Top by Andrew Coimbra. Styling Zeina Esmail assisted by Brandon Laughton. Makeup Julie Harris. Hair Melanie Guille. Photographed at The Four Seasons Toronto.
Interview and photography
SARA WAISGLASS isn’t your average actor. I met Sara last March when WOLF KASTELER, her New York PR agency, contacted me to do a spec shoot which they would then farm out to the slew of magazines that were vying for interviews with her following the huge success of Netflix’s GINNY & GEORGIA, in which she played the undeniably energetic and fierce Maxine Baker. She brought to life an extremely complex character who seemed quite exuberant and fearless but who was also insecure and desperate for love and approval, like everyone else.
When we first met, there was something... Was it intuition? Some sort of precognition? Or just instant affinity? Regardless, it was inexplicable, entirely mutual and it felt like we’d known each other for the longest time. We chatted and laughed like long-lost friends and as soon as the session began, there was an unspoken communication, making even the first images extraordinary and timeless. I was immediately compelled to explore further and delve into the more complex sides of her individuality through multiple photo sittings and the depth of her charm, authenticity, beauty and soul, are ever evolving and never seizes the surprise me. The result: four shoots in less than a year later, and Sara has, for all intents and purposes, become one of my modern-day muses.
With Season 2 of GINNY & GEORGIA about to start filming, I sat down with my dear friend and muse to discuss everything from acting, purpose and, of course, fashion photography.
Coat Prada. Makeup & Hair Anna Nenoiu. Special thanks The Fashion Edit.
LIFE
RICHARD BERNARDIN: Hey Sara! How are you? I just got back home from Toronto and drove through our first winter storm but made it back in one piece! I know we just saw each other during our fourth shoot in less than a year (yay!) and thought that it would be great to sit down, not onset, would be the ideal way to have a “real” conversation and ask you a couple of questions about life and all that jazz… Is that good?
SARA WAISGLASS: Hey Rich, sounds LOVELY. I love life. I also love the song All That Jazz. So we’re off to a great start!
RICHARD: Ok cool, here we go... So (clears throat) who is Sara and how would you describe yourself in five words?
SARA: Sara is… do I have to answer this in third person? I’m just gonna do it in first person. I’m a Canadian-born, twenty-three-year-old child actor turned adult actor (that’s been a fun journey) and sometimes, when I’m brave enough, I also consider myself a writer. Five words to describe me? Probably energetic, deep, intuitive, understanding and creative. My parents would probably make me swap one of those words out for complicated, but they’re not doing this interview are they!!
RICHARD: (Laughs) I wouldn’t say complicated... I’d rather say complex. There’s a complexity to you that I find truly intriguing. Then again, I’ve only known you 8 months now, right? What do I know...
SARA: (Giggles) More than most!
RICHARD: Yeah, after all our (simulates air quotes) deep conversations, I guess so… Ok back to the questions. So you’ve been acting since early childhood. What’s next? Which roles are you most proud of? And what has been the biggest challenge of your career so far?
SARA: I’ve been incredibly fortunate with the roles I’ve booked and the career I’ve had so far. I find it difficult to pick favorites because every role has given me something different, something new that I’ve gotten to carry with me in future work and also in my personal life. I’d say Max from Ginny and Georgia is the role I’m most proud of. That character unlocked me and gave me a freedom I’ve never known before. And the way the world embraced her, and in turn the show (which I’m incredibly proud of), makes me swell with pride! I am so deeply excited to return to Max. We start shooting Season Two in a week and I may cry. Or barf. Who knows!
The biggest challenge in my career is managing my fear. I’d say my largest fears in life are rejection, comparison and travel. Acting asks me to face all of them on a daily basis. I think it’s healthy to have a career that challenges you and makes you want to grow. Being part of this industry has made me brave, and I’m very grateful for it.
