It made me understand her even better because that’s so much more relatable to me as a younger sister. I felt like a little prude growing up, and I got to connect with her more. I don’t think I played her any differently, but it made me understand her better, being like,“Yeah, of course I’m going to pretend I know what they’re talking about.” 

I remember we were listening to ‘Dirty’ by Christina Aguilera when I was in fourth grade, and my sister and her friends were like, “Do you know what this song means?”, and I was like,“Yeah.” I remember thinking, dirt, like mud? That’s what [Rhonda’s] been doing for so long. It’s so much easier to pretend you don’t care, and you’re above it, and what a safer, less vulnerable place to be. 

jacket. Amir Taghi
heels. Malone Souliers
jewellery. Awe Fine
tights. Stems
opposite
jacket + skirt. Haider Ackermann
jewellery. Awe Fine

Audiences are so invested in Rhonda and Quinn’s relationship that you even have a ship name, “Quinda.” Why is it so important for you to be a part of this queer storytelling? 

I mean, it’s a dream, right? I came into my queerness as I was starting this show in 2022 and understanding myself as I began to understand this character. I said, “I think she’s queer,” and Nate Trinrud said, “Yeah, sure.” I don’t know, to this day, if she was going to be written that way, or if there are so many queer creators on this show that I said, “This is how she is,” and they said, “Yeah, we buy that.” 

I think back to when I was younger, and I obviously didn’t know or understand this part of myself. I heard of the L word, but I was too young to have watched it. I was watching ‘The O.C.’, ‘The Hills’, ‘Recess’. There were no queer characters, there were no normalised queer characters. I can’t even imagine watching a show and there being two women or someone who’s queer or someone who’s non binary. We just grew up in a different time, and although it wasn’t that long ago, it really feels like a long time ago in the media. It’s so amazing to get these messages from people cheering them on. It’s the sweetest thing in the world. 

A third grader just came up to me in my neighbourhood in Brooklyn yesterday, and she was like, “I’m such a fan of the show.” Her mom was like, “We love the show. We watch it all together.” I walked home just smiling. It was the sweetest moment. People of all ages are watching this – as young as third grade – and there’s nothing weird about two men kissing or someone non binary and a woman kissing. That’s just a normal story arc. I think it’s unbelievable. It blows my mind. 

jacket. Amir Taghi
jewellery. Awe Fine
tights. Stems

It’s one of those things, as you said, that makes sense for the character. It’s not something that feels performative in any way, and that’s also why people latch onto it. 

There was something I read about how there’s no coming-out scene for Rhonda. It’s not about that. Quinn has this whole speech about their gender identity, and that’s sort of coming out, but there’s no discussion between them of their sexuality, who they’re attracted to. Kristen Stewart had such a great quote like, “Enough traumatic coming out stories, let’s just have people be gay.” There’s something amazing about this, where we’re not just sitting there talking about being gay. Even Yuri isn’t talking about being gay. Charley’s dealing with his understanding of bisexuality, sure, but there’s not a coming-out scene for him. That’s an amazing thing in the media today. I’m so proud of it. 

I’m hoping we’ll get to see more of that relationship before the finale. Without spoiling anything, what can we expect from Rhonda in terms of her character arc, within the last few episodes of the season? 

It’s so funny, you’re like, “Don’t spoil anything,” and I genuinely don’t really remember what happens. It’s such a blur when we’re shooting the show out of order, and we’re wearing the same costumes every day, so I have no real memory. They haven’t sent us [episodes] six, seven, or eight yet, so I’m trying to remember. There was a very sweet scene – I’m not going to say who it’s with – and I’m looking forward to it so much. That, for me, is what this season is about for this character, as much as the “Quinda” stuff. 

Rhonda is older than all of them – she has been here longer than all of them – and she steps into that position of an older sister for some of these other ghosts of giving advice. Not in a sarcastic way, and not as a front and not in a sassy, mean way, but being there and listening and showing up for people in ways she couldn’t before show up for herself. I’m really excited for people to see that. 

jacket. Haider Ackermann
jewellery. Awe Fine
opposite
jacket + dress. Simkhai

I want to switch gears just a little bit. Your song, ‘Rosy Glasses’, was featured in season one of the show. How does your music allow you to explore parts of yourself that acting might not? 

