genesis | j.keery ; book 1

58 | british vogue article

"so once you joined your agency, what happened then?"

"well, i got a role in a bbc programme, eastenders- which everyone probably knows [laughs] i got a role in a few itv shows but that was all really. i was extras or i had about two lines. then i got an audition for a role in teen wolf, and thats when things started looking up - even though i got eaten by the beast but still, it was the best role i had landed."

"as we all know, you've now got a role in the new season of stranger things, what was the process of that? how did that feel?"

"oh gosh where do i start! my agent/manager lindsey called me up saying she landed me an audition but it was such late notice and i had about four, five hours to prepare for it. i went for the audition and then a few weeks later i was with lindsey actually, and she got a call and she screamed so loud people thought she was in danger.

"it felt amazing honestly. i was so thrilled because after you get out of the audition, you kinda forget what you did and whether you did the best to your ability. as a perfectionist, you always overthink everything you do which is very unhealthy to do so in this business, but i guess its just something everyone deals with."

"so your first day on set, what was it like? was it like the other sets you had been on with your smaller roles?"

"well, the sets i had been on before were great but this set felt so much more special to me, probably because i knew i got to say more than three or four words. it was surreal, to be honest. it makes me smile just thinking about it."

"had you met any of the cast before? and if not, how was it working with them all?"

"no, i hadn't met any of the cast before the table read but millie and natalia and i all followed each other a few months before so i was kind of familiar with them. obviously i watched the first season and i absolutely loved it and i knew the cast from that, but i think they followed me on social media the first week of filming and then a big family type friendship bloomed from there."

"as we take it from your instagram, you're very close to some people more than others. we couldn't help but adore your mother/son relationship with finn wolfhard."

"oh gosh i absolutely adore finn with all my heart. its weird because i dont even know how finn and i's friendship started out. i think it was something on my instagram comments about being his mum and then it blew up from there."

"we saw that you babysat him, whats the story behind that?"

"well! his actual parents were on set and comes to conventions, interviews with him because at the end of the day, he is just a kid, so i guess you just get talking to some people randomly and things escalated from there, really. his mum called me up and asked if i could come and look after finn for the night as they were going out of town and his brother was gone, too. it was weird because finn is a kid but he seems and acts a lot older than he is, so using the term 'babysitting' when being with finn is a little odd to me, but yeah. he's a great kid, he's done a lot for me."

"one more thing to add about finn, as im aware this is probably a sensitive topic and we dont have to talk about it but, we heard about the incident at comic con and how finn was there to help out. are you comfortable to talk about it?"

"[sighs] uh, yeah. i mean everyone who watched me from an early time would know that i struggle with anxiety and things just got very overwhelming. if it wasnt for finn i would have ended up forcing myself to do two interviews whilst having a panic attack. like i said, finn acts so much older than he actually is. he's such an amazing, special kid that im beyond thankful for."

"now onto another cast member, joe keery. we're aware that you and keery get along very well, we see him on your socials a lot, whats the deal then?"

"joe and i get on really well. we're very similar in weird ways and from the first day we just clicked. to be honest im close to all of the cast. joe and i always seemed to have different call times but always ended up on set together nearly all the time. sometimes you just meet somebody and you just click with them, you know? again, im very grateful for joe, he's a very good person."

"so, after stranger things two, whats next for maisie carlson?"

"well, i have a few little projects coming up but other than that, i guess we just gotta wait it out a bit and see what there is for me to get."

"and is acting a career path you want to stay in for a while?"

"well of course. i love acting and i always have im just glad i finally have the confidence to show my talents. if i like something however, i'll try my absolute best to get it, so god knows whats in store for me."

INTERVIEWED BY: VICTORIA WALLACE

OUTFIT BY: REALISATION PAR

PHOTOS BY: WINSTON LODGE

BRITISH VOUGE*