Mia Goth Says the ‘Truth Is, I Hate Acting’

Mia Goth wants to push the limits of acting, even if she sometimes despises the craft itself.

The “MaXXXine” actress told Time that while leading Ti West’s critically acclaimed trilogy is “the most creatively fulfilling experience” of her life, she does sometimes “hate acting” — or at least, when it’s not authentic.

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“The truth is, I hate acting,” Goth said. “Acting is actually the hardest thing to do. It’s this elusive thing and you think you have it — it’s like trying to grip smoke.”

She added soon thereafter, “I love it so much.”

The “X” and “Pearl” star continued that she tries to embody “genuine moments” on the screen by having fiction veer into reality.

“Art needs to be a little dangerous and to get genuine moments, you have to blur the lines a little,” Goth said. “Playing Maxine and Pearl has been the most creatively fulfilling experience of my life. And one of many reasons why it’s been such a gift is because I’ve been blessed to play these characters that are so fearless and have such agency. There’s a reason certain characters come into your life.”

Goth added of being in production, “Whereas in my day to day life, I need a lot of validation, I don’t need that on set. It’s a way for me to feel liberated.”

And while Goth is looking to leave her horror roles behind — I’m “tapped out in that area,” she said — she credited the genre for offering “roles written for women that you really sometimes struggle to find elsewhere.” Next, Goth would “love to make a romantic movie” that doesn’t have as much “violence and gore.”

Goth previously said in 2023 that the Oscars should recognize more horror genre films.

“I think that it’s very political and that it’s not entirely based on the quality of a project per se,” Goth said. “I think there’s a lot going on there, a lot of cooks in the kitchen when it comes to nominations and categories that are recognized. Maybe I shouldn’t say that either but I think that’s true. I think a lot of people know that. I don’t know why.”

Goth continued, “I think a change is necessary. A shift should take place, really. If they wanted to engage with the wider public, I think it would be of benefit, really.”

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