Leading woman – Peaky Blinders star Annabelle Wallis opens up to Glass about womanhood, pushing the boundaries of feminism in film and why authenticity is at the core of her work
Annabelle Wallis shot to fame as soon as Peaky Blinders hit our TV screens. Now the 36-year-old actor has gained seniority and will be starring opposite Keira Knightley in the upcoming Silent Night. The storyline is being kept in a vault but, according to Wallis, “it’s like Richard Curtis and Lars von Trier had a baby”. That should be a sight for sore eyes.
Annabelle Wallis. Photograph: Heidi Tappis
Wallis’ journey to fame was no easy ride, however. As a woman in film, she has had to prove herself time and time again. “It’s been a journey of my understanding of self and who I am as a human being,” says the actor as she ponders on her years in the industry. “The reflection of where you’re at in your life is what’s reflected around you. Honouring where you’re at in your own life has been a great influence.”
Actors are essentially vehicles for storytelling. The script and direction come to life through their artistry and emotional range. Wallis has made a name for herself as a strong female lead. Her way of portraying women pushes the boundaries of stereotypes and moves the conversation a step forward. “I’m drawn to complex female stories,” she explains.
“Women who are not always the hero of the story – there’s a bit of an anti-hero in them. I like the complex truth of women throughout history. And also, the modern woman and what we’ve evolved into. I’m fascinated by the human race – I think we’re in such an exciting age of evolution.”
Annabelle Wallis. Photograph: Heidi Tappis
An age of evolution is precisely what we’re experiencing at the moment. Throughout the challenging times of Covid-19, people have managed to rally for the Black Lives Matter movement, while the creative industries are pushing the boundaries of what we’ve come to know as “art” in all shapes and sizes. Wallis’ curiosity about the characters that will resurface from the midst of it all this is something that we all share.
“We are in an unsatisfied world that’s speaking up in so many different parts of the world – it’s so interesting as a performer to sit back and observe [this],” she comments. “This new voice, these new traits, this new breed that is forming. It’s going to be interesting to see where those stories lead us and what kind of characters those people will become.”
Annabelle Wallis. Photograph: Heidi Tappis
Wallis takes pride in the fact that she is helping pave the way for a new generation of young women to develop in a healthier version of the film industry. “I’ve been very fortunate to have navigated the industry in a way that I haven’t felt the challenges other people have felt. However, you have to speak up and make sure that you go after things that you are passionate about, that you are fighting for. Women need to be represented. Using your voice is always a struggle in life. But to use it in a place that you feel grateful to be in is even harder.
‘That’s a journey in itself, but that’s the debt you carry too. I don’t know about every actor, but I feel a debt to other women coming into this industry. What I tolerate means the things that they’ll have to tolerate.”
Annabelle Wallis. Photograph: Heidi Tappis
Wallis is aware of her privilege and does not take her responsibilities lightly as a public figure. “I always ask myself ‘What will you tolerate’? And mourn the idea – if it were my niece, (who’s four years old) or my friend’s little sister just leaving drama school – what would you tolerate? If you tolerate it, they tolerate it,” she asserts.
“If you remind yourself that you’re doing it for others, it helps you choose for yourself too. It serves both sides.”
What’s her vision on women in film, though? “I want to portray women who are equal to men. I don’t seem to be getting any wife roles. I’m like, ‘Oh! Nobody wants to marry me, okay’. I grew up in an equal household, I have a brother, I grew up with boys, I never felt different to men … so I wanted that always reflected in my work.”
Annabelle Wallis. Photograph: Heidi Tappis
Her emotionally taxing characters still leave their mark on Wallis, even after years in the industry. It is after all extreme sensibility that sets some actors apart from others. “I’ve got really into Carl Jung and his interpretations of dreams, and the subconscious. It struck me that there is something of a channelling that happens, and you get very connected to a character. When you’re going through pain, and you’re re-living pain, and sometimes emotion comes up, and you don’t even know where it’s from, it affects you. You are feeling the pain and, yes, you fall slightly in love with your co-star. But then when I go home, I’m very good at closing the door. You have to, or you wouldn’t survive.”
Annabelle Wallis. Photograph: Heidi Tappis
With feminism being at heart of her thinking and her ambition to push boundaries, Wallis’ career is already making waves. What’s her secret? And what does it entail for her? “Authenticity,” she tells me. “Someone who is resonating from the truth within themselves. And, there is a no purer, more powerful form of connecting with people than through authenticity. And I think that is part of your human instinct; I think that’s your soul, it’s your honour, it’s your integrity. It’s all aligned with the greatest pillars of humanity. If you come from that place, then you can’t go wrong. You can’t connect wrong; you can’t make decisions wrong; you’ll go exactly where you’re meant to go.”
Direct connection with others is what we’ve lacked most throughout the entirety of 2020, prompting Wallis to declare, when discussing the theme of this issue, “I connect through loving people and I connect through hearing people. I absorb wisdom, I absorb life force, I absorb everything. I’m hoping for a better future, a brighter future – a future that is full of hope because we realised that connectivity is what we need.”
By Adina Ilie
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