RICHARD: Omg Sara, you’re sooooo brave! And deeply profound and complex. I know I said this before but I mean it… I felt this instinctively when we met and it’s one of the things that makes me want to keep shooting and creating with you. We did dive a little deeper this past week, on our latest shoot, and explored a more private, emotional side... Actually, I was brought to tears while reviewing these powerful images this past weekend. Almost as if I felt your grief and was literally overcome with it. This was a first for me and honestly, I’m still quite in awe of your mastery and range. I’m deeply grateful that you were willing to share this with me.
There’s an honesty that comes with this medium of art, and that involves finding whatever vulnerability exists in the character or model you’re shooting. - Sara Waisglass
SARA: Wow. Thank YOU for being so willing to capture it! I’m really glad we got to do that together. It felt timely. This year specifically, I’ve learned that all emotions walk hand in hand. You cannot fully appreciate happiness without first understanding the depths of sadness. The same goes for grief and gratitude, insecurity and peace. We should embrace it all, even when it seems terrifying. Right? The alternative is numbness. Would you rather feel everything or nothing at all?
RICHARD: You’ve garnered a dedicated following who seem to be loyal and directly engaged with you, your personal tastes and beliefs. How do you feel about this kind of attention and how did it impact you personally?
SARA: It’s terrifying. So terrifying. I really struggle to wrap my head around the fact that there are people out there who know me and we’ve never even shaken hands. I’ve been lucky enough to play well-liked characters, none deeply hated by the world (poor Jack Gleeson was bullied horrifically by Game of Thrones fans, and I still think about him a lot). But I’ve gotten my fair share of hate. It doesn’t bother me at all. I hope I keep that attitude about it.
In terms of how it impacted me, I simply remember watching my phone light up for thirteen hours straight every day when Ginny and Georgia came out. I had to learn how to balance my real life with my online life. I love that people are so connected to the show and my character and I guess, me. But being on social media really hurts my head and my heart so I have to pace myself. I’m still learning. I’ve got time!
RICHARD: Yeah, I hear you. I mean, my social media is not really (simulates air quotes again) personal. It’s more like a secondary portfolio so I couldn’t possibly imagine what that was like for you... Nevertheless, IG has taken its toll on my mental health because of its intrinsic nature to incite dependency and comparison. You do well to pace yourself and take some distance.
RICHARD: So, I remember you telling me that you love screenwriting. Can you tell me more about this? And do you have anything in the works that you can discuss?
SARA: Yes, I went to school for screenwriting and it is one of my truest loves. Right now I’m writing a series that I hope to pitch in the new year. All I can really say is that I’m putting everything I’ve got into it. My hopes, my fears, my whole heart. It’s been therapeutic and incredibly eye opening getting to build it from the ground up. I hope other people will connect to it the way I do. Only time will tell!
SARA: For the record, I think you’d be an excellent writer. Do you think that’s something you’ll explore in the future?
RICHARD: Ooh I love it! Questions for me! Ok so firstly, Yes! I would love to write and to direct films cause I’ve always been a storyteller. I grew up in my imaginary worlds, reading comic books, and watching movies. I loved going to the movies and when my Dad bought one of the first VCRs, that was it for me… I would watch them on repeat, dissecting and re-enacting everything! So yes, I would love to write but I think my fear is what stops me… You know, that whole impostor syndrome thing? Yeah that’s me with writing and directing but I’m working on it… (smiles reluctantly).
But getting back to you and your writing… You did tell me about the series you’re working on and it’s everything I love! Fingers-crossed!
Jacket Balmain. Shoes Stuart Weitzman. Makeup & Hair Anna Nenoiu. Special thanks The Fashion Edit.
Coat Prada. Makeup & Hair Anna Nenoiu. Special thanks The Fashion Edit.
Coat Prada. Shoes Stuart Weitzman. Makeup & Hair Anna Nenoiu. Special thanks The Fashion Edit.
RICHARD: Okay so what motivates you, what makes you smile and what scares you the most in your personal and professional life?
