I talk to Mickey like every day. I was just answering the phone, but I didn’t know that she was going to ask me this life-altering question. It was definitely a moment that blew my mind and just being on that stage…getting to sing such a vulnerable song next to one of the most vulnerable people in music, I think, in the last few years. I can’t name an artist who has been more vulnerable, more honest, and has met every challenge as well as Mickey has. Aside from being my friend, I have the utmost respect for her. Standing next to her and Madeline and performing this song about our Blackness was country as hell. It was Black as hell. It was everything to me. When people look back on what happened in country music in 2021, what we were able to do on that stage together is definitely one of the highlights.

How has your fashion evolved over the years as a country artist?

I love fashion, and I’ve been experimenting more. I love style, and I’m learning so much about what translates on stage, in person and on camera. It’s a whole process. I feel like so many times people get the perspective of an artist who already has everything together and it’s been tested and tried. But I’m a new artist and I’m still just trying things out. I’m still testing the waters and saying, “Maybe I like denim right now. Maybe I like fringe. Maybe I like a coat that goes all the way down to the floor. Maybe I should wear a coat on stage. Maybe coats aren’t just for outside.”

It’s hard as an artist, though, because you’re doing it all in public. So if you fail, you fail in public. If it succeeds, people remember it because it worked. In the age of branding, not being afraid to be known for trying things out is so dope to me. I never wanted to be the artist that had the same hairstyle all the time. I never wanted to be the artist that was known for always wearing the same kind of dress or the same kind of outfit or having the same makeup all the time. It’s so easy to fall into that. Being an artist where people recognize your style without it always having to be so singular has been really important and really fun.

With such a busy schedule, how do you carve out time for self-care?

Honestly, I’m very introverted and a borderline recluse so any chance that I get to be by myself is very helpful. If I don’t have to be on the road, I stay to myself and I try to do things that pull my mind away from anything that actually really matters in life. I’ll watch a TV show or I’ll meet up with friends…people who are easy to be around. I like hiking a whole lot. I hate driving, but there is a place that I like to go to in East Nashville and spend some time out there. I love the woods, so I’ll go out there. I talk to my family a whole lot. I have simple pleasures. I love buttons and stickers and right now I’m enjoying getting new ones for my new guitar. It’s all weird stuff. It sounds so stupid when I say it out loud [Laughs]. But those are things that genuinely make me happy.

And I get on this Zoom, and there’s Will Smith. At first I’m stuck. I’m like, wait, is this a recorded video? Because his screen is so clear, [I didn’t think it was happening live]. And then he goes, “What’s up? What’s up?” I’m like, oh, this is crazy. He says, “I want to congratulate you. You got the part of Will on Bel-Air.” It was surreal and out of body. That was the first time I met him—when he surprised me over Zoom.

Wow. What did you do that night to celebrate?

Oh, I went to sleep. I was so overwhelmed, I went to sleep. I mean, I called my mom, I called my dad. My friends were actually in the apartment with me because I was over at my friend’s house doing the audition because I was in the process of moving. Will even said, “Where is everybody? Go get everyone in the house!” So I brought them all in. They met Will, and it was amazing. He said he was really looking forward to being an asset for me in my career, which was huge. So after all that, I needed to rest, you know what I mean? I just need to…I got to take this all in.

It’s overwhelming, it really is. As if I know. [Laughs] I have no idea, but I’d imagine so. How are you doing with the sudden attention?

I always say everyone’s time is going to come; if you ask the universe, if you ask God for something, it’s going to give it to you, right? But it just depends on who you are, and if you’re ready when it comes. I felt like I really prepared myself for this moment. There are things definitely in this that you can’t prepare yourself for, but I feel like I’ve got what it takes.

So I’m really just taking it one day at a time. For sure it’s been overwhelming, but Will said something in his book, Will, that has been really important to me. He said his dad asked him and his brother to build a wall when they were younger, and they were like, “Oh, I don’t how we’re going to build this wall, it seems impossible.” And then his dad said, “Hey, don’t think about building the wall. Just think about laying a brick perfectly every single time.” And so I go about that, focusing in on one day at a time and just trying to live in every moment and be the best I can in that moment.

That’s such an important lesson. So, when you were growing up, what was your idea of what it meant to be a successful actor and what is it now?

