It’s completely alright to be conflicted: Cruel Summer actor Chiara Aurelia

By Express News Service

Chiara Aurelia performed Jeanette Turner, a nerdy teenager, in Cruel Summer, one of many greatest surprises on tv this 12 months. When Kate Wallis, the preferred woman in highschool, mysteriously vanishes and not using a hint, Jeanette prudently steps into her sneakers, conjuring Kates’ associates, lover, and ultimately, her whole existence. That doesn’t full her character arc although; there’s extra simmering beneath Jeanette. The non-linear screenplay toys with the timeline, permitting us to witness her character metamorphose with time — from being the sort and gullible teenager in 1993 to develop into America’s most hated particular person in 1995. 

That’s so much to chew, however Chiara embodies Jeanette skillfully, delivering a efficiency that drips repugnance and remorse. Talking of her first impression of the script, she says, “I hadn’t read anything quite like it until then; from the time jumps to the evolution of the character, there was a lot about it that I found super exciting.”

In a peculiar transfer, the creators of the present abstained from revealing the sequence’ ending to the actors. “It was crazy!” Chiara says, sharing her expertise of appearing within the sequence with out the faintest thought of the climax. “When I signed the show, I expected to find out the ending sooner. The showrunners, however, had other plans; they made us wait until the filming of the eighth episode before uncloaking the mystery for us. We became the audience and began investigating the puzzle together,” she says, including that it was initially laborious to search out the pitch and tone of her efficiency. As the present wasn’t essentially shot in chronological order, it was an added problem. “We would lurch from capturing sequences from ‘95 within the morning to ‘93 within the afternoon and shoot a little bit of ‘94 within the night, relying on schedule. 

It was a problem for each actor and workforce member. Not solely the angle of each character however even the aesthetics and visible type additionally change drastically between these years. It was complicated at instances, however as soon as we acquired the cling of an ever-changing environment, it was pleasant.”Speaking of actors or performances that influenced her portrayal of Jeanette, Chiara says, “Drawing from the ‘90s setting, I was inspired by the performances of a young Winona Ryder, Drew Barrymore, Jodie Foster, and so many other incredibly talented women out there.” 

On a macro degree, she provides that cinema was her first appearing coach. “I learned the most from watching films; I have seen all the classics and I try to keep up with new films. I think it’s really exciting to watch a movie that rips your heart out or makes you happy. My favourite movie is The Wizard of the Oz starring Judy Garland. And I would love to be a part of a musical at some point!” Chiara says with a smile.

Several movies previously have been responsible of feeding the ‘nerdy teenager’ stereotype. Cruel Summer, too, underlines the distinction between “nerdy girl” and the “popular girl” however its gaze isn’t pejorative. The writing, coupled with Chiara’s efficiency, fantastically humanises Jeanette. Chiara says that it was a aware effort to elude the stereotypes. 

“Stereotypes can be precarious. I strive to play multi-dimensional characters that show the world that there is more than one thing going on in our lives. I think it’s an important topic to touch upon. Jeanette is dorky, awkward, popular, sad, depressed, and pretty; she is everything. She is more than a simple picture of what a teenage girl should be like. Highlighting that on TV hopefully propagates the message to young people around the world that it’s perfectly alright to be confused and conflicted,” she concludes.