_format-1500w.png)
Aníta Briem on Companionship, Craft and her Acting Journey
“When I was 16, I stood on stage across from one of our finest actors, Gunnar Eyjólfsson, and two things hit me like a ton of bricks. One was that I’d really developed a profound love for this art form and I needed to continue to be a part of it. And secondly, that I didn’t yet have the tools to follow through on my instincts on that stage. If I was going to do it, I wanted to do it properly,” says Icelandic actress Aníta Briem, reminiscing how it all began.
Initially, it was on the account of her grandmother Dísa that her acting journey began. At nine years old, Aníta was encouraged by her to audition for a role at the Icelandic National Theatre. Aníta got the role, which turned out to be a significant turning point in her life. “My childhood was filled with incredible experiences at that same theatre, playing a big part in raising and shaping me,” she remembers.
Aníta quickly decided she wanted to become a professional actress and started researching drama schools. With her heart set on London, she got accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. However, being a performer was not something that Aníta always endeavoured. “I grew up with musicians, so even as a little kid, I was very aware of the hardships that came along with this lifestyle. So, I was determined to become something ‘sensible’. Well, that went well…,” she laughs. Turns out, life had other plans for Aníta, who has proved herself as a truly talented actress and is today, one of Iceland’s most recognized artists within the craft.
Kimono: Myrka | Dress: Yeoman | Jewellery: Kría
from Iceland to Hollywood
From the theatre in Reykjavík through studying dramatic arts in London, Aníta’s journey continued to America where she resides today. At the moment, Aníta has several exciting projects in the pipeline, including an American film with Terrence Howard. After not having worked in Iceland for a long time, Aníta will finish three projects there in one year. She has already completed shooting a TV series “The Minister” starring Ólafur Darri Ólafsson that will air this fall, and an independent drama “Quake/Skjálfti” that is based on an Icelandic novel and directed by Tinna Hrafndsdóttir. Currently, Aníta is working on an Icelandic love story adaptation that is set right before World War II, written and directed by Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir.
““When you approach a subject like female sexuality, which I personally find to be quite a glorious one, it’s actually done from a woman’s perspective, because we now have more female writers and directors. It’s made me realize how long I’ve been exclusively portraying women, as imagined by men.” ”
“I’m enjoying it immensely,” says Aníta, reflecting on being back and working in Iceland again. Throughout her career, she has actively taken on projects both there and in Hollywood, two different settings that created diverse experiences. “It’s a creatively exciting time globally. I feel the explosion of this new form of television has noticeably elevated the quality level across the board and we’re telling better stories. We’re also telling a broader range of stories. I feel like in Iceland, we’re progressive on that front and as a woman I’m getting to portray more accurate, flawed, non-sexualized women. When you approach a subject like female sexuality, which I personally find to be quite a glorious one, it’s actually done from a woman’s perspective, because we now have more female writers and directors. It’s made me realize how long I’ve been exclusively portraying women, as imagined by men. Some men of course do it very nicely, but that reality is just absolutely bonkers. All three projects I’ve done in the past year have had female directors and writers on them. All three! That’s right. Don’t fall off your chair. That was very rewarding,” Aníta says.
Suit: Spaks | Shirt: Yeoman | Jewellery: Vakir
getting into character
Throughout her career, Aníta has portrayed a variety of different characters, which have all made a personal impact on her in one way or another. “Fun fact, Jane Seymour from “The Tudors” had me quit smoking. I was smoking when I started that production but then it just felt so daft to be doing that in this time period and in these costumes (turns out it’s a pretty daft thing to do in any time period), so I just quit. Hanna, from “Journey to the Center of the Earth” gave me a lot of physical confidence. She was kind of a badass and I learned fun skills, like handling switchblades and rappelling down cliffs quite easily. After that, I don’t think there’s a skill I couldn’t learn if only I put my mind to it,” she recalls.
“I believe that if you’re not going to go all in with your character, why bother doing it at all? And sometimes it gets intense. Sometimes, moving through their story will force me to address things in my own life, which can be hard. I’m still grateful for it.” ”
Aníta tells me that in recent years, these journeys have become much deeper. “I often find it easier to stick up for my characters than for myself. To find their strengths, identify their flaws, honour their integrity and have them follow through with their beliefs. Especially lately, where I’ve been able to see it more clearly. I believe that if you’re not going to go all in with your character, why bother doing it at all? And sometimes that’s intense. Sometimes, moving though their story will force me to address things in my own life. Which can be hard. It’s always good and I’m so grateful for it. But it can be hard.”
Top: Usee Studio | Jewellery: Vakir
After finishing “The Minister,” Aníta experienced going into a dark place for a long period of time, without realizing why. “It’s normal to experience the ‘end-of-production blues’ as you usually spend very intimate and concentrated time with a group of people and it’s just sad when it comes to an end. But this was different. It got really bad.” Eventually, Aníta decided to see a therapist, who helped her identify what she was experiencing. “For one, as silly as it sounds, I was experiencing some version of loss and grief. Loss of my ‘pretend family’, colleagues, and the world. Told you it was going to sound silly! But I was feeling it intensely regardless. Some aspects of that world had become very real, in my molecules and in my brain,” confesses Aníta.
“When I had sorted through those feelings and the fog had cleared a little, something daunting emerged. All the lessons and hard questions I’d been brave enough to put to this character and ask on her behalf, she had now left behind for me. And they just wouldn’t go away until they were dealt with,” explains Aníta.