When I was growing up, I definitely thought it was all about the Oscars and the awards and who won. Now my idea of being a successful actor is being happy. It took me a long time to get to that because I would be around a lot of people who would say, “I really want to just thrive in the Philly scene.” I didn’t get that at first. I was like, “But don’t you want to be the biggest star in the world?” That’s not for some people, and as long as you’re happy where you are, then that’s what being a successful actor means to me.

I anticipate this show being one of the biggest hits of the year, so are you ready to start being recognized wherever you go?

I’ve been taking it one step at a time. I’ve always acknowledged that there’s something almost mystical about this story. I remember feeling that way when I was doing research for the audition because the mystery surrounding Anna was really out of this world. The other thing I’m excited for is the opportunity to connect with more stories of freedom, and more stories about the struggle to find worth. I’m excited that this opportunity feels like a door opener for all of us to find the next story. 

I love people. People are why I act and want to tell their stories. That’s what I’m in it for. I loved the dialogue that came from The Bold Type [when I was on]. That experience was really exciting, especially when people start to talk to you about why it connected to them emotionally. And then when they’re brave enough to take that step of telling you, then I really enjoy meeting people and inquiring about them. It’s nice to not feel like it’s happening in a vacuum. That’s one of the things about theater I love so much—there are heartbeats in the room and everyone’s kind of breathing together and you can feel it in the moment. With this show, you get to see a lot more behind the curtain, but there’s still a lot of unanswered questions. It’s really worth getting into dialogue about.

Would you want to meet the real Anna Delvey/Sorokin?

She always has sort of felt almost mythical to me, like she has supernatural powers that would give me the shivers a bit. But I think—and this is telling of Julia’s performance of her—I learned through working on the show that there was a real love and relationship between Neff and Anna, even if it didn’t penetrate to the point where Anna fully exposed all of the details of her identity to her. I think their connection and respect for one another was real, and I’m fascinated to know where that lives in the real Anna.

Do she and Neff still have a friendship?

I think it’s complicated. I think Neff is continuing to find the right boundary in that relationship. From what I understand, it changes. I think letting her in and then deciding that space is the healthiest thing so it’s a bit of an ebb and flow, which is emotional. I don’t know where exactly they are now. I think there is a sort of a sense of loyalty to someone who was a genuine friend to her that Neff maintains. 

OK, let’s play some rapid-fire questions. How did you celebrate getting the role of Neff?

Ice cream and talking with my mom on Zoom.

What was your favorite scene to film?

The hotel bed scene with just me and Julia. It was just the most grounded…the two of us. It felt relaxed. And it was my first scene with Julia, which was really special and such a cool way to start.

Glamour: There is such rising population of young Latinas here in the United States, but we didn’t really grow up seeing ourselves in media. As a part of Encanto, you’re giving back to those younger girls who never really saw themselves—how is that? 

Carolina Gaitán: I love that we’re talking about this. We’re talking about representation. We’re talking about identification. We’re talking about finally telling a different story about our Latino community, but specifically, our Colombian community. In the movie it’s about multiracial issues and families. It’s a really good moment for Latinos to express what we really are, and Encanto does this beautifully. We’re talking about our stories, our gastronomy, our strong women leading our society. Being a part of that and exposing that side to people is so important.

What was the story behind your audition?

It was crazy. There’s so many crazy stories behind my audition, I don’t know where to start. I was in L.A. to go to the Disney studios in Burbank, and I was so nervous. I still have the parking ticket because I couldn’t believe that I was actually there, doing a casting for an audition for a Disney movie. That alone was a dream come true. After my audition went well, I had the chance to meet Lin-Manuel, who I actually asked for a selfie four years earlier when I went to New York because I wanted to see Hamilton. Four years after, in my callback, the directors told me that Lin-Manuel was going to be a part of the movie to do the music, and they were telling me that he did research and went to Colombia to visit—and we were on the same flight from Bogotá to New York. 

Oh, my gosh, that’s crazy! It’s fate.

So when I had my callback, I had the chance to meet Lin-Manuel, and he was like, “I cannot believe that. Let me see the picture.” I showed him the picture and was like, “Oh, my god, this was so meant to be!” So I had the chance to talk about the movie with him over coffee in a drama book store in New York. There’s so much magic behind all of this. 