SARA: Motivation is really hard. I make so many lists and schedules and plans, and I rarely follow through with them. I’m amazing with colored pens and agendas though, so at least there’s that. I’d say the thing that gets me out of bed in the morning is knowing I have more opportunities to make the people in my life happy. I know that’s such a political answer, but nothing gives me more energy than making other people laugh and knowing I’ve made a positive impact. It’s actually kind of selfish when you think about it!
In my personal life, my friends and family make me smile. Live music makes me smile. Poetry. Art. Nature. Building things with my hands. I’m honestly quite easy to please. The thing that scares me the most in my personal life is fear, and how much I let my fear rule me. I’m working on that though. Any tips are welcome!
RICHARD: Well two things come to mind: When you have friends who check in on you and want nothing but the best for you, keep them dear to you because such souls are truly rare. And as for fear, a famous sci-fi geeky movie quote from DUNE comes to mind: “I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.…” It goes on but the underlying meaning is that fear overrides reason, and causes us to make rash and ill-considered decisions. Essentially, this litany against fear (more air quotes) is to help the mind overcome its primal instinct to recoil or flee when facing pain or fear. Therefore the ability to recognize and understand fear, and put it aside when not truly needed (you know, like running from an attacking tiger), allows you to remain logical, aware, and ready. I know it sounds geeky but I first read this in Frank Herbert’s DUNE,in my early teens and it has stayed with me ever since, like a tattoo in mind, and helped me overcome a lot of my personal fears, imagined and real.
SARA: That is so beautiful, and so poignant! Honestly, for me at least, this whole year has been about understanding fear and conquering it. We don’t talk about it enough, which is why it’s very intricately tied into a project I’m working on right now. More on that later… Hehe.
In my professional life, everything makes me smile. I love being part of this industry. I still find it so magical. I love the people, I love the stories, I love the adventure and the mess of it all. And when everything comes together? Wow. It’s art.
The thing that scares me the most, professionally, is the possibility of changing at my core. Being selfish, being cocky, losing my perspective and no longer being able to see how lucky I am to get to do what I get to do. Also, sucking at it. Sucking at acting. That’s a big fear too!
RICHARD: Sara Waisglass, selfish and cocky? Can’t see it. Like that would be the literal definition an oxymoron (laughs). Ok can you describe the next five years of your life and your plans?
SARA: One of the hardest things about acting is planning your future. I have no idea what’s going to happen in the next few weeks let alone the next five years. I could book a job that takes me to Iceland for nine months tomorrow, or never work again. There’s no way to know! But I hope Ginny and Georgia continues, I hope I get to make the show I’m writing AND if I do I hope I get to hire all my friends and show the world how talented they all are. I have no control over anything, which is both scary and freeing. I just want to keep working, that’s all I really know. Keep working, keep meeting extraordinary people and keep growing into new, wiser, funnier, braver versions of myself. Yahoo!
Sweater Fear of God.
PURPOSE
RICHARD: Ok, in the past few years, purpose has taken a front row seat in the things that I most want to ensure drives my motives and actions... And I’d love to talk about this with you. What is your passion and what makes your heart sing?
SARA: I need you to know I just had to text my dad and ask him what my passion is. I feel like I have so many. Performing, yes, and I can’t believe I get to do that for a living. But also writing poetry, connecting with people (is that a passion?) and, my dad’s answer: music. I play a ton of piano. It brings me genuine peace amongst the chaos of my more-often-than-not wacky life.
RICHARD: I love that you called your Dad… You rock S! And I totally forgot that you’re also like a crazy talented singer, song-writer AND musician! I mean if we keep this up, people are gonna think that I’m writing a puff piece on you (laughs). Seriously though, the music, acting, poetry and screen-writing… They’re all connected right?
SARA: It’s ALL connected. It always will be. Because everything is based on expression! That’s what makes it art!
