Mia Wasikowska Says She's Happy After Bidding Adieu to Hollywood
Actress Mia Wasikowska has confessed that her decision to step away from the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry was a conscious one. In an interview with Indie Wire, the Alice in Wonderland star said, “I want to do more things in life other than be in a trailer.” After making effortless headlines for her performances in Jane Eyre, Alice in Wonderland, The Kids Are All Right, Maps to the Stars, and Crimson Peak, Wasikowska experienced burnout and the after-effects of stardom. The underrepresentation of women in the film industry also bothered Mia. She told the Sydney Morning Herald, that the journey doesn't feel worth it. "The perception of it is quite different from the reality, and it didn’t suit me as a person...I think you would be hard-pressed to find any young woman who hasn’t experienced a level of abuse or inappropriate experiences or behavior towards them."
Mia has found solace in turning her back on the competitive life as an A-lister in Hollywood. “Oh, the pay is worth it. And that’s why it’s such a hard job to say no to,” she continues. “But in terms of satisfaction and being who you are as an individual, I don’t know. It doesn’t feel worth it. At a certain point, you go, ‘who is this for? Is this for me, or is this for the company releasing the film?’ All the weird things that you have to do sort of seem silly.”
Speaking about the inevitable effects a job like this could have on a teenager of 15, Mia spoke about feeling disconnected from the larger community. She elaborated that she hated having to move country and city every few weeks and felt the pressure of starting school immediately after. About being drained of ambition she said, "I don’t feel particularly ambitious anymore with acting...I feel like all my ambition just got worn out."
The Crimson Peak actress also spoke about her first impressions of Hollywood and its stark difference from what she really experienced. “The Walk of Fame was littered with homeless people and reeked of broken dreams and depression and mental illness, amongst these massive billboards for the next big whatever.” But Mia is grateful for her experiences in LA, she quickly notes, "I had some amazing experiences and I learned so much, and I am so grateful for it."
She is not planning on returning to Hollywood anytime soon, “I’m pretty content. If I can have the best of both worlds, which is dip in and out of it occasionally, I’d be really happy, but I wouldn’t ever be in that place where I was just on a treadmill." Mia's latest feature Blueback is an eco-conscious movie directed by Aussie veteran filmmaker Robert Connolly, it has debuted in select theatres worldwide.
