AZURA SKYE

film Azura Skye

Swerving into a powerfully emotional role By Alex A. Kecskes

Azura Skye as Holly in The Swerve

Known for her pivotal roles in the horror-mystery One Missed Call, the comedy-drama 28 Days, and the crime-drama Bandits, Azura Skye is an accomplished actress with an impressive repertoire of work in film and TV.

A Los Angeles native, Skye began her career in the theatre as a child and segued into film and television in her teens. She has since performed in a wide variety of films including Red Dragon, Heaven’s Fall, and Wristcutters: A Love Story. In 2006, Skye appeared as Skyler in the comedy series The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman. Her work in television includes Buffy the Vampire Slayer, House M.D., The Mentalist, and Girls. In 2015, Skye appeared in the indie Take Me To The River, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Most recently, Skye landed recurring roles as Helen McGantry in the long-running TV fantasy-drama series Charmed, and as Darla in the mystery-drama series Riverdale. Fans will remember her as Sandy Engel-Karinsky in the comedy series Working the Engels and as Fiona in the horror-drama series American Horror Story.

In the chillingly taught drama, The Swerve, Skye is Holly, a teacher and emotionally bruised mother of two on the precipice of mental illness.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview. The Swerve is an emotionally charged film about a damaged woman under siege. What attracted you to the role of Holly?

Azura Skye: It’s just what you were saying. The role of Holly is an actor’s dream. You wait a lifetime hoping you’ll get a role that’s as challenging and emotional and complex as this one. When given the opportunity, I don’t know how you say no to a film like this. I’ve been doing this for quite a while and Holly is definitely the best role I’ve had in my life so far. I saw it as a real gift.

Did you audition for the role? If so, what was that like?

Skye: I did. Initially, the filmmakers expressed some interest in me. They reached out and sent me the script. I liked the script very much and I loved the character. Then we chatted on the phone and that seemed to go well. After not hearing from them for about a month, I was told that they really liked me and that they were still thinking about it. At that point, I sent them an audition tape in the hopes of persuading them. So that, I think, pushed things over the edge.

What did you draw from to so convincingly portray a woman in the midst of emotional collapse?

Skye: Thankfully, I didn’t have to draw from real-life experience. I’m not the traumatized soul you saw in Holly (laughs). To be honest, I don’t really know what I drew from. For me, a big part of portraying Holly was opening myself up to something larger than myself. Almost getting out of the way for something else to come through. There’s no way to prepare for a character like Holly. There’s only so much you can do. Much of it simply involves showing up for the day and making yourself available to her.

There were several especially powerful scenes in this film. Which was your favorite?

Skye: As an actor, the really emotional ones are the most fun. For the last scene in the grocery store, I woke up excited to go to work that day. There’s also a rather pivotal and heart-wrenching scene with the boys. It may sound a little weird but for an actor, that’s the fun stuff. You rarely get to do that. As actors, it’s what we dream about, scenes that present real opportunities. While we’re just playing, at the end of the day, those scenes were really traumatic and tough for me to watch.

Was there an actor or film that drove you to pursue an acting career?

Skye: There were lots of things that drew me into acting. As a child, I grew up without a television and I didn’t watch a lot of movies. The only time I’d watch any TV shows or movies is when I went to my grandmother’s house. I’d watch old Rodgers & Hammerstein Musicals and old Bewitched episodes. Elizabeth Montgomery was the big thing back then. I also watched Shirley Jones Musicals. I remember thinking that Shirley Jones was so beautiful and brilliant in Oklahoma.

Bryce Pinkhamn as Rob and Azura Skye as Holly Azura Skye

What have you learned about this business that surprised you?

Skye: That’s a good question. I suppose, that it’s not one continuous trajectory. It’s not like your career starts at some point and just keeps getting better and better. Like any career, there are ups and downs, valleys and summits. And that’s all part of the journey. I’m in it for the long haul. You have to be to endure those paces.

I would imagine you get a ton of scripts. What do you look for in a script and role?

Skye: It needs to be interesting and compelling with good writing. But it can be about any character or any scenario.

Had you not gone into acting, what career would you have pursued?

Skye: Perhaps some sort of linguistics. I really enjoy language, dialect. I do write, so I would have done that. I was a dancer for a long time, so before I wanted to act, I wanted to be a ballerina. I don’t know, sometimes I think I could have been a dermatologist.

What were you like in high school? The girl most likely to….?

Skye: Leave (laughs). I left high school early when I started working at fifteen. And after I started acting, that’s all I wanted to do. So I became more autodidactic and self-taught. I was determined to educate myself. When I was in high school, I was gone a lot—doing plays, films, and TV. So I kind of disappeared from school.

How did you balance school and work?

Skye: I only had a couple of years of crossover. But it was hard and very challenging. I went to a very rigorous school, so it was like having two full-time jobs.