That was such an amazing thing to happen. I love them for that. There’s something amazing about acting, where you get to go and be a character and say other people’s lines and try to insert yourself into that character and figure out how you relate, but you’re not saying your own words. With music, I’ve been writing a lot just for myself. It’s like my own therapy and journaling. Being able to express myself in my own [words] is the most vulnerable thing. Acting is so vulnerable, but this, to me, tops that in so many ways where you’re like, “These are my words. This is about someone.” There’s something so vulnerable about it and therapeutic in ways where I can just say whatever. With acting, there are so many layers to it, and singing and writing music is direct. 

You’ve dabbled in producing as well. You star, and you were a producer on the upcoming short film ‘Visitors’. How has that role helped you grow in your craft of acting, but also experience a new facet of storytelling? 

We are premiering at SXSW in a month, which is so exciting, and we just found out we’re finalists for an award – it’s all been a dream. As an actor, you go to set and hear your lines and “Here’s your costume,” and “Say your line,” and “Stand on your mark.” Sometimes you get a little more creative control, but usually not – there are so many cooks in the kitchen. I’ve wanted to be a creative producer for so long in terms of like, “Here’s the work I want to be making. Let’s go and make it. And I want to be in it.” That is my ultimate dream – and it always has been – to get to do that in a smaller way and see it work, where I was like, “I’m actually good at this. I’m good at making calls, and I’m good at getting things to happen.” 

Minnie Schedeen – a close friend of mine, an amazing writer and director – [and I] have been talking about working together for so long, and she thought of this idea. We said, “Let’s just go make it,” and we made it in two months. We got an amazing team of female producers together, and I got to sit there and learn everything from them. It demystified it for me. It was such an incredibly fulfilling experience. I’m just so excited and ready to do that in a bigger way now, and we want to adapt this into a feature. It genuinely was a life-changing experience. 

That’s so exciting because you do have that much more control over not only where your character goes, but also the trajectory of the entire story. 

One hundred percent, and getting to be like, “I think we should cast this person, and I think this is what this should look like, and I love how the director of photography is colouring this.” Minnie is such a phenomenal collaborator and wants my notes on the script, and I’m so in awe that she even considered what I cared about. Getting to work in that sense and saying, “I don’t think I would say that,” and not feel like I’m overstepping. For her to be like, “Oh, yeah, say it however,” that’s ultimately my dream as an actor, getting to decide what I want to make and be in charge of making it. 

jacket. Amir Taghi
jewellery. Awe Fine
opposite
bodysuit. Zeynep Arcay
skirt + corset. Eman Alajlan
heels. Tamara Mellon
jewellery. Awe Fine

Definitely. With that said, what are you looking for in your next project? 

It’s funny, I’m always like, “I don’t know, anything good,” and that’s not a very good answer. I would do anything where I could win an Oscar [laughs]. No, I’ve been getting some really interesting scripts. I love the indie film world, and want to be doing more in that. There are some incredibly creative things happening there that maybe studios wouldn’t support. I’m super excited to go to SXSW and show this as a showcase of not only my work as an actor, but also as a producer and collaborator. I have an audition tomorrow for an Off-Broadway play, and I am so nervous about it. 

Oh my goodness!

Thank you! I’m so nervous. I’ve been singing for a long time and taking singing lessons, but to do that in front of an audience is a whole other beast. I’ve been working on this song for a month, so we’ll see how it goes. I’m just excited to keep pushing myself – and scaring myself – into trying things that are terrifying.

Good luck with your audition! It’s a very exciting thing to be in a position where you want to challenge yourself and take those risks with projects – and it’s a gift to get to that point.

