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| Meet the Youngest and Oldest Hopefuls in This Oscar Race | Meet the Youngest and Oldest Hopefuls in This Oscar Race |
| (17 days later) | |
| The runaway charmer of this year’s awards race is Brooklynn Prince, the precocious 7-year-old star of “The Florida Project,” which tells of a little girl, Moonee, living a hardscrabble life with her mother, Halley, in an Orlando-area motel. Brooklynn is in the running for best actress, and could become the youngest-ever Oscar nominee. She recently was a presenter at the Gotham Awards with Lois Smith, 87, a best supporting actress candidate for her performance in “Marjorie Prime,” where holograms, or “primes,” take the place of deceased love ones. Ms. Smith could become the second oldest acting nominee ever. (Gloria Stuart, of “Titanic,” holds the record at 87 years, 5 months old; Ms. Smith, if nominated, would be 87 and 2 months.) | The runaway charmer of this year’s awards race is Brooklynn Prince, the precocious 7-year-old star of “The Florida Project,” which tells of a little girl, Moonee, living a hardscrabble life with her mother, Halley, in an Orlando-area motel. Brooklynn is in the running for best actress, and could become the youngest-ever Oscar nominee. She recently was a presenter at the Gotham Awards with Lois Smith, 87, a best supporting actress candidate for her performance in “Marjorie Prime,” where holograms, or “primes,” take the place of deceased love ones. Ms. Smith could become the second oldest acting nominee ever. (Gloria Stuart, of “Titanic,” holds the record at 87 years, 5 months old; Ms. Smith, if nominated, would be 87 and 2 months.) |
| I recently sat down with both actresses, though Brooklynn had arrived with a list of questions, carefully written in pencil and tucked into a glittery purse, for Ms. Smith, and soon took the interview over. Here are excerpts from our chat. | I recently sat down with both actresses, though Brooklynn had arrived with a list of questions, carefully written in pencil and tucked into a glittery purse, for Ms. Smith, and soon took the interview over. Here are excerpts from our chat. |
| You both are doing the awards circuit. You’ve been talking about your movies so much. Does that ever get boring for you, Brooklynn? | You both are doing the awards circuit. You’ve been talking about your movies so much. Does that ever get boring for you, Brooklynn? |
| Brooklynn Prince: No, it doesn’t. I mean, when I told my mom and dad I was in love with acting, I really was. And I never don’t like it. There’s not a time where I’m, like, “I wish I could be at home feeding my brother.” [Her baby brother is 10 months old.] It’s just a dream come true for me. | Brooklynn Prince: No, it doesn’t. I mean, when I told my mom and dad I was in love with acting, I really was. And I never don’t like it. There’s not a time where I’m, like, “I wish I could be at home feeding my brother.” [Her baby brother is 10 months old.] It’s just a dream come true for me. |
| And is the talking about it a bit of acting, too? | And is the talking about it a bit of acting, too? |
| Brooklynn: Yes, doing interviews is a bit of acting also because sometimes they have us do fun little skits or maybe some fun little questions. And sometimes they’ll ask us to do just a little bit of acting. | Brooklynn: Yes, doing interviews is a bit of acting also because sometimes they have us do fun little skits or maybe some fun little questions. And sometimes they’ll ask us to do just a little bit of acting. |
| Lois, would you have advice for Brooklynn, or her dad sitting here, knowing what you do? | Lois, would you have advice for Brooklynn, or her dad sitting here, knowing what you do? |
| Lois Smith: I’m so impressed when Brooklynn tells me that the interviews are as much fun as acting. I sometimes feel, “Can I talk about myself and the film any longer without it impairing my mental health?” And then it gets better, and you get through it. I, too, really love acting. And I guess I don’t think that interviews are another kind of acting. I don’t. Interesting. | Lois Smith: I’m so impressed when Brooklynn tells me that the interviews are as much fun as acting. I sometimes feel, “Can I talk about myself and the film any longer without it impairing my mental health?” And then it gets better, and you get through it. I, too, really love acting. And I guess I don’t think that interviews are another kind of acting. I don’t. Interesting. |
