Eva Reign Says Billy Porter Allowed Her 'Freedom to Play' in 'Anything Is Possible'
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Eva Reign lights up the screen as Kelsa in "Anything's Possible," a heartfelt teen rom-com. The film, which is Billy Porter's directorial debut, follows Kelsa as she wins the heart of a kind classmate named Khal, played by the charming Abubakr Ali, who posts a post on Reddit expressing his nervousness at the idea of asking out a trans girl. (This aspect of the story was based on a real-life Reddit thread spotted by writer Ximena García Lecuona.) Khal and Kelsa eventually start dating, despite criticism from each of their best friends, and the film follows the couple as they manage their peers. ' prejudices and explore their relationship and themselves.
"Anything's Possible" is Kelsa's story, which means the movie belongs to Reign, and she does it with a brightness that lasts from start to finish. Growing up, Reign was told she "wasn't the right archetype," she told POPSUGAR, adding that she felt like being trans kept her from getting roles. . When she first moved to New York from St. Louis, Reign was working as a journalist and taking acting classes on the side. Then, a friend emailed him about a fateful casting call for what would become "Anything Is Possible".
During callbacks, she met Porter, whom she calls "one of the most caring people I've ever met." “He told me so many amazing things,” she says, reminiscing about her audition process. "I almost cried, but I was also holding my breath the whole time because I was so nervous." But her performance won Porter over and Reign got the part. "Playing Kelsa was like playing like an alternate version of [myself]," she says. "A lot of people often advise against using your own life experience when diving into a role. But me and Kelsa, a lot of our life experiences line up. And I don't just mean that we're trans, but also we both have mothers who work in the medical industry; we were both raised by single mothers; we both love clothes and fashion."
[embedded content]One thing Reign doesn't share with his character is Kelsa's passion for animals, a central theme of the film. "My mom really hates animals, so that would never happen," Reign laughs. But in the film, Kelsa, a senior from...
Image source:
Eva Reign lights up the screen as Kelsa in "Anything's Possible," a heartfelt teen rom-com. The film, which is Billy Porter's directorial debut, follows Kelsa as she wins the heart of a kind classmate named Khal, played by the charming Abubakr Ali, who posts a post on Reddit expressing his nervousness at the idea of asking out a trans girl. (This aspect of the story was based on a real-life Reddit thread spotted by writer Ximena García Lecuona.) Khal and Kelsa eventually start dating, despite criticism from each of their best friends, and the film follows the couple as they manage their peers. ' prejudices and explore their relationship and themselves.
"Anything's Possible" is Kelsa's story, which means the movie belongs to Reign, and she does it with a brightness that lasts from start to finish. Growing up, Reign was told she "wasn't the right archetype," she told POPSUGAR, adding that she felt like being trans kept her from getting roles. . When she first moved to New York from St. Louis, Reign was working as a journalist and taking acting classes on the side. Then, a friend emailed him about a fateful casting call for what would become "Anything Is Possible".
During callbacks, she met Porter, whom she calls "one of the most caring people I've ever met." “He told me so many amazing things,” she says, reminiscing about her audition process. "I almost cried, but I was also holding my breath the whole time because I was so nervous." But her performance won Porter over and Reign got the part. "Playing Kelsa was like playing like an alternate version of [myself]," she says. "A lot of people often advise against using your own life experience when diving into a role. But me and Kelsa, a lot of our life experiences line up. And I don't just mean that we're trans, but also we both have mothers who work in the medical industry; we were both raised by single mothers; we both love clothes and fashion."
[embedded content]One thing Reign doesn't share with his character is Kelsa's passion for animals, a central theme of the film. "My mom really hates animals, so that would never happen," Reign laughs. But in the film, Kelsa, a senior from...
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