[Only IN Hollywood] Girl power energizes ‘A Quiet Place Part II’
Girl power, embodied by Millicent Simmonds’ Regan, energizes A Quiet Place Part II, the sequel to the 2018 box office hit.
Without giving the plot away, let’s just say the sequel, written and directed by John Krasinski, finds Regan taking matters into her own hands. Proving his impressive directing debut in the first film was not a fluke, John makes this sequel as riveting, perhaps even more so.
With John’s father role, Lee, now deceased (although the actor-director makes a cameo in scenes that take place before the first’s movie’s events), Millicent, engrossing as the deaf teen daughter, and Emily Blunt’s mom character, Evelyn, fuel the story’s theme of female empowerment.
The Abbott family – Evelyn, Regan and Marcus (Noah Jupe, also back as the son) – must now venture in the post-apocalyptic outside world terrorized by blind monsters with an, um, deadly sense of hearing. They find an ally in a new character, persuasively played by Cillian Murphy. Djimon Hounsou also stars.
“A few months after we had done A Quiet Place, John called me,” Millicent said, recalling the moment John first told her that her Regan was going to be the sequel’s young heroine.
“He said, oh my God, Millie, I have this idea and I want to see what your opinion is, what do you think. So he pitched me his story for 45 minutes. My mom was sitting there with me on FaceTime and all I could say was, oh my God, we have to do this.”
“It was so different than any other kind of sequel. It’s not your predictable sequel and this one had so many stunts. I jumped right in. I said, sign me up.”
A Quiet Place Part II was set to debut in March last year. But the COVID-19 health crisis shut down cineplexes all over the world and forced Paramount to postpone the horror sequel’s release several times. Now, the movie is finally set to open end of May.
“It was amazing and such an honor to be a part of the second one because you don’t often get that opportunity to do a sequel,” said Millicent in our New York interview right before the coronavirus pandemic struck.
“What’s different between the first and second one is that A Quiet Place Part II really has a lot more action. I had to do a lot more stunt work, which, of course, was a lot of fun.”
On her Regan being the focal point in this sequel, Millicent enthused, “It was very exciting. It was interesting to see where Regan would go but also a little sad because I didn’t get to spend as much time with the rest of the cast.”
“But we did have a lot of fun going to new locations. That was definitely a bonus.”
The Utah native, who joined the drama club of the deaf school she attended as early as when she was three years old, shared how John elicited the reactions he wanted from her.
Millicent claimed that sometimes she found scenes funny. “There are some scenes that I should actually be really terrified in and emotional but sometimes you just have to put the emotions aside,” said Millicent, who is now 18.
“John is usually hiding somewhere and I don’t know where he is. He usually does something and then all of a sudden, I’ll be going along.”
“John will yell, push me or throw something and he gets that panic in that moment. It’s usually caught on camera – those moments – so that’s how he does it.”
A Quiet Place Part II can be interpreted by some as symbolic of the times, when girls like climate activist Greta Thunberg and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai are making a huge impact in the world.
“In one of John’s interviews about A Quiet Place, the first movie, he said it was a love letter to his children,” Millicent explained.
“Someone told me during our interviews that for some, their perception was that they felt that A Quiet Place 2 was actually a love letter from the children to the parents.”
“I thought that was a powerful perception. We are fighting, this generation is fighting. Though we still need to love and educate each other and be kind to people. That was a powerful realization for me.”
“Greta is fighting for all of us. She doesn’t have to do that. She’s taking a lot of time from her schedule to fight for us.”
Millicent cited the woman who inspires her in her own life. “For sure, my mother. My mother is definitely the principal one. She’s so courageous, so independent. She’s the woman who has inspired me the most in my life.”
“I just have so much respect for her. She raised five children and she has this amazing life. It’s just crazy. She has so many goals she’s working on and she does it.”
“Her opinion is very important to me – what she thinks of me. We go through everything together. We are very close. She’s such a big part of my world.”
The actress also praised “those who are fighting for women’s rights. I read Malala’s book and learned so much about her in school. She’s definitely an inspiration.”
