That’s great that it’s healing. Nico, even though Doris’ story isn’t Laura’s exact experience, it is based on her life. Did you feel any added pressure playing the role of Doris while Laura watching you every step of the way or did you feel completely removed from the true story?
Nico Parker: I think it definitely felt completely removed. I felt the pressure more so felt that I wanted to do that character justice. When I first read the script I literally was like “I can’t meet with Laura”, because I don’t think I would be able to do that
Laura: She wouldn’t meet with me.
Nico: Yeah, because I hate her haha! I just wanted someone to do it that would do it to its fullest extent and do it justice. I didn’t think that that could be me and then she wouldn’t stop bothering me.
Laura: I stalked her.
Nico: She came to my house.
Laura: I just showed up at her window haha.
Nico: When we did meet and we spoke about it, I was like, “I have to do this” because it’s just, she’s so brilliant and so talented and so wonderful.
Laura: And because I threatened you, so you genuinely had to do it.
Nico: Haha but yes I definitely kept the two separate, but it was also the pressure of wanting to play that part and give Doris the energy, effort, pain, joy, and everything that she deserved. I just wanted to make you proud purely from a director sense. I just wanted you to be proud of me and what you had made. I wanted you to watch it at the end and feel like you had made the best version of the film that you wanted to make.
Laura: Well, you accomplished your mission because she just won an award at Sundance. I mean this kid is unbelievable.
So in the spirit of wanting to make Laura proud, what did you both do before filming to strengthen your relationship?
Nico: We went out for dinner when I first got to Charleston.
Laura: We Zoomed a lot.
Nico: We Zoomed a lot, we spoke a lot, we texted a bit. I sent her a playlist I made for the film, and what songs I was connecting Doris to. And so we spoke before and then I saw you in person in Charleston and I was just like, “I’m obsessed with you, will you adopt me?”
Laura: I was trying to get her to let me adopt her the whole time and then she turned 18 and I was very sad because I can’t adopt her anymore.
Nico: Damn. But yes we had constant chats
Laura: It was a lot of just hanging out and being around each other. And, and then me having to remember like, she’s 17, you know, like she’s not, my friend, you know, like I’m like talking to her about my life.
Nico: A lot of the time on set I think it’s the norm that the actors will hang out with the actors and the crew but more so because you’re constantly working the director is usually with the producers as it’s a really tough job, but I literally wouldn’t leave Laura alone. I would go and sit in her chair and be like “What you doing?”
Laura: And she also came on location scouts.
Nico: I literally wouldn’t leave her alone and was like we have to hang out all the time now.
Laura: It was such a mutual thing of just wanting her around because she has a really good energy and good vibes, you want to be around her all the time. What that unintentionally did was make it comfortable to be able to work together and trust each other.
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