No, totally. To even go to SXSW and say I’m not only an actor, but I’m a producer. It’s so easy to gaslight yourself in this industry and say, “Oh, no, I’m not that, I’m not a singer, I don’t do theatre, I haven’t done it since high school.” To go into a room and not say, “Oh, I’m trying to be…” or “I want to be…” but say, “I am a producer,” that’s the best gift you can give yourself. I’m trying to take that advice more, and be like, “I said I wanted to do the thing, I did the thing, and now I am that thing – and I can continue being that thing.” One hundred percent introducing myself as that thing, because that is who I am now. It’s so easy to trick yourself into thinking you’re less than that. 

We all do it, right? 

I’m a pro at it.

jacket + dress. Simkhai
heels. Alevi
jewellery. Awe Fine

The season three finale of ‘School Spirits’ is now streaming on Paramount+.

photography. Kendra Frankle
fashion. Amanda Lim represented by The Only Agency
talent. Sarah Yarkin
hair. John D.
make up. Tanya Alian
production. Cassidy Cocke
interview. Amber Louise

dress. Iris Yang
boots. Stewart Weizman
opposite
bra. Fililia K
skirt. Jacub Cielecki
shoes. Aquazurra
earrings. Rellik
latex hold ups. Elissa Poppy

Jess Alexander is not a star. Or, at least, that’s what she tells me. “I don’t feel like I’m really a public figure… yet!” she claims. So, the first sentence should actually go like this: Jess Alexander, a British rising star, recently on everyone’s lips, due to Ryan Murphy’s ‘The Beauty’ (telling a story about a new sexually transmitted treatment) and animal attack horror ‘Primate,’ does not consider herself to be a public figure just yet. But, let’s be honest – this one isn’t that catchy, right?

Our interview is scheduled for around thirty minutes. We are supposed to talk about Ryan Murphy’s latest show. She wants to do it, I want to do it, but we simply drift somewhere else right after saying “hi” to each other. It feels organic, a vibe of meeting a stranger at the bar and remaining purely curious. Whoever you are – an actress, a journalist, or anyone else working in the film industry – you have to be interested in other people. Otherwise, what’s the point of taking up this job in the first place? So, you don’t ask about their work hastily. You don’t ask personal questions just like that. You talk about the weather, for instance. In this case, as your icebreaker, you mention an airport, as Alexander is waiting for her flight. 

“Heathrow?” I ask. “Yes,” she replies. “I don’t live far from here, so it’s often the least painful part of a journey.” Alexander is not shooting anything new. She is, instead, “flying to Santa Fe for a writing retreat.” For a week, Jess will write and exchange ideas with a few colleagues. I ask her if she considers herself to be a writer. “I suppose so,” she admits. “I’ve actually been writing for the last couple of years. But now, I’m trying to take myself seriously.”

Here we are: Jess Alexander is a writer. “Of course, there are a lot of upsides in the landscape of acting,” she tells me when I mention that I wouldn’t have assumed her being a writer, as acting is already pretty challenging these days. “Today, it’s much more accessible. It’s a good thing that we have many more platforms for accessible careers. But I also think it obviously makes it a more competitive space. When you’re aspiring to anything creative, you’re against so many people. And you need to have your own thing,” Alexander confides. “Yet, what often saves you during those tough moments is community. It’s pressurising, but it’s not like we’re reinventing the world or anything. We’re just playing some dress-up for a living, that’s it!” 

coat. Bottega Veneta by Designer Exchange
shoes. Charles & Keith
earrings. Fay Andrada
socks. Falke
opposite
coat. Rellik
shoes. A.W.A.K.E. Mode
earrings. Fay Andrada
tights. FALKE

Actors are often beautiful creatures. And Alexander has had to sacrifice one thing for beauty. It was, as she says, half-joking and half-serious, her “sanity.” “I’m a bit of a perfectionist, especially when it comes to acting. It’s taking me away from being more present and open to new stuff. When you get wrapped up in perfectionism, you’re achieving the opposite of what you want to accomplish. It’s a waste of time, isn’t it?”

