See a first look.
“It was the sweetest thing in the world.
She brought a lot of mom energy to me.”
Kate Siegel on set of ‘V/H/S/Beyond’.On set stills of “Stowaway” for VHS by Robyn Von Swank
Her crew sees what she means and gets to work.
The set designers smile as they mix more papier-mache and begin burying Pearce deeper into her extraterrestrial enclosure.
“We’re shooting in infrared so our light doesn’t behave like light.
Kate Siegel (L) and Alanah Pearce in ‘V/H/S/Beyond’.On set stills of “Stowaway” for VHS by Robyn Von Swank
“And we have to make all of those things sing in tune.”
So I felt very lucky to step into a well-oiled machine for my first job.
AndV/H/Shas always been known for supporting new and upcoming filmmakers and giving them space to do their dreams.”
Alanah Pearce in ‘V/H/S/Beyond’.On set stills of “Stowaway” for VHS by Robyn Von Swank
A writer at heart, Siegel has plenty of dreams, but she never intended to be a director.
I get a nap at 2:00 p.m., I play with my kids, I learn some lines.'
And I was like, ‘I’m a sleepy girl with a busy life.
‘Kate Siegel’ (L) and Alanah Pearce on ‘V/H/S/Beyond’.On set stills of “Stowaway” for VHS by Robyn Von Swank
No, thank you.'"
(Their most recent collaboration, so far nine in total, was the filmThe Life of Chuck.)
“I know the effort.
Alanah Pearce in ‘V/H/S/Beyond’.Courtesy of IFC Films
I know what is required.
Yes, do it.
you could’t say no to this.’
Alanah Pearce in ‘V/H/S/Beyond’.Courtesy of IFC Films
And I was like, ‘Can I call right back?'”
This is where you want to start."
you’re free to’t take on a whole meal if you’re free to’t cook eggs."
So she called theV/H/Sproducers back and took a meeting.
I immediately got excited and went back to the team, and they were as equally excited.
We sat down with Kate, had a conversation, and she just blew me away.
Her treatment was, far and away, one of the craziest I’ve ever read.
“I’ve always wanted to do Kate in space,” Siegel says.
Go get a pitch and come back.'"
Siegel trusted her closest collaborator to help craft a script she felt confident about executing.
And I have that privilege that other people don’t have: I live with Mike Flanagan."
“When we brought on Kate, it was about Kate,” Goldbloom says.
“I wanted to see what Kate could do.
And who would ever say no to that?”
Courtesy of IFC Films
Siegel’s creative partnership with her husband forms the bedrock of their relationship.
“We met as a collaboration.
We met onOculusbefore we got married.
And so the two things are completely intertwined,” she explains.
“It’s our love language.
And it doesn’t mean we don’t fight.
Still, Siegel knows not everyone will understand their dynamic.
Over the years, she learned to tune it out.
I’m aware of that rhetoric,” she admits.
“The truth is, if it wasn’t that, it would be something else.
‘She only gets work because ofthis.’
People love to take you down if you’re working.
They want to have a reason that it’s not them.
So I had to release that balloon into the world because I would say it to myself.
And it’s like, that’s fine.
Every actress I know has that basic imposter syndrome.
I think of myself as relentlessly lucky to work with my friends on material.”
WithV/H/S/Beyond, Pearce has become the newest member.
“I’ve been friends with Kate for a number of years now,” she shares.
“We do regular movie nights at the Flanagan’s house that they call the Flanaplex.
And from my perspective, Kate is a creative powerhouse.”
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“This has been an unrelenting, joyful experience for me,” Siegel says of her directorial debut.
“And, of course, it’s also getting kicked in the tits every day.
I don’t think you’re free to say kicked in the tits.
It’s also a series ofchallenges.
But what I keep saying is I can’t believe it’s this much fun as an actor.
They’re cool.”
