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Entertainment Exclusives! | Interview w/ Actress Mia Mills
Exclusive Interview with British Actress, Mia Mills, from Indie Film, Do Something, Jake
British Actress, Mia Mills | Photo Credit: Sian Morgan
Director James Smith, made his feature directorial debut with the crime thriller, , which was shot in the East Midlands, U.K. and follows the story of Jake, an unemployed introvert, unable to read or write, who draws on brilliant ingenuity when the woman he secretly loves is threatened.
With a mix of humor, noir and criminal menace, offers a fresh angle on the UK crime thriller – a British film that does not feel ‘British’. This helped by Hollywood-inspired screenwriting and bold cinematography, plus the appearance of award-winning New York actor Ed Bergtold (), and post-production crews from Europe and Los Angeles. is the feature film debut for Raya Films.
Starring Jamie Alderson in the title role, Ed Bergtold () and Mia Mills (), with a screenplay written by producer, Caroline Spence,is a 110-minute film shot with zero-budget, yet utilizing a large international cast and multiple locations.
As British indie movie ‘Do Something, Jake’ is set to hit the US on DVD, BRASH! got the exclusive interview with 25-year-old British actress Mia Mills who plays the lead role of ‘Alice’.
How did you get into acting? I’ve been acting on and off since I was about 6 and starting working on it properly when I was about 14/15.
Who or what turned you onto film? My grandma was the one person who turned me on to film and theatre. She was a playwright and English teacher for many years so when she would talk about film and theatre she was coming from a totally different viewpoint. She’s the most interesting woman I’ve ever known and when she found out I had an interest in acting and films she starting showing me some amazing films and plays that she would show to her students and that’s what solidified my wanting to do it I think. Even in her old age now she’s still got so much to say about it all, we chat about films and actors all the time.
What was your first acting job? What I would consider to be my first acting job was as an extra on the first couple of episodes of Black Mirror long before it was this huge Netflix hit. It was shot just by my university in Buckinghamshire and they contacted all the students to be extras which were so exciting for us. I remember learning so much just from being on the set. I think extra work is very tough, it’s long hours, hours of waiting around and doesn’t have a lot of pay off, but the experience you get just from watching the setups and the technicalities of shooting is brilliant. I got paid £20 and bought myself a pizza on the way home, and I still have the envelope they gave me the money in!
Raya Films London has built a reputation as disrupters in the indie film scene. How was it to work with its co-founders’ screenwriter Caroline Spence and film director James Smith? Caroline writes reality so well. I think it’s so hard to do but she nails it. She creates characters that are totally fleshed out and each contributes so much to the story. But she never wants actors to shy away from bringing themselves to the role and changing things up. That’s what makes a great screenwriter, I think.
James is a great teacher and whenever I’ve worked with him, I’ve come away feeling inspired and more knowledgeable. He always has a clear vision in his head but not so much that he’s precious about it and often encouraged us to play more and explore situations and dynamics. He and Caroline make such a great team and I’m so lucky to have worked with them.
Watch Trailer for Do Something, Jake
What are your thoughts on women in film? Are there enough roles in front and behind the camera? It’s really interesting whenever I get asked this and maybe I’m just very lucky, but the majority of the experiences I’ve had on film and with plays, the crew and team have been predominantly women. I worked on a shoot a couple of days ago where the scriptwriter, the DOP (director of photography) and producers were women, which was amazing!
There’s always room for improvement but I really think we’re heading in a more inclusive and embracing direction and I for one am definitely noticing and loving it!
And broadening the scope, what do you think about diversity in film, is there enough in terms of representation? Well, again, it’s a very similar answer I think I’ll give. We do still have more work to do but the direction we’re going in is great. Take a film like Black Panther for example. That film killed it! As well as being a visually fantastic marvel film there were so many powerful characters and actresses in it and it was a wonderful moment to have solidified in film. I think the roles are getting more dynamic and diverse and we’re stepping away [from] more the cliched characters.
I can’t wait to see what’s still to come!
Who would play you in a movie? In an ideal world, I would love Jennifer Anniston to play me. I just think she’s the most fabulous person and she’s had a career that would inspire anybody in terms of longevity and range. Obviously, she’s a fantastic comedic actress, we all know that from Friends and films like Horrible Bosses, but she’s got a great depth in terms of dramatic acting too. And she always comes across like the nicest most humble person who is so grateful for her career, and because I would love to emulate her career path for all those reasons, having her play me would be amazing.
