Bustle Exclusive
In her new psychological thriller,theStranger Thingsactor wrestles with groupthink.
There are throngs of fans outside Sadie Sinks hotel.
The actor is in Paris, where she has just attended the Chanel Haute Couture show.
And while shes well-acquainted with mass adoration, this particular circus is not for her.
I think theres some kind of band staying here as well, Sink, whos 22, tells Bustle.
Its crazy, but its also a beautiful thing.
And are you losing all presence in your everyday life?
Its all rich material for someone so clear-eyed about self-preservation.
Youre currently filming the final season ofStranger Things,Season 5.
How are you feeling about the show ending?
Its going to be exciting to move on from it, but Im definitely going to cry.
Its completely shaped who I am.
The years I spent on the show were such crucial, formative years in finding my own identity.
ForA Sacrifice, did you research the psychology of cults?
What makes something have a cult following, or what makes it an actual cult?
Theres a lot of scary stuff out there.
Fan culture is such a beautiful thing, all these people meeting each other and finding community.
But there are two ends of the spectrum.
[On one hand,] its just a joyous hobby you’re able to celebrate with others.
Have you dabbled in any of the fandoms responses to your work?
I used to, definitely.
But recently Ive stayed out of it.
What scares you about it?
Does it mess with your sense of reality?
Theres a craving to stay in touch because it is so special and can make me feel really good.
[I didnt have to be] doing anything, just sitting or being out and about.
Therefore it doesnt bother me.
Therefore I can get up the next morning and do it again.
How do you wrap your mind around that?
But I grew up on her music and was such a fan.
Shes been such a huge part of my life.
If a song of hers reminded me of a character, I would use itto get into a role.
She had always been a little voice in my head, so it was super surreal.
That fight scene in the kitchen.
That was largely improvised?
Yeah, I was really scared to watch the video [initially].
When she told me she kept that scene, I was like, What are you talking about?
It was completely on the fly; I dont remember anything I said; we only did one take.
I just went with whatever came up in the moment.
It was a crazy, fun acting game, and it happened to be in the final cut.
It doesnt have to be fully formed, coherent sentences.
You may say the same thing over and over, but thats real, and thats natural.
You dont see a lot of natural dialogue in films.
Youre clearly a dazzling collaborator.
I mean, I couldnt do it without Brendan.
The prosthetics were really complicated to sit in, so it was hard for him to stay still.
He would need to take a lot of breaks.
But I was like, No, I can do it.
I work onStranger Things.
We react to things that arent there all the time.
But the emotions werent coming.
So Darren [Aronofsky, the director] immediately said, Stop what youre doing.
Bring Brendan back in.
And then from the first take, it was like, Oh, its there.
That alone is a testament to how much you need your scene partner.
Its not as simple as just saying the words and acting like youre crying.
You have to feel it.
And so that feel it, you’re gonna wanna have that human connection.
Thats what the film was all about, having a strong relationship and being there for each other.
Im always going to treasure what we made together.
What led you to that analysis?
It was just so obvious to me.
The characters all have self-destructive coping mechanisms, which they resort to for comfort or safety.
Ellies anger is a result of pain, and shes lashing out.
You see it in Charlie with his eating habits and self-loathing.
Thats a coping mechanism for pain hes experienced in life.
[As a viewer,] youre asking yourself, Why is this person doing this?
They dont really know either!
Or does she take that pain and add it as fuel to the fire?
I listened to the song The Manuscript fromThe Tortured Poets Department.
Its about turning pain into art.
I wonder if you share that perception.
Yeah, for sure.
Its such a beautiful thing to be a creative person.
I think we feel things more intensely.
Were more in touch with our emotions.
Little things that someone else would brush aside, we internalize.
It fuels our art.
For a while, I could only find a sense of true fulfillment and belonging if I was performing.
Ive definitely started to realize Oh, no, Im a huge part of this as well.
So its been hugely fulfilling to approach acting from a more adult place in my life.
I feel like Ive gained enough experience to feel comfortable on any set.
I know what I need to perform at my best.
Starting out onAnnie, it was so fun and everything I wanted.
But it was also very limiting, in the sense that every night had to be the same.
Am I acting for someone else, or am I putting myself into it and makingmyselffeel good?
Its taking the pressure off of being perfect, and [instead focusing on] just being human.
Thats the root of any character, to make them feel as real as possible.
And you cant do that if youre so stressed about being perfect.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
