Up and coming actress Audrey Hsieh is on a roll, and her newest project is one that you just can’t miss.
She’s starring in Billy Crystal’s “Here Today,” a comedy that focuses around an unlikely friendship between a singer and a veteran comedy writer, played by Crystal and Tiffany Haddish. What’s so beautiful about this story is the redefinition of the idea of an age and gender gap within friendships, as well as the pairs different backgrounds. Audrey plays Crystal’s conscientious granddaughter Lindsay, and the two partake in some incredibly touching scenes that will bring tears to any viewer’s eyes. We sat down with Audrey to talk all about the film, check out our whole conversation below!
The Knockturnal: Tell us about your character in Here Today! What is she like?
Audrey Hsieh: I play the adopted granddaughter of Billy Crystal’s character, Lindsay. I’d say she’s very curious and eager. A big part of her character is her family, she loves them very much and has a close relationship with her grandpa!
The Knockturnal: How would you describe the plot of the film in your own words?
Audrey Hsieh: The plot is about this bright colorful young woman who meets an older comedy writer that values consistency. They’re two very different characters, but they develop this heartwarming and amazing bond! Seeing their relationship grow and how it impacts their individual lives is also really cool because of how funny their chemistry is! There are some heart-aching scenes too, but the movie centers around the values of family and friends a lot, so I think it’s a great movie to sit down and watch with your family.
The Knockturnal: What was it like to work with Billy Crystal?
Audrey Hsieh: LET ME TELL YOU, IT WAS AN EXPERIENCE! I was very nervous in the beginning because Billy Crystal is already so big and such a well-seasoned actor, that I wanted to make sure I could live up to his expectations. However, the nervousness dissipated during the actual filming process because everyone was so nice and great! Billy Crystal created this really comfortable and supportive environment, I’m honestly so fortunate to be able to work with such lovely people!
The Knockturnal: You’ve accomplished so much at just 16, what advice do you have for other young people wanting to break into the industry?
Audrey Hsieh: I will say, it’s not the easiest thing to do. I’ve been acting since I was 5 years old, and it wasn’t until 10 years later that I would get a big role, which is my role in this movie, Here Today. If this is your dream, definitely go for it, but make sure that you feel good about it and take care of yourself. Balance your school and audition schedule because it can get really busy, and if you don’t feel good, then that’s going to show in your performance! Acting isn’t about faking it or pretending to be someone, but more like, resonating and just being the character. You go through emotions, happy, sad, excited, so the character you play will also experience those emotions if that makes any sense :D.
The Knockturnal: What was the audition process like?
Audrey Hsieh: For this movie, I honestly did not think I got it at all! I did a self-tape, thought it was great, submitted it, and did not hear from them for around 3 months. In fact, I kind of forgot about it until I got an email that they wanted to do a chemistry read with Billy Crystal himself. I was very shocked, and I actually bought a new shirt for when I went to see him! I went to his office, and we did the chem read, and he said with the most thoughtful eyes, “You’ve really never been hired before?” I was just so amazed and grateful he thought that I was talented, but later that day I got a call from my agent saying I got the role! It honestly did not sink in at first. It wasn’t until I went to New York to film the movie that it really became real.
The Knockturnal: How did you prepare for your role? What was your process?
Audrey Hsieh: There’s a scene in the movie where I had to recite a part of the Torah, so I met up with a rabbi and I learned that specific passage! I don’t actually speak Hebrew, but I wanted to make sure I got the pronunciation correct so I spent a lot of time just practicing that one passage over and over!
The Knockturnal: What part of Here Today and your performance are you most excited for viewers to see?
Audrey Hsieh: I know it may not look as impressive, but there is this one scene where I run down a hill, and boy oh boy am I proud of that scene. I AM SO PROUD I DID NOT TRIP ON MY WAY RUNNING DOWN, MY BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT YET. Ok, for real though, I’m really excited for people to see the scene where I’m reciting a part of the Torah. I practiced a lot for that one scene, so I’m pretty proud of it!
The Knockturnal: Do you have a favorite scene?
Audrey Hsieh: I might be biased, but I really love the Bat Mitzvah party scene! It was so much fun to film, we got lifted on chairs, everyone was so cheery, there was a big cake for that scene, and we got to eat it later:^D. The decorations and aesthetic were also really nice, great set dressing, 10000/10!
The Knockturnal: What do you want fans to take away from the message of the film?
Audrey Hsieh: The core message of the film is about family, so I’d just say make sure to spend time with the ones you love! Make them feel appreciated and live in the present.
The Knockturnal: What’s up next for you? Any upcoming projects we should be on the lookout for?
Audrey Hsieh: I just finished filming a Netflix movie called Mixtape! I don’t know when it’s going to be released yet, but it was so much fun to film, it takes place in the 90s, and everything from the clothes to the sets are just super awesome! I play Ellen, the friend and next-door neighbor of Beverly, who is the main character! Beverly finds an old mixtape from her deceased parents and decides that she needs to hunt down these songs to figure out what message her parents are trying to tell her. It’s very awesome, so yeah, look out for that! :D)))
“Here Today” is now in theaters! Find tickets and showtimes here
