Model Cami Morrone Is Making Her First Serious Foray into Film

When did you realize that you wanted to be an actress? 

I always knew it. I auditioned for each play at school, I enrolled in all possible theater classes. I have always been the kind of child who loves to have an audience and perform in front of anyone I could convince to watch me. I started modeling professionally when I was 14 years old, in the hope that it would open doors for me to act in movies.

What was your first experience on a set? 

As my parents are both actors [Ed.: Cami is the daughter of actor and supermodel Maximo Morrone and the Argentinean actress Lucila Solá, who dates Al Pacino], a part of my childhood was spent accompanying them to castings or sets. All of this made me comfortable with the process when it was time to for me to audition. I did some commercials here and there, but my first experience on a film set was the role of young Salomé—who Jessica Chastain played as an adult—in a film version of the Oscar Wilde play. I was 9 years old and had only one line of text to say, but I remember that the production was bigger than anything I had seen before. I tried to blend into the background and observe as much as I could. Children love amusement parks, but as for me, I loved the movie sets, ah!

What are your three favorite movies and why? 

Choosing my favorite films or actors is always very difficult—it’s almost impossible to pick just a few. But the first ones that come to mind are Casino, for the performance by Sharon Stone, who remains one of my favorite actresses. Her evolution from an independent luxury call girl to unstable and wounded alcoholic housewife, is fascinating to watch. And there is Robert De Niro, who in my eyes is infallible—see Raging Bull! [Another favorite is] Pulp Fiction. Tarantino is one of my favorite filmmakers, but in this particular film the violent stories intertwine to perfection. The scene of Uma Thurman and John Travolta in the diner is a classic! And Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream: artier than the other two, but what a roller coaster! Impossible to be bored. Ellen Burstyn’s performance is astounding.

Do you have any role models? 

There are lots of amazing actresses of all ages who influence me and whose work inspires me, including Julianne Moore, Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman, Jessica Chastain, Emma Stone, Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet, Alicia Vikander, Cate Blanchett...and easily 30 others.

What is the hardest thing—and the most enjoyable—when you act?  

Each project presents its own difficulties, be it a scene full of emotion, with tears, or a comedy scene in which you have to contain a laugh. Whatever the project, the challenge is often where you least expect it. But there is no better feeling than being absolutely present in the role at a specific moment, and enjoying it.

Do you have a lot of auditions in Los Angeles? Is it dreadful, difficult? 

Auditioning is the biggest challenge for an actor: It’s intimidating, terrifying, it makes you vulnerable. There is nothing worse than having only one or two tries to prove yourself to a room full of producers and casting directors who are there to judge you. Each audition feels like a job interview. You have to learn how to put yourself on autopilot and forget the audition process as soon as you begin the scene. If, at the end, you start asking yourself questions about your performance and their reactions, it’s enough to drive you crazy.

Has your modeling career helped you cope with the cameras? 

I realized what modeling had taught me when I made my first studio film, Death Wish, a big production in which I had to act intensely emotional scenes with 40 people surrounding me. Being a model for several years, I got used to ignoring the crew, excluding that from my field of vision. I can also move in front of a camera, let go, make the camera invisible.

Have you taken classes? 

I have taken acting classes since the age of 13, including an intensive course, eight hours a day, three days a week—particularly instructive. In my opinion, the best experience is still the one that is acquired directly on a set, in front of the camera. 

The iconoclast Eli Roth (Hostel, Cabin Fever) directed you in Death Wish, his first action movie. Did you like this experience? 

I was lucky that my first big film was made by someone as positive, loving, caring, and protective as Eli Roth. He knew I was nervous, so he guided me at every step and took me under his wing. I could not have had a better experience. I think they all spoiled me a little!