RICHARD: Someone once told me, ‘it’s important to figure out who you’re not, in order to figure out who you are’. Does this resonate with you and why?
SARA: Absolutely. We need to make mistakes and fall down and embarrass ourselves in order to grow. There was a point in my life where I was told I was too sensitive (that I cared too much about tiny things), and so I set out to be the cool, unbothered badass who was numb and didn’t feel anything at all. That SUCKED and I very quickly realized that wasn’t me. But I’m glad I explored that avenue, because it made me gain a new appreciation for myself. Newsflash: the opposite of sensitive is INSENSITIVE. I don’t want to be insensitive! I would much rather feel deeply for the people I love than feel nothing at all. So yes. Who we are not absolutely informs who we are.
Jacket BALMAIN at The Fashion Edit.
Jacket BALMAIN at The Fashion Edit.
Suit by ZARA.
Stockings WOLFORD.
RICHARD: Do you have a practice that helps you stay focused, calm in the storm and on purpose?
SARA: I’ve given your TIME practice a try and it’s beautiful. I’m a big fan. I’m currently testing out a couple of other practices. The one that’s helped me the most is meditation. It’s the only thing that can quiet the mind, in my experience. I’ve used it before auditions, on flights, in the bathroom on dates… it’s incredible. Also, yin yoga has done wonders for me. It gets you out of your head and into your body. I love it.
RICHARD: Yeah, TIME is an acronym which stands for: Thoughtfulness, Insight, Meditation and Exercise. So happy to hear that you’ve tried it. I do this daily as part of my early morning routine and it has utterly changed my life. It’s helped me stay focused and more in tune with what I truly want in my life… Like finding my calling as a photographer. Actually, I got the inspiration for this journal during one of my morning rituals. So along the same lines, do you believe that we all have a Dharma or purpose in life? I think Dharma represents a person’s calling. Do you think you’re living your Dharma? Why do you think we should find our purpose?
SARA: I do believe we all have a purpose, and I like to think I’m living mine. I’m trying to, at least. I also know how lucky I am that my parents kind of found my Dharma for me. When they put me into acting at age six, I doubt they had any idea it was going to be a lifelong passion of mine. Who knows their passion at age six?! That’s insane! But the universe lined things up for me, and I’m very grateful.
I think it’s important to find what fuels you, and what gives your life meaning. There’s an amazing quote in Dead Poets Society. I think about it often. “Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are all noble pursuits, and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.” Find what opens you up to the world. Life is too short not to!
I like to believe that those of us who are really intent on preserving the purity of art will do so at all costs. - Sara Waisglass
FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY
RICHARD: So I’m a fashion photographer and after nearly 25 years of shooting, I have my own thoughts and ideas about what I do and what kind of impact it might have. But I am truly interested in hearing your thoughts on the subject. Can you tell me about your first experience with fashion photography, how was it and the 5 Ws?
SARA: My first fashion photography shoot was when I was around fourteen or fifteen. My friend Stephan Adams had created his own fashion line and asked me to model for him. I cackled, and was so nervous the whole time because the other girls that were models had literal “modeling contracts” I was like, I’m grossly underqualified for this. But it was super fun. In terms of the 5Ws:
Who: Stephan Adams
What: YOUTH Apparel
When: 2013/14
Where: Toronto!
Why: Because I love when my friends are creative. And I love Stephan.
RICHARD: God... And here I thought that your first fashion shoot was with me! Wow, total reality check. Sorry about that. See what I mean about making assumptions? I can’t believe I didn’t ask you this on our first shoot? Ugh, how conceited of me...
SARA: HA. You are NOT conceited. And for the record Rich, you put me in Balmain. That was a first that I will never forget!
Coat Prada. Shoes Stuart Weitzman.. Makeup & Hair Anna Nenoiu. Special thanks The Fashion Edit.
RICHARD: How do you perceive yourself and your role in fashion photography in comparison to acting in a film?