The question, “What would you sacrifice for perfection?” feels like the main theme of Murphy’s show. By experimenting with beauty, people put on certain masks and become someone else completely. The allegory with acting seems pretty obvious at this point. Alexander says that, as a young actress, she used to put on a certain mask while taking her first steps in this industry. “It was the role of an actress doing some press interviews. I was still figuring out who I am.” Now, after growing up and getting more experience on set, Alexander feels “totally relaxed with myself.” “It’s just easier this way. You’re not pretending, and you don’t have to worry what people are going to think of you!”

It doesn’t necessarily mean Alexander has finally managed to find her “true” self. The actress knows she’s still looking. “I’m a mystery even to myself. Even now, I feel like a completely different person than last year. And, I definitely sense that my frontal lobe has finished cooking, so let’s see what the day brings,” she laughs.

At some point in our conversation, Alexander admits that when she’s not acting, ‘I’m always able to occupy and enrich myself outside of it.” “Like writing retreat?” I ask her, so the topic is, once again, back. She nods and explains that for her, writing is a great escape and a challenge, too. “It can be quite lonely. But acting can be like that as well; it depends mostly on timing. Once you’re on a set with other people and can’t find time for yourself, and another day it’s the other way around.” This is when I tell her that in those kinds of jobs, there is a profound difference between “solitude” and “loneliness.” “So true,” she admits. “I need solitude in my life, and it can be a beautiful thing. I crave it when I finish my acting job. I need no one bugging me!” Jess laughs.

“Maybe I’ll find some solitude in Santa Fe on this retreat,” Alexander says after a few seconds. “What do you think?” “Possibly,” I admit. “I feel like I have been on my phone way too much,” Jess retorts. “And, London is also a lot. It’s just so easy to fall into certain patterns while living in London, isn’t it? Everything is so fast-paced, and whenever I’m back there, I quickly return to my old rubbish habits, like being constantly on Instagram while on the tube. I want to spend this trip in a much better way, and this is why I’m looking forward to it. I guess I just need it.”

So, does she often feel distracted? I mention it’s interesting because, as an actress, she needs to excel in attentiveness. “It’s impossible not to! I just got a short attention span,” Jess giggles “And, there’s so much going on that you often search for something new. I think many people in the creative industry feel that what they’re pursuing is pretty trivial, so they look elsewhere. But a lot of art can shift something in the world, so we need to remember that!” As they say, the grass is always greener on the other side.

bra. Fililia K
skirt. Jacub Cielecki
shoes. Aquazurra
earrings. Rellik
latex hold ups. Elissa Poppy
opposite
top + shorts. Viviano
boots. Casadei

As time quietly rushes us, we go back to Murphy’s latest show. Alexander, alongside Evan Peters, Rebecca Hall, and Jeremy Pope, is a vital player in “The Beauty.” Hall is specifically worth mentioning, as both actresses play the same character in two different narrative stages (no spoilers, just watch the show). It’s quite ingenious that the showrunners play with the trope of how one actor/actress replaces another. “I believe we are naturally quite similar to Rebecca!” Alexander laughs.

The actress explains to me that Murphy casts strongly off instincts. Hall and Alexander have a similar way of speaking, including humour as well (apparently an important part of the whole equation). “When I realised that’s what I’m auditioning to play, I’ve watched a bunch of Rebecca’s previous projects. And, I just studied her; that was just a part of my research.” Their character, Jordan, evolves throughout the episodes – both physically (casting) and mentally (writing).

‘The Beauty’ is glamorous. So is its cast. Does Alexander believe that certain actors have something “mystifying” about them? “Fashion and glamour have always been a part of the image of an actor. Nowadays, we see much more methodical dressing, which only strengthens the effect,” she says. For Alexander, there shouldn’t be too much glamour, because it “dehumanises actors.” In a way, she misses the time when talents used to have their own style instead of the one already pre-planned by the PRs.