| Brooklynn, did you have questions for Lois? | Brooklynn, did you have questions for Lois? |
| Brooklynn: Oh yes, yes, I did. Let me just get my paper here right now. And then maybe you can ask me some questions if you have any. | Brooklynn: Oh yes, yes, I did. Let me just get my paper here right now. And then maybe you can ask me some questions if you have any. |
| Lois Smith: Well, O.K., if I’m going to ask you about your body of work compared to mine, which is so many years, it’s going to be an unbalanced conversation, but O.K.. You can start. | Lois Smith: Well, O.K., if I’m going to ask you about your body of work compared to mine, which is so many years, it’s going to be an unbalanced conversation, but O.K.. You can start. |
| Brooklynn: In “East of Eden” you got to work with James Dean. How was that? | |
| Lois Smith: Delightful. He was so good. That’s the main thing. Wasn’t he wonderful in that part? You watched it? | Lois Smith: Delightful. He was so good. That’s the main thing. Wasn’t he wonderful in that part? You watched it? |
| Brooklynn: No, I didn’t. | |
| Lois Smith: You know, they were telling me they were going to have you watch a lot of my movies. I said, “Leave the kid alone. Come on.” You seeing “Marjorie Prime” is one thing. That’s the current film. But I didn’t think you needed to catch up on all my films. So forgive me if they made you watch too many films. | Lois Smith: You know, they were telling me they were going to have you watch a lot of my movies. I said, “Leave the kid alone. Come on.” You seeing “Marjorie Prime” is one thing. That’s the current film. But I didn’t think you needed to catch up on all my films. So forgive me if they made you watch too many films. |
| Brooklynn: Me and my dad still haven’t finished “Marjorie Prime,” and we’re really excited to watch the rest. I haven’t watched “East of Eden,” but I want to. Was it cool being a Prime, or on screen was it cool to see yourself be a Prime? | Brooklynn: Me and my dad still haven’t finished “Marjorie Prime,” and we’re really excited to watch the rest. I haven’t watched “East of Eden,” but I want to. Was it cool being a Prime, or on screen was it cool to see yourself be a Prime? |
| Lois Smith: It was cool being a Prime. I find the combination of playing Marjorie and Marjorie Prime just a delight. | Lois Smith: It was cool being a Prime. I find the combination of playing Marjorie and Marjorie Prime just a delight. |
| Brooklynn: What was your favorite role you played so far? | Brooklynn: What was your favorite role you played so far? |
| Lois Smith: Oh goodness, that’s hard. An actress friend of mine once said, “The answer is the last one.” And I think that’s a pretty smart answer, but I’m not sure it’s exactly true. My favorite role? Well, let’s just say the last one. | Lois Smith: Oh goodness, that’s hard. An actress friend of mine once said, “The answer is the last one.” And I think that’s a pretty smart answer, but I’m not sure it’s exactly true. My favorite role? Well, let’s just say the last one. |
| Brooklynn: What is your favorite color? | Brooklynn: What is your favorite color? |
| Lois Smith: That’s really hard. I like so many colors. But maybe blue, and maybe green, and maybe red, and — O.K., you see what I mean? It’s hard. How about you? What’s your favorite color? | Lois Smith: That’s really hard. I like so many colors. But maybe blue, and maybe green, and maybe red, and — O.K., you see what I mean? It’s hard. How about you? What’s your favorite color? |
| Brooklynn: My favorite color is maroon. I have this dress that’s maroon, and every day I ask my mom, “Can I wear that dress?” And she’s, like, “You’ve been asking to wear that every day.” What’s your favorite movie of all time? | Brooklynn: My favorite color is maroon. I have this dress that’s maroon, and every day I ask my mom, “Can I wear that dress?” And she’s, like, “You’ve been asking to wear that every day.” What’s your favorite movie of all time? |