What are your upcoming projects? I’m working on a few things right now, but because it’s all new and fresh it’s still quite under wraps and titles are changing and things. I will say I’ve got an exciting horror style Feature film coming up with a great production company called Happy Fingers Productions which I’ve worked with on and off for a couple of years now, and hopefully a potential pilot which I’ve just finished work on, which has quite mythical, magical elements to it, so very different projects but all incredibly exciting!
Career high so far: Career-high so far was seeing my first feature film ‘Do Something Jake’ shown at the Odeon cinema on the big screen. It was surreal and genuinely a moment I didn’t ever imagine happening for me. And moments like that solidify and confirm why we choose crazy things like performing arts to do! It can take ages of trying and failing and giving up on it at least 5 times a week, but then you get moments like that, that, without sounding cliche, make all the blood, sweat and lots of tears worth it.
Advice to other people: If I knew then what I know now and could give anyone advice, including to my past self, I think it would be – you don’t have to take any and every opportunity that is presented to you. It sounds a bit weird and backwards, but I heard that so much. Throughout all my training and any acting class, I ever took. And while, to an extent, it’s a great bit of advice I also think you as the actor should feel like you have a choice. If you’re presented with a script or an opportunity that you’re simply not going to gain anything from, whether it’s not going to be showreel material or something that you wouldn’t want to put your name to or wouldn’t be happy to show your family- then you’re allowed to say no. Don’t be afraid to be a bit picky because it’s your career and your brand you’re carving out not anybody else’s and you have to be a bit savvy about it. And for as many amazing film experiences I’ve had, I’ve had many more experiences that were just bad through and through and I gained nothing from them. Some of these were unavoidable but some I could have avoided myself – and wish I hadn’t been as afraid to just say “no, but thank you for the opportunity anyway”
Put your career first and be as honest as you can be with people and yourself. And when you’re on a good set around a great crew – ask everything, watch everything and learn as much as you can about the technicalities it will help you so much.
What was your first memorable film? The first film I ever remember seeing that wasn’t a cartoon was Bugsy Malone im sure. I’m going to guess I was around 6/7. I hardly understood it and so much of the context went over my head but I remember rewinding the tape over and over until it almost broke. As well as loving the soundtrack, the dances and the slick style of the film, I genuinely was intrigued with how it worked. How did they make the guns that shot cream and more importantly how did I get hold of one?? How did the cars work?
Where could I buy the Spatz shoes? It was so intriguing to me as a kid and it wasn’t something I watched passively I was totally invested in trying to understand it. And I’ll forever be sad I wasn’t Blousey Brown. And the older I get the more I can appreciate the performances, the music, and I think every performer can relate to the song ‘Tomorrow Never Comes’ it’s so perfect!
If you could direct or be involved with any film, what would it be? If I could have been involved with any film ever made it’s close between Some Like it Hot and The Breakfast Club but I’m going to go with the breakfast club. I wouldn’t even attempt to direct that film because it was done so perfectly, but I would have loved to have been a part of the crew. It’s my favorite film of all time. The depth of the characters and the morals and the story is just fantastic. And it’s literally filmed pretty much in one location the whole time which is so difficult to nail without it being boring on the eyes. Even though I can recite virtually every scene (I must have watched the film close to 50 times), I still laugh in the same places and get emotional in the same places and appreciate different parts of different people’s performance depending on my mood that day. I would love to have been on the set to see how that was all captured. John Hughes as a director I truly think was one of the finest directors ever and I think he would have been the most amazing teacher.
What’s your favorite scene from a film? The scene in Singing in the Rain where Gene Kelly creates this massive Broadway melody is so visually amazing it has to be my favorite scene ever. Films like that take me back to a time where you had to be the absolute best of the best and learning and perfecting your craft was key. Scenes like that just show that off in every way. It’s such a beautiful scene and the performances are spectacular!
Who is your favorite screen hero/villain? Mine is both a hero and a villain. Severus Snape in Harry Potter. Portrayed amazingly by Alan Rickman of course. His character and performance are so deep and subtle and his character development is beautiful. The bad guy that was never really bad at all- just very lost and misunderstood.
About Mia Mills Mia Mills is a British actress known for her roles in the award winning feature film ‘Do Something, Jake’ (2018) and ‘Bella’ (2017). Born in Coventry, England on 19th May 1993, she began performing at the age of six and started formally training in acting for stage and screen at age fifteen. After graduating from Buckinghamshire University she went on to further her training at The Actors Studio in Pinewood Studios, London. As well as acting, she continues to train in dance, physical theatre and even has a BADC certificate in stage combat. She has also received singing and vocal lessons for many years. She is currently working on several feature films set for national and international release in 2019 and continues her work on television as well.
Twitter: @_mia_mills_ Instagram: _mia_mills_
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