Maddie Ziegler Had to Push Her Perfectionist Aside for ‘The Fallout’
Anyone who watched Maddie Ziegler on Dance Moms knows that she’s a perfectionist. Even as a small child, the dancer was hellbent on doing everything just right. She put an enormous amount of pressure on herself to win every competition and execute every move flawlessly. On the off chance that something went awry, it was evident that Ziegler was very frustrated and disappointed in herself. But as Ziegler has gotten older, she’s tried to fight against her perfectionist tendencies. This is especially true since she started acting in films like The Fallout.
Maddie Ziegler recently began acting in movies after years of being known as a dancer
Ziegler may have begun her career as a dancer, but in recent years, she’s been building an acting resume. Projects like West Side Story, The Fallout, and the upcoming, Bloody Hell, have allowed the 20-year-old to embrace a new way of telling stories. She’s also learned how to be in the moment with her fellow scene partners and push her perfectionist tendencies aside.
‘The Fallout’ alum had to push perfectionism aside in order to play Mia Reed
While working on The Fallout, Ziegler experienced no small amount of nerves. Considering the film explores very serious subject matters, she wanted to ensure that she did it justice. She was also a bit intimidated about starring opposite Jenna Ortega, who’d been acting since she was a kid. However, Ziegler was able to cast her fear aside and deliver a solid performance with the help of her collaborators.
“It was very heavy and every day walking into set, I really had to just not let myself freak out, not let my perfectionist get in the way, and just really dive into this role and trust my partner, which was Jenna, and trust [The Fallout director] Megan [Park],” Ziegler told Collider. “I very, very, very much am so glad that we had a safe environment to be in. Megan made it [so] comfortable. Very much just like, ‘You guys cool? You feel okay?’ So many conversations leading up to it that made us feel safe enough to go there with our performances.”
How ‘The Fallout’ director, Megan Park, made Ziegler feel comfortable at every stage
As an actor herself, Park knew how to make Ziegler feel comfortable on the set of The Fallout. While she had specific ideas of what she wanted, she also trusted her actors to make bold choices. In fact, Ortega has stated previously that a lot of the film is actually improvised. Ziegler has stated that she felt very safe on the set of the movie and hopes to work with both Park and Ortega again in the future.
But just how did Ziegler land a role in The Fallout cast to begin with? The audition for Mia Reed first came to the actor through her agent. After reading the script, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. She prepared for the audition before her team informed her that Park wanted to meet with her prior to her audition. This was Park’s way of making Ziegler feel comfortable and really explaining how she envisioned the role. Shortly after the pair met, Ziegler had a traditional audition and nailed it. “I went in and did my audition and I kind of left being like, ‘Oh my gosh, this really could be it,'” Ziegler recalled. “I felt really good about it.”
For those who have watched Ziegler grow up, it’s impressive that she’s able to put her perfectionist tendencies on the back burner for her artistry. We’re sure fans are looking forward to seeing what she does next.
