In her new film, “How to Build a Girl,” (available in some drive-in theaters and on demand May 8), Beanie Feldstein plays a high school student in Wolverhampton, England, who makes a name for herself as a rock critic during the 1990s by writing virulently negative reviews of bands. It’s a stretch for the actress in more ways than one.
“I’m so American,” she said in a recent telephone interview from her native Los Angeles. “Doing a very regionally specific British accent was the scariest thing I’ve ever tried, and that’s exactly why I did it.”
The character’s snark also didn’t come naturally to the perpetually upbeat Feldstein. But she showed her typical enthusiasm when asked to choose her 10 most cherished cultural items. “I worked very hard on my list,” she said, sounding a lot like the teenage overachiever she played in the acclaimed 2019 comedy “Booksmart.”
Though she’s only 26, Feldstein is proud to be known as an old soul. “I’m the youngest in my family, and there’s quite a gap between me and my next sibling,” she says of her brother, the actor Jonah Hill, 36. “So I was always around older people.”
Perhaps that explains why she’s following up “How to Build a Girl” with another ’90s period piece; she’ll play Monica Lewinsky in FX’s coming “American Crime Story: Impeachment.” “I’m exploring the decade when I was born,” she said. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
1. My Rings
I started building my collection at 14, and I now have 12 rings that I wear every single day. I feel naked without them, and they all carry beautiful, sentimental memories. My pinkie has none, but my ring finger has three. I can’t even tell you why. I feel like they’re a map of my adolescence and adulthood. They’re all gold or rose gold, no silver, and they’re all very different.
2. A Stuffed Dog Named Buddy
I picked him out when I was 4, and he hasn’t left my side since. I named him Buddy, then we named our dog we got right after that Buddy, so there were two Buddys for a while, but they got along. He’s a yellow lab stuffed animal, and I think he’s the root of all my superstitious routines. When I’m working, he doesn’t come to watch, but he has to be in every room that I will sleep in.
3. “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” by Gerry Goffin and Carole King
James Taylor and Joni Mitchell sing backup on the version from the “Tapestry” album, and it is the trifecta of ’70s perfection. My parents mostly played me ’50s and ’70s music growing up, so that’s the heartbeat and foundation of my musical taste. Carole King is an idol of mine, and even when I was little, her songs always struck me on a very deep personal level.
4. Carrot Cake at Peacefood Cafe
It was one of those things from childhood where you’re like, “I don’t like carrot cake!” Then you get in your 20s and you’re like: “Why? Have I even tried it in years?” I always go to Peacefood, and one day I was in the mood to try new things, so I tried the carrot cake, and I loved it! I’m allergic to dairy, so I can only eat dairy-free cake, and it is quite literally Heaven.
5. “Gilmore Girls”
I watch it every single night before I go to bed. It’s my relaxing, comfort food show. I watch the episodes in order. It’s such a warm and cozy experience, but it’s also really mentally engaging because the dialogue is so rapid-fire and filled with pop culture references. It feels like a witty hug.
6. “Bridesmaids”
I feel like it opened a door for me. It showed me that my dream of being a comedic actress could be real and that a movie with women could make everyone laugh just as hard as they did at all the boy movies. I will never forget my first viewing experience. My best friends from high school and I went to the midnight showing the day it came out. We are the biggest Kristen Wiig fans, and we were so excited. I fell out of my chair, I was laughing so hard. We looked at each other like, “Oh, this is a movie we haven’t seen before.”
7. Hugo’s in Los Angeles
This is the place where my best friends and I go when we are all in L.A. We sit outside and catch up and share cinnamon swirl French toast. It’s our Central Perk. Also, when I was doing “Booksmart,” Kaitlyn Dever and I lived near there together, and it was our spot, too. We later learned it was where our director, Olivia Wilde, and the screenwriter Katie Silberman had all their script meetings, so it was the place that made “Booksmart” happen.
8. Stephen Sondheim’s musicals
No one captures the complexity of human experience through song better. The ones I return to most often are “Company,” “Into the Woods” and “Sunday in the Park With George.” We did “Into the Woods” when I was in 10th grade, and I played Little Red Riding Hood. It was high school theater magic. We’re all in our mid-20s now, and we still talk about it.
9. “Put On Your Sunday Clothes” from “Hello, Dolly”
I did “Hello, Dolly!” on Broadway for a year, and this was the song right before my entrance. It was the greatest joy of that experience to watch it every night. That song just encapsulates hope. It’s perfect musical theater, an old-school traditional show tune. It just soars. I’ve probably heard it 30,000 times, and every time I do, it still makes me cry.
10. Linda, the Bra Lady
Growing up, if you couldn’t fit into the Victoria’s Secret bras, it was such a bummer. Then I found Linda’s in my early college years, and I have turned every woman I know on to this shop. It is the holy grail of bra stores. As any full-chested woman knows, if you don’t have a good bra, there are life activities you just can’t do. I’ve never felt more taken care of than when I walk into Linda’s. Her girls are there for you — they have your size, they have a range of colors, they want to chat. It is a safe space for those of us who never got to shop at the other stores. Maybe Linda will give me a free bra now!
Source: Movies - nytimes.com
