It may be crunch time for some last-minute shopping and holiday planning, but chances are, if you set up shop for some weekend relaxation, you may have stumbled across the latest must-stream, Juror #2. Directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Nicholas Hoult, Zoey Deutch and Toni Collette, the nail-biter was officially released on November 1st and became available this past Friday on Max. The film also features Eastwood’s daughter, Francesca, in the pivotal role of Kendall Carter. We caught up with the self-proclaimed beauty-lover in September to talk about working with her dad, getting into character and her big love for skin care. Our conversation, ahead.
Without giving away any spoilers, what can you share about Juror #2?
It’s a crime drama. But that’s putting it simply. It’s also a courtroom drama. And it’s a bit of a thriller. It’s hard to put it in a category because I was just like, “Hey, I get to do my dad’s movie!” But then I was reading some press about it and someone called it the “new thriller.” So, I guess it’s safe to say it’s a bit of a thriller and a courtroom drama mystery.
And this was the first time working with your dad. What was that like?
It was amazing. It was great and we had a lot of fun. It felt like I was at home. It didn’t feel like any other project I’ve ever done. He has nice, easy steps, takes care of everyone and everyone’s very respectful and focused.
That’s nice to hear. You also have Queen of the Ring coming out. What can you share with someone who might not know the background of Mae Young’s life? She had such a long career.
Oh my gosh. Mae started working in her 20s, which I think was the ’40s. She was very young when she started working with Mildred Burke—the movie’s main character—but Mae went on to have such a career. I think Mae is probably the most well-known of any of the first female wrestlers because she went on to be a WME. She wrestled into her 80s! I don’t know if I should say badass, but she was quite the lady, quite the woman
On a bio project like this, how do you get into what that person was like? Did you have to do a lot of research on her life?
I felt lucky. I think I was the luckiest of all the girls because there’s so much footage of Mae. She loved to talk! She did so many interviews. That also put a little more pressure on me because I know how she spoke, I know how she sounded, I know how she moved. And so do other people. Most of the interviews with her are when she is much older, so I had to do an interpretation of what she would be like when she was younger. But so many people knew her and anyone in that wrestling world knew her well.
I think she even wrestled The Rock, Dwayne Johnson, at some point. Everyone in that world knows who she is. We worked with so many professional wrestlers who came up to me during filming and asked, “Do you know what icon you’re playing?” I was like, “Oh, shit.”
When you are doing all these projects and playing different characters, how do you go back home and have your own life?
When the job is over, I go back home to my family and get back into mom mode. I am always so grateful to go home. When I’m working, it really depends on where I am…sometimes, I’m in a hotel or a different state, but I usually try and do some sort of physical relaxation or a workout. Then, I do a bunch of skin care. That’s my wind-down time. It does vary from role to role. I have to tell you, I try and do whatever I’m doing based on what would fit the character I’m playing. It’s an interesting thing.
You know that’s the part I want to hear details on.
I’m such a beauty junkie. I don’t even know where to begin! There are so many products I like. I’ve always been really into products. By the way, I’ve read your magazine forever! I’m talking before blogs, before Instagram—that’s why I’m so excited to talk to you. I remember my mom getting a subscription to it! I think that’s where loving beauty so much started for me.
Of course, there’s a lot I’ve learned along the way from work. As I go from project to project, I’ve gotten so many products and pieces of advice from makeup artists—both good and bad. I’ve stolen so many little lessons and tips and tricks along the way.
One thing I think that is so unique about being an actress who’s totally obsessed with skin care and beauty is that there are some roles where you’re all glammed up and you are literally transforming into a character using hair and makeup. It’s such an essential step. I love doing that.
For example, when playing Mae Young, the makeup was extremely heavy and just very character-y. It was very glam, surprisingly, though. I love a good period piece and I love that the hair and makeup and wardrobe were all part of the character.
What was I turned on to there? Oh, I got really into Hourglass. We used a lot of it. I always knew it was good, but this just reminded me of how good it is. All the girls from the movie are using Hourglass mascara right now. And I re-sparked my love of red light therapy, too, because we were training so hard. We were coming home just beat up from just training so hard. We got really into doing red light therapy, like full-body red light therapy—it’s great.
HigherDose just sent me one of the sauna blankets, and I’m like, “Oh my gosh, this is perfect to travel with and just stay on top of it.” That is my number-one most cherished possession.
It is a great at-home treatment. What about cleansers? You have to be an expert on the ones that work after the heavy makeup.
I’m a hardcore CeraVe devotee. I’ve struggled with acne my whole 20s; I still do a little bit. Once I started eating healthy and working out, I felt like my insides got healthier and so my outsides got healthier. Now, I can go back to experimenting with skin care. But when I was really struggling with acne, if I wasn’t using only CeraVe products, I would break out, so I stuck with the line. I love literally every single one of their cleansers and they just came out with a makeup-removing balm. I literally used it once and said, “Oh my gosh, where has this been? This is so much better than a makeup wipe.”
I’m also into Elemis for cleansing. We used that cleanser a ton on Queen of the Ring. We had so much makeup on. The hair and makeup team would come in, and even in the morning, they’d be like, “Y’all didn’t get your makeup off!” And so we would do little spa treatments before we started our day with the Elemis and a hot rag. We were filming in the middle of nowhere and it was such a nice way to start the day.