Let’s talk about “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” I mean, it’s everywhere. For people who may have been born in the United States or had no idea about Latin culture, they’re singing your song at the gym or walking down the street right now. 

I know, it’’ crazy. When I was in L.A., I remember saying I was Colombian and people were like, “Mexico? Is it the same?” It was like that. For me, there’s two things that have been really important and beautiful: Finally, we can talk about Colombia and that the world knows our story—our music, our names, our country, our food. I will always remember when I was living in L.A., someone told me, “Caro, it’s going to be really difficult here for you.” I didn’t understand why. It’s because I had an accent and because I didn’t look like a Latina—I’m white. I didn’t understand, because, how am I supposed to look? We’re all so different and multiracial. We’re not a stereotype. With Encanto, it’s beautiful to finally express that in the best way.

That’s huge. Your first major role out of college is leading a Broadway show. How did you celebrate?

It was right around Thanksgiving, and I was planning to see my group of friends anyway, so we all got together. It was just awesome and surreal. From that point on, every day felt like a celebration because it was one day closer to moving to London and having it all begin.

What was your relationship to Tina Turner before the show started?

Honestly, I didn’t really have one. I like to keep it real about that! My generation was not necessarily raised at a time when Tina was playing on MTV, so getting to take on this role has not only been an introduction to Tina for me, but to my generation of women. My dad is a big music person, so I must have heard her around the house growing up, but I never went out of my way to listen to her. But even after the auditions process, I continued to listen to her music, which is not something I typically would do because I usually try to put the audition out of my head. But the music was too good not to listen to!

What was it like the first time you met her?

It was unbelievable. During tech rehearsals in London, one of the company managers said, “I want to see you after rehearsal.” Of course I immediately thought I was getting fired. It was fun while it lasted! But instead, she simply said, “You’re flying to meet Tina in Switzerland on Thursday.” It was a Tuesday, so of course I was like, “Oh, God, I have to go shopping! What am I going to wear to meet Tina Turner?”

What does someone wear to meet Tina Turner?

I bought a dress from Zara that I still have. It doesn’t do much for me anymore since my body has changed so much, but I’ll never get rid of it because that’s the dress I wore when I met Tina Turner.

What did you guys talk about?

Her husband picked me up at the airport and brought me to their chateau for afternoon tea. She really wanted to get to know me, which was really interesting and unexpected for me. She wanted to know about my upbringing, the role, how I was faring, and she answered so many questions I had about trying to find my way into her. She has such a beautiful spirituality, and the thing that’s kept me going is that she doesn’t hold onto her trauma, and that’s how she goes through life. She’s really opened the door to mindfulness and intentionality for me.

You’re on stage for almost three hours every night, giving what I can only describe as Olympic-level athleticism, transferred to the Broadway stage. How does someone prepare for that?

The show ends around 11 at night, and I always leave with so much energy—it can take a while to come off of that. By the time I take a shower at the theater, get home, take a bath, have dinner, do some breath work and meditate, it’s about two in the morning. That’s when I usually go to bed, and I wake up any time between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The show is so demanding, so I try to ease myself into the day. I try to make some sounds in the morning just to get my voice going, and I eat dinner around 4:30 p.m. to get my body ready for the show. I do some breath work and then I like to do some hula hooping to get my core and body moving with all the dancing we do on stage. It’s whimsical and fun. Then I’ll do a bit of jump rope, and 10 minutes of voice exercises before the show.

I feel very lucky. It’s interesting because I’ve played smaller roles in these big franchises. I think it’s what I needed. If I got a huge leading role that changed my life on one of these huge shows, I don’t think I would have been mentally ready for it. I needed to go through that year in L.A. and lose all my money. I needed to go through all of the rejection over and over and over in order to get down to the core of it.

What was it like working with Keanu Reeves? You had also worked with Carrie-Anne Moss, who plays Trinity, on Iron Fist.

Carrie-Anne took me under her wing and was a shelter in the storm of a very messy COVID year. And Keanu was lovely. He gives it his all and has kept the playfulness that a lot of actors lose over time. But he still loves the industry to its core. It’s great.

What was your idea of a successful actor as a kid?

I naively quantified success when I was younger as recognition of some sort. As soon as I gave up seeking any sort of validation from acting, then I was able to book jobs when I focused on just why I liked it. And focused on the journey rather than a sort of a result-oriented thing. I’ve tried to maintain that. [Acting is] an art, and I think it can very easily get poisoned—the passion for it. So I try and maintain what Keanu has, which is that sort of childlike playfulness.

