Scottish BAFTA winning Actress Sophie Kennedy Clark discusses the challenges of working on Sorority as both Actress and Producer and how she approached the role of “Harriet”.
How did you come to not only appear in Sorority, but also become one of the producers?
The director, James Webber, and I met when he cast me in another of his films. We immediately had great synergy and knew we wanted to work together. I had just finished producing my first short, Gutterpunks, and James gave me Sorority to read and I knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of getting it from page to screen. So when James asked if I wanted to produce as well, I jumped at the chance. Sorority is my first feature as a producer and I couldn’t be prouder of the film, experience and the collaborative efforts of everyone involved.
Was it difficult acting as well as producing the film?
Being in two places, or head-spaces, at once was always going to have its challenges, but it was something we as a production had prepared for: James as Writer/Director/Producer and myself as Actress/Producer. The crew knew that when I was in front of camera that they would delegate or hold production responsibilities until end of scene. Through the process of doing both those roles, I’ve definitely grown as a filmmaker.
Arguably, your character Harriet goes through the most difficult journey in the film. How did you prepare yourself to deal with some of the subject matter?
I have not experienced the kind of grief that Harriet goes through in the film. The loss of a child. Researching the stories of woman that have, helped me get as close to understanding that feeling as much as I could. There is a hollowness that exists within all of them. I tried to carry this within my performance of Harriet in her every day life and even bring this tragic quality to her humour. She has such a strong sense of self and spirit. Her dynamic characteristics magnify the void of her grief.