cinqque5tion with Suzanne Pratley

I met Suzanne Pratley at the Open World Toronto Film Festival (OWTFF) through my extremely talented friend, Angelica Alejandro. Before the film, I had the opportunity to meet Suzanne in the lobby. Suzanne is a lovely, wonderful, and extremely positive individual. It was brought to my attention during our conversation together that Suzanne will be Maria in the film along with Nicolas Sampedro-Sillmann who played the part of Milo. “Limited” is the story about a mother-son relationship that’s not exactly a friendly one. It is quite the masterpiece by MAD Resilience Films.

1. Suzanne Pratley,  can you tell us about your first gig in the business?

I am heavy set and I found out right away that you can turn what makes you different and sets you apart into an asset in this industry. The first acting job I ever booked was for a German commercial about weight loss and I was cast as a “before” candidate. I went into the audition physically shaking from nerves but I practically skipped out from it, it was such a rush. It made me realize that niche roles are where I needed to market myself to and I just kept tumbling into them after that.

2. I loved your character in “Limited” at OWTFF. How do you play such an intense character?

Mark Datuin, the director of “Limited”, was an integral part in helping me shape the character of Maria. He was so open to my ideas and gently guided me to her final presentation. This allowed me to create my own private backstory in my mind for Maria, which was what I drew from, especially before we shot the monologue. I had originally thought to play her a little angrier but as we progressed through the table read and rehearsals, I found myself falling deep into the idea of her being disappointed with how her life had turned out. I think she sees herself as a victim and that is what I tried to convey. It took me a day or two to shake her off though.

3. What is your favourite genre and why?

I tend to gravitate towards quirky, unusual drama with outstanding performances and some sci-fi. Things like “Fargo”, “BlacKkKlansman”, “Mindhunter”, “Baby Driver”, “The Night Manager” and anything with Olivia Coleman. I enjoy when I am surprised by a performance or a storyline.

4. Who is an individual in the industry that you would not only like to work with but also makes a difference in the industry?

I can only dream about this but I would love to work with Jordan Peele. I think he is a creative visionary. His work with films like “Get Out” and “Us” gets people to think about racial tension and divide in a unique and powerful way.

5. Just for fun. What was the last song you heard? Go!

Learn to Fly by “Foo Fighters”

---

About the Author
Jovin Tardif
Press/Media What On What’s Good
Storyteller, Conversation Starter,
Writer, Reviewer, Interviewer
and Social Media