Bellus Magazine (BM): How did you get into acting?
Stella Maeve (SM): I started acting when I was 4… My step dad showed me “To Kill A Mockingbird” and I fell in love with film.
BM: Tell us about your character, Julia, on “The Magicians”?
SM: Julia is a force. She’s one of the most interesting characters I’ve ever gotten to play. She comes from a background of privilege; she’s highly intellectual, deep, intense, passionate. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. She gets exposed to the world, this world, and a world of magic in ways that put everything she ever knew – or thought she knew – into question.
BM: It seems like Julia’s tapped into the “darker” side of her magical talents compared to the other characters studying at Brakebills. Can you expand on this?
SM: I think it’s darker compared to what Julia was accustomed to. I don’t think she ever would have imagined herself in this realm, which is why it’s so interesting. Without Brakebills as an option, this new “path” has become a part of her journey, one of her many hurtles to be able to practice magic in the format she desires.
BM: Throughout the course of the season, do you find that the television adaption closely follows the novels by Lev Grossman?
SM: I think the show does an excellent job of incorporating the spirit of the books. Granted, storylines must be formatted for the TV, but Lev gave his sign-off to everything, so fans of the book can find comfort in that.
BM: Did you have any experience with magic prior to this project?
SM: Ha! Which type of magic? I like to believe I’ve had some pretty magical encounters with the universe. Also, one of my first jobs was above a Sbarros Pizza in a magic shop, as a magician’s assistant in Madison Square Garden.
BM: What’s next for you? Any other upcoming projects to look out for?
SM: I just finished a film called, “Long Nights, Short Mornings” starring Shiloh Fernandez and directed by Chadd Harbold, which is premiering at SXSW.
BM: What advice do you have for aspiring artists?
SM: Great question. Never stop creating, whatever it is. No artist is ever “finished” or for that matter, satisfied. I don’t believe in boredom. No such thing. And remember, the dark days never last, the sun will shine again.
BM: Bellus is Latin for ‘beauty’. What does beauty mean to you?
SM: Another awesome question. I was recently talking about this with my friend. I’m working on a Polaroid series for what defines beauty. I think it’s all perception. “Beauty is within the eye of the beholder”. What one person deems beautiful, another might not. Just like art. Luckily, I had parents who taught me that beauty comes from within. A person’s soul is what makes them beautiful. We’re just wearing these outer shells, these skins we’re in won’t last… they fade and it’s about what’s left beneath the surface. You can find odd beauty and fascination in anything on this planet. Just look around.
