Isabelle Fuhrman on ‘Sheroes’ and What it’s Like on the Other Side of the Casting Table

Isabelle Fuhrman was only ten when she starred as Esther, the creepy child in the 2009 horror film Orphan. She went on to appear in studio films like The Hunger Games, the critically acclaimed indie The Novice and TV shows like Masters of Sex. Today, the 26-year-old stars in the action film Sheroes, in theaters and digital on June 23. Fuhrman stars as one of four friends in Thailand for a girl’s adventure, only to have one kidnapped by a drug lord. The girls tap into their unique skills and fierce loyalty to get their friend back.

Fuhrman spoke to Casting Networks about convincing the director she was right for the role, despite reservations. She also revealed what it was like to audition for Kevin Costner and his Western film series, Horizon and be on the other side of the casting table with the film she is currently producing. Fuhrman also explained how her mindset toward acting has grown and shifted as she matured from child actor to teen actress to adult star.

How did the Sheroes role come about for you? Was there an audition process?

I did have a meeting for it. My manager sent me the script, and honestly, she and I had to convince (director) Jordan (Gertner) because the character on the page read very differently than the type of role I’m normally cast as. The projects I typically get offered are the scary ones or super hyper-dramatic things because people know that I can do that.

How did the meeting go?

I sat down with Jordan, knowing I looked nothing like what he was probably looking for. I had just finished doing Orphan 2, so I had short hair. I also put on some weight to do that movie because I wanted my face to be rounder since I needed to look younger. When I sat down with him, I told him, ‘I know I’m not the type you’re looking for, but I promise you I can do something that no one else can.’ My manager helped convince him, too; they knew each other. Then I hit the gym and got in really good shape, so I looked like the role more. My friend Sierra is a hair stylist, and she gave me five rows of hair extensions and put in highlights. I remember showing up (on location) in Thailand, and the way Jordan looked at me, it was like, ‘Okay, I can see you in this role now.’

(L-R) Isabelle Fuhrman as Ezra, Wallis Day as Ryder and Sasha Luss as Diamond in the action/thriller film, SHEROES, a Paramount Global Content Distribution Group release. Photo courtesy of Paramount Global Content Distribution Group.

How did that make you feel?

It was nice because I knew I could play with that character and do what I wanted. When trying to step out of that box, no matter what age you are or what kind of actor you are, you have to prove yourself constantly. Part of being a good actor is not always about auditioning well. It’s telling someone why you are right for that part and why you feel you could do something different with the role.

Speaking of different, you are part of Kevin Costner’s ensemble cast of Horizon, a four-part film series set against the backdrop of the American frontier. That seems like it would have been a long and exhaustive audition process.

All the actors on Horizon have funny stories about how they were cast. I sent one audition tape and, three months later, got the call that Kevin wanted to meet with me on Zoom. He sent me the scripts for all four movies. I read through them. I prepped all the scenes. I was told that he might jump around and read different scenes from the different movies. I spent so much time prepping for it.

What happened on Zoom?

He asked me two questions about the character. We talked for about five minutes. He said, ‘I’d love you to play this role. I gotta go, but I’m glad we met, and I’m excited about it.’ Then he hung up. I didn’t even say thank you because I didn’t believe it. I just said, okay. I remember calling my agent telling him I was offered the role. He said they were still having meetings the following week for that role. I was like, ‘He literally just offered it to me.’ This was on a Friday. On Monday, my agent confirmed that the role was mine. All because Kevin watched my audition tape.

That’s incredible! You’re producing and starring in a movie that hasn’t been formally announced but is currently casting. What is it like to be on the other side of the casting table?

We had so many amazing people audition, but the studio only approves certain actors, which is a bummer. There is nothing I can do about that because that’s where the money is tied to. You have to be like, ‘okay, who else can we cast that we love, and think is great?’

I suppose the actors who are rejected are not even aware that these are the types of considerations that are going on behind the scenes, right?