What do you consider success now?

Being happy.

What’s a beauty or skin care product you’ve become a fan of while in the makeup chair?

The 111:Skin Rose Gold Facemask. Put it on for 20 minutes and it’s a noticeable difference. Like, instant rejuvenation. I cannot applaud that company more.

What actor have you always wanted to meet?

I’ve met the one I always wanted to meet. I was obsessed with Shawshank Redemption for most of my teen years, and I wanted to meet Morgan Freeman. And then I was in New Orleans, shooting Underwater, and he was staying at the same hotel. I got in the elevator and the door’s about to close, and then a hand comes in, and in walks Morgan Freeman. I remember just staring like, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit. 

I press my button. And I was like, “Do I say something? Do I not say something? Do I tell him I’m an actor so he doesn’t think I’m weird? He might think I’m a fan following him to his room!” Then he gets to his floor and I just have to stop him. I say, “Hi, I’m such a big fan. Can I? Can I just meet you?” 

He shook my hand and said, “Yeah, do you want to take a photo?” My hand was shaking, so I couldn’t get it to be in focus so I had to do it again. And he was like, “Come on, come on. I ain’t got all day” or something like that. [Laughs]

I love that you were on the elevator before him but still worried he would think you were following him. What’s your dream role?

It seems like you’ve been working in the arts your whole life. Have you ever had a break?

I took a two-year break in college where I was just studying politics—I did political studies and became obsessed with comparative politics. I studied theater and politics at Bard, I double-majored. It was very different theater than what I had been seeing and performing growing up. I was at the School of American Ballet as a child, so it was very rigorous professional training. I was used to classically structured theater, and then all of a sudden it’s like: A man walks across the stage, and that’s theater. And I’m like, “No, it’s not.” Then little by little I’m like, “Oh, no—it is.” But I didn’t have a lot of success in theater at Bard—I auditioned for all the shows, never got into them.

How did you start directing your own work?

I just wanted things to be getting done, so I was like, “Well, I’ll just make them.” That’s how directing came to me. I just came up with these stories, and then I’d be like, “Let’s get some friends in there, or I’ll do it and have a friend shoot it, and I’ll run back and forth from the monitor.” It really came from this desire to try and be in control, which is ultimately an anxiety thing because you don’t ever have that much control over anything! I was like, “Okay, if I have the story in my head, how do I make it?” That was kind of the work of directing.

I want to learn more about what my vision is as a director. I know the stories I want to tell, but what are my beliefs about directing? Do I believe that there is something such as female storytelling? Or is it just that we need to create more nuance? I don’t know, I don’t have those answers yet.

Was it hard not having control, not being a director, when it came to this show?

When I got to Sex Lives of College Girls, it was nuts! It was such a big boat. A part of me loved it because I was like, “Wow, I can just do this work. I show up, and you guys are going to do the rest.” At the same time that’s kind of scary because I’m really aware of all the work that goes on behind and that means I don’t know what’s going to happen with the work I’m giving you. It was a good exercise in control and having to let go.

We had a bit of a hiatus [after filming] the pilot and I was like, “Oh, my God, what am I doing?” So I called a friend and said, “What do you think of making a short, just in the apartment? I have really cool bathrooms, so we need to find something that features the bathrooms.” She was like, “Let’s do it.” I made another short film on the hiatus! I couldn’t stand not doing anything.

For Glamour‘s latest edition of New Here, get to know Leah Harvey, whose career path—and outlook on life!—is sure to inspire you to kick ass in your own life.

Glamour: What was your audition for Foundation like?

Leah Harvey: I had just finished Small Island at National Theatre [in London], which was the biggest role that I’d ever done in my life. The audition came up and I went for it, but I was actually auditioning for Gaal, which is a different character. It didn’t quite feel right, but I knew something was right there. I felt like it was fate in a funny way because I met David S. Goyer in my second audition, and David looked at me at one point midsentence while he was talking about Gaal and just went, “Oh wait, sorry, you’re screaming another character at me.” I was like, “What’s happening?” It ended up that he saw Salvor just in me being myself. I quickly learned a scene, did it, and just went through the process of auditioning. It was really intense, but I ended up getting the part, which was amazing. I knew that I was in for one heck of a ride, for sure.

