SASHA LANE ON GROWTH AND NOT LOSING SIGHT OF HER PURPOSE

Director Andrea Arnold is the film industry’s version of a sniffer dog; her knack for casting white-hot, brand new talent is seemingly unrivaled, but her latest film, American Honey, came dangerously close to missing out on its star, Sasha Lane. The 20-year-old actress was on the beach in Florida for Spring break when she was approached by Andrea about being in a film: “my friend was like ‘she’s casting for porn, we’re walking away right now!’”

According to Andrea it was Sasha’s obvious free-spirited attitude that caught her eye as she played in the sand with her friends, and luckily her intuition was spot on. “I think I can sense people’s energy, so even though the whole situation was weird, Andrea seemed really sweet, and she had a good vibe about her, so I trusted her,” Sasha says. “All I did for the audition was hang out with a couple of girls that are in the movie, do a bit of improvisation and have a lot of conversations about life with Andrea. I think us connecting and her finding out how I respond to life was very important, more so than following the process of a straightforward acting audition.”

main image: shirt Helmut Lang | dress Calvin Klein | shoes The Row | jewellery Dana Bronfman / Roseark above: shirt Helmut Lang | dress Givenchy | earrings Dana Bronfman / Roseark

These conversations led to Sasha being cast as the aptly named Star, the 18-year-old protagonist in the raw and uncompromising American Honey, a film that follows a group of misfit teenagers from broken homes as they travel around America, selling magazines door-to-door under the watchful eye of group leader Krystal, played by Riley Keough. The character of Star was largely based on Sasha, who prior to the first day on set had never acted in her life.

“All Andrea told me was that Star looked after her siblings and came from a really broken background, so that’s all I had to go on,” Sasha says. “But I recognised her life. I knew that lifestyle, so I didn’t have to imagine it. It made it hard at times though because a lot of scenes in the film hit home. It was difficult allowing myself back into those situations and having to distinguish between my character and who I was, and that’s scary when it’s captured on film.”

Did identifying with the character have its upside though? “When I was 18 I was a bit lost to be honest. I was trying to figure myself out and become more accepting of who I was because I felt very alone. Similarly to Star I looked after my siblings and had gone through a lot in life, so I was trying to work out how I could make what I went through into something that I could embrace as a positive,” she says. “Now, two years later I’m pretty good with who I am. I feel like everything that I’ve gone through, good and bad, was for a reason and that’s why I am the way I am – understanding, considerate and good at reading people. And doing the movie and being on the road definitely helped with that.”

sweater Guess | tank Helmut Lang | trousers Chanel | shoes The Row | jewellery Dana Bronfman / Roseark

Helping to bring Sasha out of herself on set was Shia LaBoeuf, who played Star’s unpredictable love interest Jake, and depending on what gossip sites you adhere to, this relationship at one time spilled over into reality. “I really think that Shia was meant to be in this film too because he could also relate to that background,” Sasha says. “And in terms of learning from him, I guess he helped me to embrace who I am. Shia could turn things up and then turn things down – he set the pace of scenes and we bounced off each other’s energy.”

American Honey has already won the Prix du Jury at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, piquing considerable interest in Sasha. When it’s released here later this month, the already palpable hype around the cast will intensify. The film (and fashion) industry is poised for a new it-girl, and it looks like Sasha is firmly in the running to take that spot, but perhaps the only person standing in her way is her.

“I’m just trying to figure out how to deal with all of this. I’m quite an uncomfortable and anxious person, so everything that my life has become is almost everything that I don’t enjoy – cameras, shoots, big crowds. I’m trying to maneuver through it without freaking out. Do I have a plan? Not really, I figure that if I just stick to being myself and don’t lose sight of my purpose then it’ll be alright.”

Shop Dana Bronfman Convex Hoops seen on Sasha B. Lane