| Lois Smith: Oh, that’s another hard one. You ask the worst questions. I don’t see animation very often, and one time I sort of accidentally went with family, grandchildren and other people. And after I saw this movie I thought, “That’s my favorite movie.” That movie is “Wall-E.” | Lois Smith: Oh, that’s another hard one. You ask the worst questions. I don’t see animation very often, and one time I sort of accidentally went with family, grandchildren and other people. And after I saw this movie I thought, “That’s my favorite movie.” That movie is “Wall-E.” |
| Brooklynn: What advice would you give to young actresses like me, or another way, what advice would you give to just beginning actors like me? | |
| Lois Smith: Well, if it wasn’t you, I could say “Take Brooklynn as a model.” But let’s see. Enjoy yourself. Be on time. Those are all good pieces of advice. | Lois Smith: Well, if it wasn’t you, I could say “Take Brooklynn as a model.” But let’s see. Enjoy yourself. Be on time. Those are all good pieces of advice. |
| Brooklynn: Yes. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? | Brooklynn: Yes. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? |
| Lois Smith: Chocolate. You? | Lois Smith: Chocolate. You? |
| Brooklynn: Mine’s mint chocolate chip. You know what my favorite movie of all time is? | Brooklynn: Mine’s mint chocolate chip. You know what my favorite movie of all time is? |
| Lois Smith: Tell me. | Lois Smith: Tell me. |
| Brooklynn: “Harry Potter.” I think it was two or three — or two or one. I feel like I’m so close to meeting Emma Watson. I really want to. | Brooklynn: “Harry Potter.” I think it was two or three — or two or one. I feel like I’m so close to meeting Emma Watson. I really want to. |
| Lois Smith: Oh, you will. | Lois Smith: Oh, you will. |
| Brooklynn: Thank you. Do you have any questions for me? | Brooklynn: Thank you. Do you have any questions for me? |
| Lois Smith: I was not as prepared as you, Brooklynn. I didn’t come with a list of questions. | Lois Smith: I was not as prepared as you, Brooklynn. I didn’t come with a list of questions. |
| Brooklynn: I could help you with some. | |
| Lois Smith: I would hate to just ask you a bunch of things you’d been asked over and over. But now that I understand it doesn’t bother you, what would be your favorite very next thing to do as an actor? | Lois Smith: I would hate to just ask you a bunch of things you’d been asked over and over. But now that I understand it doesn’t bother you, what would be your favorite very next thing to do as an actor? |
| Brooklynn: Probably since I love “Stranger Things” so much, probably a season of “Stranger Things.” | Brooklynn: Probably since I love “Stranger Things” so much, probably a season of “Stranger Things.” |
| Ms. Smith: What is it you like most about acting? | Ms. Smith: What is it you like most about acting? |
| Brooklynn: What I like most about acting is just the people’s stories you get to tell. If these people aren’t actors or actresses, and they have a really important story, you can tell that story for them, you know? For example, I got into “The Florida Project,” which was a crazy, fun project, and it led me to a website that helps out the sort of kids, the Halleys and Moonees [the young motel-dwelling characters in “The Florida Project”]. Those big movies can lead you to that type of things. | Brooklynn: What I like most about acting is just the people’s stories you get to tell. If these people aren’t actors or actresses, and they have a really important story, you can tell that story for them, you know? For example, I got into “The Florida Project,” which was a crazy, fun project, and it led me to a website that helps out the sort of kids, the Halleys and Moonees [the young motel-dwelling characters in “The Florida Project”]. Those big movies can lead you to that type of things. |
| Ms. Smith Truly. | Ms. Smith Truly. |
| Brooklynn: Truly, truly, true. | Brooklynn: Truly, truly, true. |
| Well, thank you both. This has been just a delight. | Well, thank you both. This has been just a delight. |
| Brooklynn: I could talk to you guys all day. | Brooklynn: I could talk to you guys all day. |