Photo: Kyle Springate
In a moment of social distancing and deflating news headlines day after day, the prospect of tight quarters, youthful abandon, and steamy intrigue certainly appeals to Flaunt’s needy senses! Netflix’s _The Kissing Booth_ became one of 2018’s most chatted about and re-watched movies, and now, the creators are back for seconds, and so are we._The Kissing Booth 2,_ which is of course equivocally packed with drama, romance, and tough coming-of-age decisions and realizations, is out today and is expected to do just as well as its predecessor.
We spoke with actor Camilla Wolfson**,** who plays mean girl Mia, about the movie, her passion for poetry and social justice, and her plans for the future.
**How did you get into acting?**
I got into it from a really young age, at a school level, and it was always what I wanted to do. Then, when I got into university, I kind of thought that maybe it would take a back seat, but then my love for it just grew more and more. I realized none of what I was doing was actually what I wanted to do with my life. Then I moved cities and took it on full time from about 22 or 23. So I was always doing it before but then I took it really seriously only in my 20s cause I was like ‘I can’t do anything else.’
**What are your favorite aspects of the character you play, Mia? And what did you find challenging about her character to portray?**
The thing that I loved most about the movie is that it basically has every single thing that you would ever want from watching a movie. There’s drama, there’s romance, there’s coming-of-age. And I think the coming-of-age genre is such a big thing at the moment and there’s so many films kind of doing it, and it is easy to do it good, but it is hard to do it really well. And I think _The Kissing Booth_ does it really, really well. Each character is so unique and even the funny characters too. My character, Mia, is definitely more of the comic relief side of things, but she is deeply serious and she has so many complicated layers to her, and I think that was part of the challenge too.
**Did you prepare to play the character of Mia?**
Yes, definitely. It is actually through music. I use music a lot to prepare for my characters. I will make playlists dedicated to the character I am playing or auditioning for. So Mia has got her own dedicated playlist. She is all about feeling her best self when she gets up in the morning so she has Pussycat Dolls, she is all about Britney Spears. I have just a playlist of Mia and that is what I use. And clothing too. She has her own wardrobe. I always make a separate wardrobe and a separate playlist.
Photo: Kyle Springate
**What was your relationship to the first _The Kissing Booth_?**
I actually auditioned for the first one and didn’t get it and I was so upset. Then I saw the movie and was like ‘oh that’s really cool.’ Then they brought up the second one and they were looking to replace the first Mia and I just got a really good feeling about it. I don’t know why. There are just certain roles that instinctually, as an actor, just feel like they are yours. You feel it.
**I know you are also going to be in TKB 3, but besides that, do you have any other things you are working on for the future?**
Not right now, I guess with what is going on everything is sort of taken a big pause and a back seat. But, at the same time, it is exciting. You get this time to really think about what you want in your career, what roles you want to take on, and which characters you want to play. I feel like in the normal swing of things you get so many projects thrown at you, and you never want to say no, and you are always busy, whereas now you get the time to be like ‘this is how I want to craft my career going forward and these are the types of roles I want to take on.’
**How has quarantine been going for you? Are there any new hobbies that you’ve enjoyed?**
I guess nothing new but probably just more of what I used to do before. I’ve just been reading the books that I’ve been putting off and doing way too many crosswords, board games, baking, that sort of thing. Nothing super special. I wish I could go outside, I am an outdoorsy person, so to kind of be trapped inside when it is cold, it has been a challenge for me, but I am learning. I am learning to take my energy elsewhere, and just trying to read as much as possible. I think I’ve probably been doing a lot more reading than I’ve been doing anything else.
**One of your passions is writing poetry too, is that something you would want to do more of?**
Yeah, I think I’ve been focusing a bit on that during the quarantine just because I’ve had time. I find it hard to write poetry when I am sort of busy with creative projects because I am always forced to be another character and I can’t really write poetry in another character, I can only write it as myself. So now I have had so much time to be myself, and be with myself. It has opened up a whole lot of doors for my poetry again. And I think there is just so much to write about at the moment with what is going on in the world, with Corona and all the social injustices. I think a lot of art is coming out of this hate, or this sorrow, or whatever people are feeling, they are putting that into words so, I’ve been doing the same thing. It is a great outlet.
Photo: Kyle Springate
**How do you feel on the topic of social injustice? Is that something you are passionate about?**
The environment, for me, has always been a huge, huge topic that I’ve tried to push basically my whole life. I grew up being very environmentally conscious. My parents were like that and it has always been something I am very passionate about. I think, with what has been going on at the moment, the idea of intersectional environmentalism has been great. I think basically whatever people are standing for, it all comes together, whether you are for racial injustice, or you are for environmental injustice, they are all linked. Everything is linked, which I didn’t realize before. It is like whatever you are feeling should be changed, there is someone else there who now feels the same way as you and we can all join in this fight together, and it does not matter what side you are on, as long as you are fighting for equality. We all want the same goal. So that has been great. And I think people are reconsidering the way we consume going forward, the way we budget, the way we represent ourselves in the social space… I think out of all the bad stuff that is happening, there is so much positive with regards to how we go forward. All the injustice around the food we eat, the fashion we buy. I think people are forced, because they have the time now, to educate themselves about these things. When you are trying to fight to promote a movement, you can so often feel like you are alone, and I think, for the first time, people are feeling like they are being heard.
Photo: Kyle Springate
**You are from South Africa, what is your favorite thing about South Africa? And are there any plans on moving to the U.S. or somewhere else to pursue more movie roles?**
Definitely the U.S. That is definitely my final destination. I love California, kind of because it reminds me of South Africa, in a way. The climate and the weather are quite similar. I mean the people are completely different but the lifestyle is the same. I am big into warm weather and I like living by the beach. I think the best thing about living in South Africa is the natural beauty we have. I think we have 8 or 9 World Heritage sites, so we are really blessed to be surrounded by the most amazing mountains and beaches and desserts, so that is the best thing about living in South Africa by far. But then that is also a reason why I would like to move to the U.S. Because I can get all the good things about South Africa in California but then also more work in California. There is definitely more work, for me anyway, there. The coffee is also good in California. If there is good coffee then I am happy to move there!
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