Actor Ariana Greenblatt talks about her new movie Borderlands, life after Barbie,&nbsp;and her ambitions behind the camera.

Photography by Lili Peper
Styled by Molly Dickson
Ariana Greenblatt&rsquo;s life changed forever last summer with <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/greta-gerwig-style-renaissance-cannes-2024-looks">Greta Gerwig&rsquo;s</a> <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/barbie-hyper-femininity-ultimate-act-of-feminism-coquettecore-bimbocore">Barbie</a>. In the Oscar-winning cultural phenomenon, Greenblatt played Sasha, a teenager who (reluctantly) accompanies her mother (<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/america-ferrera-movies-and-tv-shows">America Ferrera</a>) and Barbie (<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/margot-robbie-barbie-looks">Margot Robbie</a>) to Barbieland. Wearing her dad&rsquo;s vintage Madonna T-shirt over Zoom, Greenblatt recalls the dramatic shift in her approach to roles since the film&rsquo;s release last summer. "It was such a Truman Show out-of-body experience that made me feel really uncomfortable and weird for a while,&rdquo; she recalls. &ldquo;My life is so different now, and it happened so fast, and I don't know how I did it.&rdquo; This month, Greenblatt stars opposite <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/cate-blanchett-birthday-best-films-oscars-cinderalla-carol-lily-james">Cate Blanchett</a>, Kevin Hart, and Jamie Lee Curtis in Eli Roth&rsquo;s Borderlands, a spinoff of the video game series. Greenblatt plays Tiny Tina, a bombastic, confident, chatty teen who (reluctantly, once again) joins a group of heroic misfits.&nbsp;
Greenblatt, 16 (she turns 17 August 27), is quickly building up an impressive resume. In addition to the star-studded Barbie and Borderlands, she&rsquo;s worked with <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/men/adam-driver-memes-viral-moments-birthday-house-of-gucci">Adam Driver</a> (65), and on other major productions including Avengers: Infinity War and Ahsoka, a Star Wars series on Disney+. Next, she will star in Fear Street: Prom Queen, a 1980s-set horror film in the popular Netflix franchise, expected in 2025. Greenblatt spoke to L&rsquo;OFFICIEL about working with Blanchett, creating nuanced teenage characters, her attachment to music, and her personal take on red-carpet style.&nbsp;

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L&rsquo;OFFICIEL: What was filming Borderlands like?
ARIANA GREENBLATT: That was the most fun set I've ever been on, and the most chemistry I've ever had with a cast. We really bonded. We filmed during COVID, so we were the only people we'd see. We couldn't socialize with anyone else. So it was really nice to have such a bond with these people. And Eli, the director, was so great at bringing everyone together and having dinners and having lunches. And Cate [Blanchett] would always rent out beautiful places for us to sit and eat and talk. It totally reads that we had such a blast on that film.
L&rsquo;O: When did you film it?
AG: We filmed it in the beginning of 2021. I had just turned 13, and it was bad. Very cringe for me to look at myself at that age. But it's funny that it's coming out now.
L&rsquo;O: Are you pleased with your performance now, looking back?&nbsp;
AG: It was so long ago. I forgot what shenanigans we did on set, so I was definitely reminded. And then it's funny, because we had to do reshoots, so I could totally tell when the reshoots were and when the normal filming was. I can't take it too seriously because I'm just a crazy 13-year-old girl who&rsquo;s having fun.
L'O: You got to work with an amazing cast and director. Did you observe anything from working with all of these legends?
AG:&nbsp;[With] Eli, I learned a lot about writing and cameras. I wanted to learn about cameras and the different lenses. Because I've never taken an acting class or done any acting school, my acting school is being on set. So I was like, Let me take advantage of this time and these moments and just learn as much as I can.

"After Barbie, I decided to be super-thoughtful about the teenage girls I'm playing."

L&rsquo;O: Were you intimidated at all by Cate Blanchett?
AG: I think I realized how insanely iconic she was a year after filming. At the time, I literally didn't really know who anyone was. It worked to my advantage because I wouldn't be able to hold a conversation with her if I knew everything now. Now that I know her, it's chill. Her energy and aura are intimidating because she's so cool and confident and has the best humor ever.&nbsp;
L&rsquo;O: Your portrayal of teenage girls, in Borderlands and Barbie, is quite nuanced. Is that something you're thoughtful about?
AG: After Barbie, I decided to be super-thoughtful about the teenage girls I'm playing. They're always portrayed in such a one-note situation, and a lot of the time, they&rsquo;re bratty for no reason. That's why I loved my character in Barbie so much because you could call her bratty, but she has a point with everything she's saying, and you are losing every conversation you're having with her. But the complexity of a teenage girl, especially 16, 17, 18, there are so many different people you become throughout those years, and you're finding yourself and figuring it out. I'm very strategic about how I'm representing them now.&nbsp;
L&rsquo;O: Did you do a lot of stunts for Borderlands?
AG: I did. One of my favorite things about acting is doing my own stunts, and learning from and spending time with the stunt groups. I got really, really close with my stunt double on Borderlands, to the point where we'd have sleepovers and practice. It was awesome. She really allowed me to do my own thing and figure it out myself. Some actors are like, "I'll leave it up to [the stunt double].&rdquo; But I love doing them, and I love feeling that accomplishment at the end.