I realized then that casting is not a science. Sometimes people have no idea what they’re looking for. They’re just looking for someone to be “it” – whatever they think that “it” is.

How did that realization help you?

It was reassuring for me as an actor because it’s easy to feel like rejection is personal, but it has nothing to do with that. Being on the other side of casting, you realize how many other factors are involved in what makes someone get the part. As sad as it is, it’s not always the most talented person or who did the best in the audition. Sometimes the movie has a missing piece, and a particular person is the missing piece. Other times it’s because one actor doesn’t want to work with another actor.

Isabelle Fuhrman as Ezra in the action/thriller film, SHEROES, a Paramount Global Content Distribution Group release. Photo courtesy of Paramount Global Content Distribution Group.

On the flip side, if an actor feels they were cast for reasons other than talent or were not the most talented person to audition, do they have impostor syndrome when they show up to the shoot?

I’ve worked with actors who, on set, feel insecure about their role or whether they should even be there. I feel that everyone is cast for a reason. You may never know the reason, and that’s okay. The best thing you can do is come to work and know you deserve to be there. Be prepared, have fun, don’t get in your head too much and don’t doubt yourself. Just do what you do.

You started acting at a very young age, and when you were ten, you headlined the horror film Orphan. As you transitioned from a child actor to an adult one, were there any bumps along the way?

The big thing my mom always stressed to me was having balance and having friends. I was able to remain a kid and have a good home base while still working. When you enter this industry, you start with certain actors that you’re always auditioning with. I remember looking around at one point and being like, all these people I started with are so much more successful than I am.

How did that make you feel?

It made me feel upset for a while, and I felt confused. I’ve never doubted my gift, my talent or my work ethic. I thought maybe I needed to work harder or that I should be doing more. So, I studied in England and went to drama school there. I was trying to develop all these different tools because I had a lack of confidence in myself at that time. Not in my talent or my work but in me. Because I started with a particular group of young actors, I felt I needed to be on a level playing field with them. But there is no rhyme or reason why people hit certain career markers earlier than others.

How do you overcome that mindset?

I took myself very seriously until I was 20 years old. Then – and this going to sound so hippie-dippie – I did a 10-day silent meditation retreat. I remember reliving every moment when someone told me that I was so grown up and mature for my age. It was the first time in my life that I realized that I am so young and putting too much pressure on myself to be a certain kind of actor in a certain type of place in my career.

(L-R) Isabelle Fuhrman as Ezra, Wallis Day as Ryder, Skai Jackson as Daisy and Sasha Luss as
Diamond, in the action/thriller film, SHEROES, a Paramount Global Content Distribution Group release. Photo courtesy of Paramount Global Content Distribution Group.

What did you do?

I stopped looking at everybody else around me. Everyone has a different career, a different life. Why am I comparing myself? I’m a different person. It was through realizing that, that I felt a shift. I stopped blaming myself if I wasn’t booking anything. I started to enjoy the process of preparing for an audition or preparing for a role instead of desperately hoping to get it. And I began to work more consistently.

Last year you were nominated for Best Female Lead Independent Spirit Award for The Novice. Also, Orphan became a franchise with the release of the sequel: Orphan: First Kill, where you reprised your role.

I set an intention in the last year where I wanted to work with good people, stretch myself and feel challenged daily. I feel that when you set that kind of intention, things start coming your way.

It seems to be working. In addition to the Horizon movies, you’ve got such upcoming films as Unit 234 for filmmaker Andy Tennant, filmmaker Justine Bateman’s adaptation of her book, Face, and Littlemouth opposite Dennis Quaid. That’s a lot!

I feel lucky that I found what I love to do at such a young age. I get to play pretend with other people in this industry who help me facilitate someone’s vision. I found an equilibrium in my life. I used to feel uncomfortable when people would recognize me and come up to me. Now I feel like that’s nice. It means business is good. People are enjoying what I’m working on.

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