The story takes a turn into one of self-deprecation however, revealing the humble nature of this high-achieving actress.
“I’m never one to take myself too seriously - I suppose that’s important, but then balance it out by taking the work absolutely seriously. A bit clichéd, but it’s so true,” Sarah warmly explains.
We’re chatting over Zoom in the exclusive first interview about her new series Finding Home, another showcase of her cross-cultural talent that shows no bounds. It’s one of many talks the actress, who has lived in many different parts of the world, is expected to take part in the publicity campaign for the Amazon series that has already attracted a string of glowing reviews from industry insiders.
Sarah is also credited as a main cast member in the series User Not Found, where she plays Adina, alongside Australian star Mia Challis who appears alongside Entourage star Adrien Grenier in Clickbait.
A prominent producer offered a quote to our editors, which is endorsed and agreed upon by this writer, that the series - and Sarah’s performance in it - speaks to the current times in a way that few other new series do. Within the first few frames of her appearance, Sarah offers a vulnerability and need that lifts off the screen - truly supporting the notion that actors are professional ‘empathisers’.
“I try not to read reviews,” Sarah explains, when we offer her another positive quote.
“It’s difficult to not get sucked into the logistics and business components of the industry, but at the end of the day the only thing I can focus on, is the story,” Sarah clarifies.
“Even though I use different stimuli to get into character - like listening to music or imagining what my character’s life was like prior to the story - thinking about the other characters is so much more interesting and important I think. It’s also more interesting, and a means by which I’m less self-conscious.”
This type of self-awareness balanced by the interest in other characters outside of her own assigned part is reflected best in the climax of the pilot episode. In one scene, Sophia - Sarah’s character - calls her dad seeking comfort. Even though she tells us the other actor was not on the other line of the phone while filming, when watching her, it’s remarkably believable and a viewer is left thinning they’ve gotten a peak into the private moment of a conversation between daughter and father. Moments of rawness such as these are those which define the remarkable and one-of-a-kind talents of the cross-cultural actress, who selflessly offers herself over to the storytellers in every frame in a manner that will undoubtedly attract awards and nominations come the 2021 awards season.
In the next scene, Sophia falls asleep wearing her jeans and T-Shirt while reading Gabriel Garcia Marquez book “100 years of loneliness,” a moment that crystallizes the tragic humour befitting our current times.
“When I first read this scene, I immediately connected with Sofia. I'm a huge fan of magical realism, and this movement was born in Colombia. I used to always say to my friends, if my life were a book, it would be “100 years of loneliness” by my favorite writer Marquez. In that moment I knew where to start from as far as creating Sofia’s character is concerned. I wanted to create a realistically magical Sofia and portray Colombia through her.”
It’s clear that Sarah’s globe-trotting nature - and working with Australians, English and American actors - supports what is proving to be a truly globally resonant career. In the current times when audiences are more connected than ever, Sarah represents the type of artist to appeal to the new worldly viewer.