SARA: I think fashion photography and film are a lot alike, in terms of capturing truth. There’s an honesty that comes with this medium of art, and that involves finding whatever vulnerability exists in the character or model you’re shooting. With film, I can usually pass off vulnerability as acting. ‘How did you cry in that scene?’ ‘Oh it’s just acting, I’m fine I’m a happy person’. But with fashion photography, if you capture that vulnerability, you can’t escape it. You can’t blame it on a character. No. If that lens sees you, it sees you. I think that’s pretty beautiful!
RICHARD: We’ve worked together many times. Do you remember our first shoot together? How did you feel about the process, the resulting images and what marked you, if anything?
SARA: Of course, I remember our first shoot! I was going bananas! I had never felt so beautiful, or powerful or adult. Looking at those pictures, I was gobsmacked. I felt like me for the first time. The process was wonderful. The amount of looks we did, and the team we had. It was magic. I thank my lucky stars for that experience, and that it introduced me to you!
Stockings by Wolford. Styling Zeina Esmail assisted by Brandon Laughton. Makeup Julie Harris. Hair Melanie Guille. Photographed at The Four Seasons Toronto.
RICHARD: What are your thoughts and impressions on this idea of the Muse-Artist and how you perceive our creative process together through this lens?
SARA: I love the idea of Muse and Artist. I think some people just click, and find something exciting in each other that makes them want to create. Your energy towards fashion photography is something I find absolutely inspiring, and it makes me want to be brave and try new things. That kind of working relationship is what leads to art! Dedicated people who want to explore storytelling and vulnerability. Again, I’m just so lucky we found each other!
RICHARD: Do you feel fashion photography has become more polarized in its intent or even that it might have lost its way as a relevant artform due to fast-food media and social platforms?
SARA: Yes and no. I think people believe certain media platforms cheapen photography, but true artists know good work when they see it. There was a time when photographers could only show their work in galleries. Now, Instagram offers the biggest gallery audience in the world and it’s FREE. There are pros and cons to how swiftly the world is changing. But I like to believe that those of us who are really intent on preserving the purity of art will do so at all costs. Thus, it will never die!
EXTRA
RICHARD: Love this and your insight in dead-on. Thx S! So are you ready for some extra credit questions? Firstly, who is your celebrity crush?
SARA: I actually matched with my celebrity crush on a dating app for ‘famous people’. My opening line was so horrific that they unmatched me immediately. Time to find a new celebrity crush I guess.
RICHARD: Yes! I remember you telling me about this over dinner last week... Totally his lost! But I had no idea there was a celebrity dating app. Haha, welcome to the New Reality, right? Anyway, next up: What do you like doing in your spare time?
SARA: I’ve been super into reading lately. Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed was my most recent read. Oh my God. Incredible.
RICHARD: Ok cool, never heard of it but will definitely look it up! I still read a lot of actual physical books but have recently embraced digital books… Been totally devouring a ton of of audioooks on Audible! Actually, I just started Will Smith’s autobiography and WOW!
SARA: Yes, everyone has been telling me to check that out! I hear it’s unbelievable!
RICHARD: Okay so what’s your annoying habit?
SARA: I have no idea! You’ll have to ask my sister I’m sure she’ll think of something.
RICHARD: Hahaha... I guess you’ll have to introduce us the next time I come to Toronto and I’ll ask her!
Ok so Sara, last question: If you had to make a playlist that would musically embody our friendship, these images and all the good times we had creating them, what would it be?
SARA: Hhahaha all 70s and 80s classics!!! I’ll make a playlist!
RICHARD: Love it!! This is totally the soundtrack from our last shoots! Ah man, so this is it… Thank you so much Sara for taking the time to have this conversation with me for the inauguration of RELEVANT Journal! Means so much!! You’re the absolute best, break a leg on GnG S2 and can’t wait for our next amazing projects together in 2022! Happy Holidays, much luv and talk soon! xxx
The Artist creating with his Muse.