““I guess this is why we need stories. To help us relate, understand and learn. To pose questions and present us with pathways. It’s like when you watch a truly great film and the world looks different for a moment. Because you’re not watching from a far. You’re inside it.” ”
Being an individual that is so deeply engaged in her craft, it doesn’t come as a surprise when Aníta tells me that role preparation is hugely important to her. She comes across as a person that dives into the very essence of her characters, exploring every possible aspect along the way. “At the core, there’s the exterior and then the interior,” says Aníta. “The exterior is understanding the professional and cultural life of your character, like in the case of ‘The Minister.’ If it’s a period piece, it’s about understanding the world historically,” she says. There are things you just need to learn about, and they’ll always give me an immediate jumping board into the interior. Like, what would drive someone to build a media conglomerate? That’s a tough road. Immediately, that raises questions about that character’s relationship with justice, control, continuity of morality, when you’re constantly being pushed into grey areas and so on. On a more personal side, she’s also being driven by a desperate need to prove herself to her father, who she feels doesn’t respects her. It’s no longer just a story about a woman with immense power, but a father-daughter story. That, to me, is interesting, moving and relatable.”
Trousers: Farmer’s Market | Jewellery: Vakir
Having just finished a film where she portrayed a writer suffering from epilepsy, Aníta explains that the starting point there had been studying the condition both technically and scientifically. Conducting thorough research quickly led Aníta to the interior: ‘How would it have affected my parents to watch their child have seizures?’ “Just watching strangers have seizures on videos was absolutely heart-breaking,” she says. “This is not a film about epilepsy. It’s a family drama, but it was still an important piece in discovering and building the dynamic and history of the family with my cast mates.”
In addition to establishing the groundwork, Aníta also spends time talking to people, who have personal experiences with the subject that she is studying. “That always helps and inspires me,” she says. “I will also spend a long time focusing arcs and themes of the plot as a whole. I do that to have a clear understanding of what purpose my character needs to serve in the story, before I start breaking down actual scenes, only seeing the world from my character’s point of view. I’m starting to sound like Dustin Hoffman in ‘Tootsie’, I’ll stop now.”
the good and the bad of the acting world
For the ones involved, acting is commonly considered a challenging industry. “Being on set and experiencing things as the character be emotionally straining, but at the end of the day, it gives me a sense of purpose,” Aníta says, reflecting upon obstacles that she has encountered along the way. “All things outside of set can be challenging. Most obviously perhaps, is having to keep applying for new jobs constantly. The auditioning really wears me down, as does the lack of stability in general. That can be tough in the long run,” she explains.
Top: Arttu | Trousers: Myrka
What Aníta has perhaps found the hardest within the industry, are some corners of its business side. “Seeing people behaving unethically has been demoralizing,” admits Aníta. She is nonetheless hopeful that some positive changes are forging their way. “I think the #metoo movement really helped the Hollywood industry get on a better road. But like in any walks of life, you have to be conscious and aware of the people that you surround yourself with. For me, the people I spend time with, whether it be in a professional or a personal capacity is what life is all about. When I run into difficulty, I look around me and make sure I’m surrounded with the people I should be,” she says.
Looking back over the years, Aníta tells me that she’s been very fortunate enough to have some incredible experiences. “My first job in America was on a TV show for ABC. Most of my scenes were with Martin Landau, who has now sadly passed away. We were filming in Vancouver and because we worked almost identical schedules, we just hung out all the time. Many nights, when I was sitting in the hotel bar, drinking martinis with Martin, he told me stories of Frank Sinatra and his buddy Jimmy Dean. One night, he intentionally spilled an entire martini on himself while demonstrating to me with UTTER commitment how to convincingly act drunk – because it annoyed him to high heaven when he saw people “play drunk” badly. I mean, really bothered him. This 85-year-old man couldn’t care less about the stink eye he was getting from the waiters. This was important! (side note: he was right, acting drunk is really hard and very few do it well. What he demonstrated to me was kind of brilliant.) I was just pinching myself under the table. I mean, what a weird and magical moment.”
inspiration and other pursuits
When I ask Aníta about inspiration, it’s obvious the human element is and always has been a very important part of her journey. “My colleagues. Working with talented people. Meeting new people and hearing their stories. Films. Great books. TV series where you can go on an epic 8-hour ride with some foreign world you’ve never even contemplated. People inspire me,” she says.
Although acting might be Aníta’s main identity, her expressive personality doesn’t only settle on a single artform – quite the opposite. When she is not behind the camera, Aníta enjoys engaging in various forms of expression, including music. “I’ll play and sing and write, sometimes as a form of improv for a character, or just to open my mind up when I’m stuck. I can get pretty intense in my own head in preparation. It helps me stay loose, so I don’t drive myself nuts,” she says. “I’m also writing a screenplay. As I’m getting a little more life under my belt, I have clearer ideas of themes and points of view I’d like to get out there, of the areas I feel I can contribute to and what subjects really turn me on.”
While pursuing such a stirring and eventful career, I’m also curious to hear how Aníta likes to spend her days off. “Right now my favourite thing is taking my little six-year-old girl on her bike down to the local cafe “Kaffi Vest,” where I interrogate her about her week while she chugs down a “malt” (an Icelandic specialty) and a cookie and rolls her eyes at all my jokes,” Aníta says.
Earrings: Usee | Necklace: Vakir | Top: Usee Studio
Despite the current situation, Aníta appears optimistic about the future. “I’m not going to even pretend to know where I’m going to be in a year,” she says when I ask where she is headed. “This global pandemic has got my knickers all in a twist and I’m re-examining what’s really important to me,” she adds, hoping that she gets to continue working within the craft for a long time, perhaps with more creative control of some projects. “Making films is a very collaborative process and there’s nothing more fun than when you get a bunch of brilliant minds and it all congeals. I’d also like to go back to the stage soon. Who knows what’s going to happen?”
Photography: Sophia Groves – Styling: Laima Ūdre – Makeup: Roksana Kruszewska – Hair: Hildur Gunnarsdóttir