One cannot forget that part of the show takes place in Venice, which, as she puts it, “is the most glamorous place I have ever been.” “But, hey,” she suddenly chips in,” I love a little bit of glamour. There’s nothing in dressing for the premieres, wearing diamonds that aren’t mine… It’s all fun, but we have to remember it’s just a cute fantasy. It’s like putting on a new character for a night.”

A few minutes to go, and we return to her life and habits. “I think I need to fix my attention span,” Jess confesses. “Perhaps I can do it on a plane?” I tell her not to connect to Wi-Fi there under any circumstances. “I disagree with Wi-Fi on the plane!” she retorts. “If you don’t need it, don’t use it. I adore this idea that for the next ten hours, no one can get to me, and I can be solely with myself. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like anyone is particularly trying to reach me! You leave your plane, turn on your notifications and see that no one is texting you anyway,” Alexander chuckles.  

full look. Louis Vuitton
opposite
coat. Bottega Veneta by Designer Exchange
earrings. Fay Andrada

We touch on the idea that access to culture tends to be overwhelming, especially for younger generations. “Do you often feel like it’s just too much to digest?” I ask her. “I do. I sometimes have this overwhelming fear that I’m never gonna experience everything I want to,” she admits. “Sometimes I feel like I’m doing a certain disservice to my youth by just not doing enough. But it’s just a catch-22 of your twenties, because every new thing is done for the first time. It should be enough, but you’re never present enough to appreciate it fully. You’re always somewhere else, thinking too many steps ahead,” she says. “It’s like this quote in ‘The Office,’” I tell her. “The one when Andy says he wishes there was a way to know you’re in the old good days before you will actually leave them.” “I love this show,” Jess confides. “Truly cerebral.”

And has ‘The Beauty’ changed the way Alexander thinks about herself? “Not really. However, I guess I’m now a more confident artist,” she admits. The 27-year-old actress feels that the show’s scale, its production value and the entire ensemble have shaped her new attitude. Yet, when it comes to the question of eponymous beauty, nothing has really changed. “As a young woman, I still try to figure out the relationship with my own body. The entire world of ads tells me how I should look. And I know that I’m portraying a supposedly stunning and perfect version of my character, but it doesn’t change a damn thing.” 

Alexander believes that as a woman, “you can never fully be happy.” For her, trends change every year, and, as a result, women learn to look at their bodies through new and redefined lenses. “You can never really keep up with how you feel you should look.” A lot of ‘The Beauty’s’ heroines could have listened to Alexander talking, particularly the main protagonist of the pre-ultimate episode.

I bring up the idea that she’s also an actress. “Yes, it doesn’t help,” she notices. “This job revolves around how you look. When I was growing up, I kept hearing that the camera always adds three pounds. Can you imagine? Women feel pressure in this industry, but to be honest, men do too. I don’t know any male actor who is superbly confident, either. It’s just a matter of perspective.”

We need to wrap up, as Santa Fe awaits her. “Would you consider taking ‘The Beauty’ in real life?” I inquire, as Jess is kind enough to spend a few more minutes on a call. “No,” she answers. Well, that was fast, no hesitation in her reply. “Why?” I wonder. “Even without any side effects, I just wouldn’t do that,” she explains. “You know what? When you have kids, and they inherit your natural features, the ones that belong to your mom, dad, and ancestors, then why would you like to change them?” Then, she adds, “I look exactly like my mom, so if I were to change anything, that would be an insult to her. And, to my future daughter. Thinking of that already makes me sad. We all need some time to grow and learn how to love ourselves.”

bra. Filipia K
skirt. Hisu Park
shoes. Charles & Keith
hat. Emma Brewin

photography. Annie Noble
fashion. Celine Sheridan
talent. Jess Alexander @ United Agents
casting. Emma Fleming
hair. Isaac Poleon @ The Wall Group using Dyson, got2b + Schwarzkopf Styling
make up. Alex Reader @ One Represents using Lisa Eldridge
lighting tech. Harriet Turney
digi op. Guy Gunstone
production. Clara La Rosa
retouch. Marina Karaskevich
fashion assistant. Amanda Flor
interview. Jan Tracz