Inventing Anna’s Chris Lowell Shares His Behind-the-Scenes Photos From the Morocco Trip

Julia, Laverne, and Katie were saying how wild it is to be at the location where Anna stayed—kind of the culmination of when her story began to really crumble. What is it like for you?

Well, it’s so funny because so much of Anna’s approach to everything is that classic cool kid move to act like none of it is that impressive. That there’s always somewhere cooler you’ve stayed, or a party that’s better that you could be at. Throughout their time here, so many of Anna’s lines are about how this place is okay, but her [foundation] that she’s going to create in New York will be so much better. And actually being here in this insanely indisputably gorgeous place and thinking of someone coming here and badmouthing it in any capacity is so hysterical to me. It’s actually become a problem because every time Julia delivers one of these lines about how blasé this place is, I can’t stop laughing. It’s the most gorgeous hotel I’ve ever stayed in, you know? Being here kind of does all the work for you because all I do is walk around doe-eyed.

Going back to Julia’s meeting with Anna, what did she tell you?

I’m by no means a professional at diagnosing someone, but it seems like just classic textbook sociopathic behavior [from Anna]. I mean, I don’t think she feels regret for having done what she did.

Right. Which she admitted in interviews. 

Who knows if she’s trying to put up a tough face. She’s been in jail now for a considerable amount of time. And for there to still be that…indifference toward all of these people whose confidence she abused is crazy. She doesn’t seem to really be affected by being in jail. 

Have you encountered people like this, whether it’s going to events or just being in the industry?

One of the skills you develop as an actor is learning how to read a room—how to read people. I often will zero in on people’s idiosyncratic behaviors that reveal so much about people. There are definitely times where I’ve been at events and parties where you will see someone in the room who you can watch identifying the most important people in the room, looking for weaknesses, looking for strengths, looking for ways to ingratiate themselves into the company of someone that they want to talk to or get something from. It’s scary to see but also very impressive. It’s a skill I certainly don’t have. 

As a photographer, you really do have an eye though for picking up things that a lot of people may not be aware of.

Yes. When I’m taking pictures, I always sort of wait for someone’s guard to come down. There are certain people who do not let it down because they’re playing a different game. You can tell. I feel like when you meet certain people, you can just sort of see the mask, you know? 

It’s also great to be able to photograph the cast here because they’re all gorgeous. Photographing Julia is so complicated because she looks so much the part and she takes on the affectations that she’s chosen for Anna. So she’s constantly hiding behind her hair. Instead of photographing Julia, I feel like I’m really photographing Anna, which is interesting. It’s been a real experience.