After Child Stardom, Maisy Stella Took a Break From Acting. Now, She’s Channeling Her Teen Years in Comedy ‘My Old Ass’

As a seasoned movie connoisseur who has witnessed the evolution of the silver screen from VHS tapes to streaming platforms, I must say that Maisy Stella‘s journey is nothing short of captivating. Having grown up on the set of “Nashville” and taking a break for high school, she’s back with a bang in “My Old Ass.


Maisy Stella hadn’t heard the word “action” in years.

The actress, now 20 years old, grew up on the set of TV show “Nashville.” After the series ended, she took a break from Hollywood life to finish her high school education at a regular school.

Following her graduation, she’s making a comeback to the screen in Megan Park’s “My Old Ass,” a humorous tale of growing up that debuted at Sundance. This film was acquired by Amazon MGM and will be released in cinemas across the country on September 19th. After a long hiatus, Stella felt apprehensive about her initial day back on set.

She reflects back on the moment when she had to dive into a lake wearing all her clothes, saying it felt like a terrible performance. She was precariously balanced, with just a small piece of wood beneath her, and if she’d taken two steps either way, she would have fallen in. To make matters worse, she only had four sets of pants available to change into afterwards, so she had to get it right the first time.

Over time, her initial nervousness subsided. “I simply persevered,” she explains. “The more we proceeded, the more at ease I became.

In the movie “My Old Ass,” Stella portrays 18-year-old Elliot who spends her summer with friends before college in Toronto. During a mushroom trip in the forest, she encounters a middle-aged version of herself (Aubrey Plaza). The 39-year-old Elliot gives guidance on being kinder to Mom, investing time with siblings, and avoiding anyone named Chad. This advice seems straightforward enough, doesn’t it? At first, young Elliot is skeptical about the encounter, as they don’t look alike in any way.

Stella acknowledges that she and Plaza aren’t identical twins in appearance as Stella is blonde and Canadian while Plaza is a half-Puerto Rican brunette. However, their differences are not significant. As Megan once asked, “Who do we want to be seen with next to Elliot?” The answer was always Aubrey, according to Stella. Interestingly enough, the movie’s makeup artist ensured that Stella’s tattoos, which include seven and her parents’ birthyear (74) on her arm and a deer on her shoulder, were replicated on Plaza before filming. Seeing these identical tattoos on Aubrey left Stella absolutely astounded.

After Child Stardom, Maisy Stella Took a Break From Acting. Now, She’s Channeling Her Teen Years in Comedy ‘My Old Ass’

It’s also best not to think too much about the time-travel elements, which allow Elliot’s two selves to text and talk on the phone. “Megan and I joke about this a lot,” Stella says with a laugh. “If you’re going to analyze the technical parts, don’t even watch it. It’s not meant to be, like, realism in any way.”

Stella, who is now making her debut in a major film role with “My Old Ass”, has actually been active in the entertainment industry for over a decade. Alongside her sister Lennon, Stella gained significant attention back in 2012 through a popular YouTube video of them singing Robyn’s “Call Your Girlfriend”. At just 8 years old, Stella is still often surprised when people recognize her as the young girl from the famous “cup song” video.

Stella, who hails from Ontario, expressed her sentiment, ‘I’ll always cherish that video; it paved the way for my sister and me to participate in ‘Nashville.’ It’s also an amusing memory because I was young enough to get away with it. My sister was around 12 or 13, making it somewhat embarrassing for her.’

Scenes from the “My Old Ass” production stirred a touch of contemplation, especially those that pushed Stella beyond her familiar surroundings. Stella resides on her family’s lakefront cranberry farm, which required her to navigate a boat and a tractor. (Much like her character, Stella personally owns a compact boat but lacks a boating permit.)

Initially, I needed guidance to tackle everything. Back then, at 18, I thought I had it all figured out and confidently proclaimed ‘I’ve got this,’ but looking back, I’d be trembling with fear if presented with the same situation today.

The director, previously an actor on “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” but now a director, describes Stella as having an old spirit. “Spending time with her makes me feel like I’m conversing with someone who is 38, the same age as me,” says the filmmaker. “However, she’ll occasionally speak in a way that reminds me she’s part of Generation Z, and I’m taken aback by her youth.

Stella has often found herself reminiscing, but making the film “My Old Ass” significantly intensified this tendency. In the movie, Elliot contemplates the transience of moments as she encounters the young man she’d been cautioned about, leading to a humorous exploration of self-realization.

When she went to make the film, she felt, ‘I’ve experienced these moments of clarity. I understand now that I don’t take my family for granted,'” she expresses. “Experiencing it firsthand truly affected me, and the entire theme of the movie, every aspect of it, I incorporated into my own life.

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2024-09-19 23:17