Amy Maghera’s new Netflix film, Skater Girl, may be racking up the streams, but for the British actress, shooting the film in the desert of Rajasthan was, on a deeper level, “life-changing”—an experience she says taught her to “just live in the moment more and that money by no means equals happiness.” We recently chatted with Maghera (she plays Jessica in the film), who shared with us some behind-the-scenes sunscreen-application secrets, what the term “wellness” means to her and her in-flight skin-care non-negotiables.
Sun Scene: “I’d often be in makeup before the sun rose, as we had very early starts to get shots in before it got really hot— especially filming the final championship scenes, where it would get up to 113-degrees. Also, I’d always put loads of SPF on before my makeup went on. It’s one thing I always make sure I do to protect my skin. And I drank loads and loads of water throughout the day.”
On Location: “Filming in this location was so special and I feel very fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to experience real and rural India. There was so much nature around us and animals, too. We would often see camels and while we were filming at the skate park, there was a dog that gave birth to puppies and we all looked after them. The people living in the village of Kemphur were also so welcoming—by the end of the schedule it really felt like a home away from home. I felt sad to leave. The skate park will always feel very special to me, too. We spent so much time there and even celebrated Diwali there by lighting candles all around the edge of the bowl; it also has had such a positive impact on the community and the kids, some of who are competing at National Championships because they now have this new passion.”
En Route: “I haven’t traveled in a while due to COVID, but, when I do, I definitely try to keep hydrated—and I always either wear or have tracksuit bottoms in my hand luggage so that I can get comfy. I have makeup wipes, face moisturizer and lip balm on hand and I always remove my makeup at the beginning of a flight, so I can let my skin breathe. I try and sleep on a flight if I can too, no matter if it’s day or night. A nice little nap is always a good thing in my book. Flying is also a time where I love to catch up on movies.”
Even Flow: “I’ve always loved yoga, but got into it so much more over the pandemic. I had time to do a couple of yoga-teacher training courses and really pay attention to how much better I feel while and after doing it. For me, yoga is definitely a way of getting present, grounded and more in-tune with my body, which I think is big part of the term wellness. It really is a moving meditation, with so many benefits…it’s a bit like dance, in where I get to express myself through movement. If I don’t do it for a couple of days, I literally feel blockages and built-up tension in my body.”
Next Up: “I’m excited to seeing my family back in the UK soon, giving them all a massive hug and not letting go for ages!”
