Abbie Cornish, Malin Akerman, and Lola Kirke on the First Jobs They Ever Had
Every year, the Tribeca Film Festival offers a full lineup of thought-provoking independent films and a fresh crop of exciting celebrities. Here, some of the festival's most enticing stars reveal the jobs they had before they were famous, as well as the rising stars they think we should all have on our radar. Portraits by Leslie Hassler.
Portraits by Leslie Hassler1/7Malin Akerman (The Ticket)
Name a rising actress we should have on our radar.She's already on everyone's radar, but Saoirse Ronan is a brilliant young actress whom I love. She's already making it, and she deserves everything that's coming her way right now. She's amazing.
What’s your guilty pleasure when it comes to entertainment?The Voice. I don't know if it's a guilty pleasure, but I love The Voice. I'm team Blake all the way. I'd love five minutes in the closet with that man. Singing. In a closet. It's a musical closet, with Blake Shelton.
What was your first job?I was a busgirl at a restaurant when I was 13!
Interview by Svetlana Chirkova
Portraits by Leslie Hassler2/7Abbie Cornish (Lavender)
Name a rising actress we should have on our radar.I think the girls in our movie, Lavender, are really talented. Peyton Kennedy and Lola Flanery are really good young actresses, and there's so much they can grow and evolve into.
What’s your pop-culture guilty pleasure?When I turn on the television, it's the singing talent shows like The Voice and American Idol. They are the best, but I love dance ones more. So You Think You Can Dance—that's really my guilty television pleasure. It's so entertaining to watch. I went to see it live a couple of times, that's how much I love it.
What was your first job?I had a string of weird little jobs while I traveled through Europe and America as a backpacker. I was living on $15 a day. I worked as a receptionist in the kitchen of a youth hostel, cleaning the hallways and bathrooms at another youth hostel. When you work there, you stay for free and get a little bit of money on the side. I wanted to get to Rock Werchter, the music festival, so I worked my way through Belgium and got enough money to go.
Interview by Svetlana Chirkova
Portraits by Leslie Hassler3/7Jason and Robert Schwartzman (Dreamland)
Name a rising actress we should have on our radar.Robert Schwartzman: Saoirse Ronan. I hope she will be around for a long time. She seems like she works hard and is committed; she's an interesting actress.
What's your pop-culture guilty pleasure?RS: I love big, broad comedies. A lot of people don’t want to see broad, silly humor, but I always liked movies like Airplane in the eighties and Hot Shots in the nineties. I love movies where there's a joke every second. You know what? I don’t really have a guilty pleasure. I wouldn’t hide my liking of something. I would gladly tell you everything.
What was your first job?RS: I was a P.A. on sets when I was a kid. [For my first summer job,] I was a volleyball boy at UCLA for $15 a game. We would be on the sidelines and roll the ball across to the other ball person. I really liked it.
Interview by Camila Gibran
Portraits by Leslie Hassler4/7Lola Kirke (AWOL)
Name a rising actress we should have on our radar.Hannah Dunne, who's on Mozart in the Jungle with me. We play roommates and best friends, and she also was just on Horace and Pete, the Louis C.K. series. She's brilliant.
What’s your pop-culture guilty pleasure?I mean it’s not even a guilty pleasure, but I guess it could be: I love Forensic Files, the show on Court TV.
What was your first job?I was a babysitter for a Real Housewife of New York, actually. She paid me $6 an hour, and I asked her to give me a raise. “I need a raise! You should be paying me more money,” I said. “Why? You’re 12!” she said. [Laughs]
Interview by Camila Gibran
Portraits by Leslie Hassler5/7Christine Taylor (Little Boxes)
Name a rising female actress we should have on our radar.Listen, I can be really blunt because she is in Little Boxes [with me], but I really think Oona Laurence, who plays my daughter, [is someone to know about]. She's not a household name yet, but she is somebody who people probably recognize from other movies. I think she is destined for a ginormous career and one day I will be able to say, “I played her mom!”
What's your pop-culture guilty pleasure?Hands down, The Bachelor or The Bachelorette. Does everybody say that? Because it is a real guilty pleasure; it's so bad, but brilliant.
What was your first job?I was lifeguard at a small country club in Pennsylvania. I grew up as a competitive swimmer and diver, so the natural progression, as you became a teenager, was to get that job. But there was never any need for me to save anybody! We are dealing with a small pool, people tanning; they just needed someone sitting there for insurance purposes. If kids were getting out of hand I had to keep it in line, but there was no near-death experiences. [Laughs]
Interview by Camila Gibran
Portraits by Leslie Hassler6/7Rachel Brosnahan (The Fixer)
Name a rising actress we should have on our radar.[Sighs] I was so obsessed with Brie Larson before she was on everyone's radar. She was my go-to forever. I might just have to change my answer. I really dig Lola Kirke a lot.
What’s your pop-culture guilty pleasure?It’s funny, but I don’t have a TV. I haven’t had one for six years. But I’m a Survivor super fan. I’ve seen almost every season, and it’s my dream to be on that show. I’d like to think that I can perform under pressure, so I’d train in advance. I’m always so amazed when they show up and don’t know how to build a fire or can’t swim. I mean, you’re going on Survivor. Learn some survival skills! [Laughs]
What was your first job?I worked at an Abercrombie at my local mall, and I owned a shameful amount of their clothes!
Didn’t the perfume bother you?You know, you get used to it. It numbs your brain and might make you less smart. I’m not sure. Still figuring that out! [Laughs]
Interview by Leslie Hassler
Leslie Hassler7/7Britt Robertson (Mr. Church)
Name a rising actress we should have on our radar.I bet Mckenna Grace, the girl who plays my daughter in this film, is going to be a little rising star. She is in a million movies right now. She is just a hard worker and loves playing make believe, you know? I think that is why I got into this business, actually. I loved playing pretend; I would always play pretend with my sisters and my brother. It seems that is her outlet. I think she enjoys that aspect of filmmaking. She is a great little actress.
What’s your guilty pleasure when it comes to entertainment?Reality television. I am constantly embarrassed to tell people that I watch the things I watch: Teen Mom—I love Teen Mom more than anything—The Real Housewives, The Bachelor, The Bachelor in Paradise. All of it; it’s all bad. [Laughs]
What was your first job?I played a little pink Power Ranger. That was my first job in LA, when I was 11. I was pretending to be the pink Power Ranger and then the green Power Ranger. The real one saves me. It was a very intense story line!
Interview by Camila Gibran