Definitely. How long did the process take?

It was a good couple of months because those kinds of auditions, when it’s a big role like that, a lot of people go up for it. I kind of got in there early with Salvor because they weren’t really looking for Salvor at the time—they were looking for Gaal. I jumped in as soon as possible, which was really lucky for me. It was a good long process, and it took a couple of weeks, actually, from my final audition to find out that I’d got it. So I was going a bit crazy. It’s always like that, and you just have to stay resilient. That’s what it’s all about, I think.

What was it like getting into character for a sci-fi show?

It was quite easy. I always think of Salvor as being someone whose inner is extremely sensitive, sentimental, and kind of scared. But her outer is super tough, and she doesn’t take any crap. Mine’s the opposite. I’m really sensitive. I can be quite shy and quiet and a bit odd, but then on the inside I’m always ready for a fight. I have the inner and outer swapped, but I’ve got all the bits that Salvor has. She’s just really cool, and I think I’m kind of cool. I’d like to think that.

Is there anything you’re hoping for the audience to take away from either your character or the show as a whole?

Salvor learns a lot about herself in the show. She learns about teamwork. She learns about her value as an individual and the kind of impact that she can make. She also learns how to belong in a place where she doesn’t quite feel like she fits in. I think those things are inspiring about her and I hope that inspires other people.

You went to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. What is drama school actually like?

[Laughs.] You know, when you watch films like Fame and they’re in a theater school and you walk through the corridor and there’s somebody practicing a dance. There’s someone walking past you holding some music, singing a song. Then there are two people practicing a scene. It’s exactly what it’s like. It’s full of really interesting people who are so dedicated to what they’re doing that nobody feels embarrassed. I found my tribe as well. Sometimes it takes a while to find the people that are your people. I finally got them at that point, which was great. I was really happy about that.

Glamour: Tell me about how you got the role of Izzy. 

Zyra Gorecki: Less than a year after I had my leg cut off, I started going to Camp No Limits for limb-difference kids, and I have been going there ever since. One of the guys there is an actor and somehow got this contact for La Brea. He sent out an email to all the people at Camp No Limits and was like, “Does anybody know anybody?” So I sent it to my agent. 

I audition, and they were like, “Be less angry. You don’t hate your family. Let’s try this again.” I auditioned again, and they’re like, “Alright, cool. You’re coming out to L.A.”

I love that when he asked if anyone knew anyone, your response was, “Yeah. Me.” Where do you get your confidence?

My mother and my grandma. They get stuff done. Oh, my God. My mom is an engineer. Like “a few classes from her doctorate” kind of engineer before she decided, “I’m going to be a stay-at-home mom because I care more about my kids than a job.” She would tell us when we were kids, “Make hay while the sun shines. Don’t put off tomorrow what you can do today.”

How did you celebrate landing the role?

We actually filmed part of the pilot and then COVID hit. I thought it was done. So we just continued on with life. We got a call when we were in Florida. They’re like, “Hey, it’s still happening. You’re going to Australia for six months.” We went to Cracker Barrel. 

What was your favorite thing to watch growing up?

When I was little, I adored The Beverly Hillbillies. My parents weren’t like, “Oh, yes, go to the TV.” We just had old tapes with them on. That’s what we had in the house, or my dad’s horror movies. But I didn’t really watch those.

Who’s an actor you always wanted to meet, and what would you say to them?

Robin Williams. I would say, “Thank you for showing people that you can still put on a smiling face and help others when you yourself are not okay.” He touched so many people’s hearts, and I don’t think he realized and that’s—why am I getting emotional? This is ridiculous.

He inspired me to…you don’t just have to sit there in the dumps and be depressed. And even if you are, you can still continue on. 

Have you met any actors that made you feel totally star-struck?

When I first started out and was terrified, my mom said, “Listen to me. You don’t ever have to be intimidated by anyone. Because we all poop the same.” 

Were there any scenes you filmed that made you nervous?

Stunts. For the pilot scene where I’m reaching down to hold my mom (Natalie Zea), I was up on a huge platform, and I had a little rope strapped to my butt. I was just hanging over the edge. It was totally safe, but I’m afraid of heights. I was like, “If I fall right now, my head’s gonna be cracked open—this does not seem like fun.” But it was a lot of fun.