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L&rsquo;O: Do you feel like doing your own stunts benefits your performance and the storytelling in any way?
AG: I need that physical reaction for it to feel real. I feel like, especially with pain or shock, it's very easily on the line of looking very fake and cheesy if you're not feeling anything physically. So I love when it's actually happening.&nbsp;
L&rsquo;O: Is there anyone that you haven't worked with yet that you would like to, whether it be an actor or director?
AG: I would love to work with <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/emma-stone-facts-movies">Emma Stone</a>, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/taylor-russell-best-fashion-moments-bones-and-all">Taylor Russell</a>, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/timothee-chalamet-a-complete-unknown-trailer">Timoth&eacute;e Chalamet</a>, of course. I would love to work with Yorgos Lanthimos and Guillermo del Toro and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/sofia-copolla-debuts-augustinus-bader-collab">Sofia Coppola</a>.
L&rsquo;O: What was a highlight for you from awards season?
AG: Creating the looks and seeing everyone's reactions was super-exciting for me. Because I never really showed my style to the world, and I was like, I mean, this is the moment. Just sitting in the rooms that I was sitting in and looking at the people around me and being like, My life changed so fast. And now I'm with these people I looked up to my whole life and they're talking to me.&nbsp;
L&rsquo;O: What's your approach to coming up with a look for a red-carpet event?
AG: I have so many Pinterest boards and I talk a lot with my stylist, Molly [Dickson]. It's literally just whatever color or texture, or if I want to wear a long or short dress. It's really just random visions and ideas I see myself. I never want to repeat something I did before, so it has to be something new.

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"Music guides every emotion for me."

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L&rsquo;O: How would you describe your style?
AG: I feel like it changes all the time. I wear the same baggy jorts or baggy jeans or baggy <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/sweatsuit-fall-2021-fashion-trend-back-to-school">sweatpants</a>. I love a good Ugg, or I love a good Jordan 4 or <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/converse-movie-moments-marie-antoinette">Converse</a>. Then it's either my dad&rsquo;s vintage band tees, my brother's hoodies, my dad's button-ups, or my brother's button-ups.&nbsp;
L&rsquo;O: You do wear a lot of band tees. Does music help you get in the mood for playing a character in a movie?
AG: I create playlists for projects and characters. It helps me humanize them and make them as normal as possible, because I'm like, What song would they listen to or what album are they excited for that's coming out soon? It's exciting to build what I think that they would like. Music is the most important thing to me when it comes to filmmaking and characters. I've said to so many people, I could be watching the most heart-wrenching movie, and if it's on mute and there's no music, I will have no emotions. Music guides every emotion for me.&nbsp;
L&rsquo;O: Did you have a playlist for Borderlands?
AG: I did, actually. A lot of Joan Jett and Kris Kross and Biggie. I was in a big &lsquo;90s hip-hop, R&amp;B vibe. And then I would always listen to, "I don't give a damn &lsquo;bout my reputation." That was like Tina's song. But Eli always had some random crazy songs and music he'd play. It was cool.
L&rsquo;O: You&rsquo;re set to star in Netflix&rsquo;s Fear Street: Prom Queen. Did you like filming horror? Was that fun?
AG: Oh, I loved it. I've always wanted to film a horror movie. I've always wanted to make one, write one. I've loved horror my whole life, which I feel is why Eli and I get along so well because we just want to have no rules and limits and create the craziest horror movie. I was like, Let's have fun.
L&rsquo;O: Do you have any other ambitions outside of acting?
AG: I'm producing a movie right now, and I'm writing a couple of things as well, one with Eli. He fully trusts me, and we really get each other on a creative level. He's always seen me as a director. He says that I have a director&rsquo;s mind. The fact that he's willing to give me that opportunity is really cool. So you're going to see me doing a lot of stuff. I hope no one gets bored.

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Ariana Greenblatt Is Seizing The Moment

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