EXCLUSIVE | The Flight Attendant's Audrey Grace Marshall says Young Cassie is 'darkest role' she's ever played
The HBO Max drama mystery 'The Flight Attendant' follows the story of Cassie Bowden, (played by 'The Big Bang Theory' actress Kaley Cuoco), a flight attendant, who wonders if she killed the man she woke up next to in a hotel room in Dubai. Unfortunately, she is unable to remember the events of the night prior as her hangover takes her over her in the morning. Of course, as one could imagine, with that her entire life takes a turn for the worse in one night. The thriller is based on the novel of the same name by New York Times best-selling author Chris Bohjalian. In an exclusive interview with MEAWW, Audrey Grace Marshall, who plays Young Cassie in the HBO Max original series, speaks to us about her life as an actress and how she booked the role in 'The Flight Attendant'.
We asked Marshall what sparked her interest in deciding to become an actress, to which she replied that she loved movies. "There is something really magical about going to the movies and watching a great film," she said. She explained that she used to be shy and her parents had wanted to help her come out of her shell. "They asked me if I could do ANYTHING what would it be? At that time I was 7 years old and I said I wanted to be in the movies or on TV... things kind of snowballed from there and here I am today," she added.
Marshall was sent the script for the series by her agent, and when she read, she thought it was "really good". She likes that it was a "challenging role" and that her character was not a "typical kid" - "she had issues and I thought that was interesting. I think the fact that it was different from most kid roles made me really want it," said Marshall. After auditioning for the role, the young actress said that she "had a really good feeling about it". She had found out from her agent the next day that she had "pinned for the role" and had booked the role of Young Cassie "shortly" after that. "I was so happy!" she added.
Many may remember young Marshall from 'The Last Summer' where she played the role of Lilah, and in 'Jessica Jones' as Young Trish. We asked the actress how it was different playing the role of Young Cassie, and if there was one similarity between your personality and your character she could share with us. Calling her role as Young Cassie "the darkest role" she's ever played, Marshall said that it was a "very different role" for her. "In 'The Last Summer' and 'Jessica Jones', both my characters had pressure placed on them to be more grown-up. While in 'The Flight Attendant', Young Cassie IS the grown-up. She struggles with a lot of adult problems at a very young age," said Marshall.
She further explained that the "biggest similarity" between her character and herself was that they "both really love" their dads. "I was able to use that feeling to bring the character to life in the scenes I played with my on-screen dad, Jason Jones," added Marshall. Turns out that the young actress read the book by Bohjalian "as soon as" she booked the role and she explained to us what she thought of it. Deeming the book "amazing," Marshall added that the series, "explores a little more of Young Cassie’s life than the book and I think that’s a good thing. You can understand her trauma and her choices a little better".
Marshall also revealed that she looks up to actress Emma Stone, and would like to work alongside her one day. Calling Stone "AMAZING!", she also added that she would love to work with Julia Garner — "I really like her role on Ozark. She’s so good!" said Marshall. The actress also explained to us what it was like working with the cast on the series. "Everyone involved in the making of the show was wonderful. It really was a dream come true to be on that set with those incredibly talented actors," said Marshall. She also added that Cuoco was "especially fun to work with" — "She also started out as a child actor so we had a lot in common. She gave me some really great advice- she said her parents never let her say two things when she was a kid - 'I can’t' and 'I don’t know,' said Marshall. "I loved that! And now I don’t say those two things either, because I CAN and if I don’t know, I’ll find the answer." Moving forward, Marshall has a new film coming out next year titled 'Mother' - "It’s a horror movie and it’s pretty scary! So give it a watch when it’s released," she added.
Besides being an actress, Marhsall works with the NPO Susie's Senior Dogs as she's involved with philanthropy work. She said that although she is "obsessed" with Susie’s Senior Dogs, she is not involved with them "in a hands-on way". "I love what they do. I want to help spread the word about how they help aging senior dogs. I love all animals, but dogs in particular. This NPO is incredible and they do so much great work. You can check out their Instagram @susiesseniordogs to see some seniors up for adoption or follow the link in their bio to donate," Marshall said.
Catch Audrey Grace Marshall in 'The Flight Attendant' on Thursday, November 26, 2020, on HBO Max.