“I can’t believe how Malala had to fight so hard. Her fight has helped everyone. I have so much respect for her and her journey.”
The actress who made her film debut in Todd Haynes’ Wonderstruck is now a role model herself.
“It’s really kind of crazy, I have to say,” she remarked. “Growing up, I never thought this would be possible. And especially with my parents helping me, it has become true.”
“But it’s really fun. It’s really an honor to become a role model. I’m still learning so much.”
“I’m trying to be a better person. I’m trying to think about how I can educate the world about humanity and our deeds.”
“I hope I’m a good role model for the teenagers to look up to because it’s a big responsibility.”
She added, “I just want to make sure that I make things right. It’s a big responsibility to be a role model.”
As a role model for deaf actors, Millicent, who lost her hearing because of a medication overdose when she was almost a year old, explained, “I want to make sure that the accommodations are in place, that their interpreter is available on set for interviews and things like that.”
“And while you are making the film, to make sure that we are doing it the right way, hire an American Sign Language coach and recognize how to include everyone on set.”
“I have to say it’s a big honor to see that people appreciate me and what I’ve been doing in my career. It’s a little bit crazy for me to think that people who I don’t know, know me and my name. It is life changing, actually.”
In real life, Millicent is “still at home with my parents. I’m not that independent. I think it’s kind of wild because Regan does it because that’s what she thinks her father would do.”
“That’s her impulse, her motivation. She really wants to find justice for everything and for her dad. She really wants to do what’s right.”
The middle of five children also took time to praise her father. “I am very close with my dad in real life. We have a lot of inside jokes and yeah, I think I am like my dad.”
The box office success of the first A Quiet Place has dramatically changed Millicent’s life. I predict her career will take off even more with the release of the sequel.
“It has changed a lot,” Millicent said about the transformation of her life and career. “Wonderstruck was the first film. So there was a huge difference from Wonderstruck to A Quiet Place.”
“I have been traveling so much more since then and meeting so many more people who have definitely affected my life. My family and school life has changed. I’m learning how to handle these changes in my own life.”
Millicent laughed when asked if she has gained more friends since A Quiet Place became a runaway hit. “They think I’m as brave as Regan and I can save them and the world. So I take advantage of that sometimes.”
“It’s really interesting to meet so many people, as I said earlier, who appreciate me for what I’m doing.”
In the interview, Millicent used sign language with an interpreter beside her. Toward the end of our chat, the actress, who has a cochlear implant, spoke in her beautiful voice.
Millicent said that with American Sign Language, “so far, I haven’t felt like there are any challenges that I can’t overcome. I’ve gotten access. I have interpreters. I am able to support myself in this career and everything is working right now.”
“I have several [interpreters]. It depends on the location.”
Of the gracious interpreter beside her, Lynette Taylor, Millicent smiled as she commented, “I am very proud of her. She is the one who worked with me on the first two movies. he’s also my interpreter. She has a life and she needs to keep on her life. I really respect her for that.”
“But so far, if we are in different locations and if Lynette can’t come, we have other interpreters. I have another interpreter that I am very close with and who I have worked with before.”
Venturing out on her own does not faze the actress. She explained, “I initially went to a deaf school. So I didn’t feel different than anyone else.”
“I actually have an awareness that it was a challenge to be out in the world. I always had communication access.”
“But we were all sharing the same language at school so there were no obstacles. Even at home, my family all learned sign language.”
“So, I always had amazing, very close relationships. I was always able to communicate with everyone. Growing up, I never had a difficult time growing.”
“It’s not scary to be on my own. I’ve never thought about not being on my own. My parents have taught me how to be independent. I’m very grateful to them for that.”
“I feel like I am able to express what I need, say what I feel and if I am not comfortable with something, I am able to express that.”
“If I had a hard time with communication, we have so many other ways to communicate, especially with technology. I can text back and forth.”
“I can let people know I am deaf if there is some misunderstanding that needs to be clarified.”
Millicent, asked to give advice to youths who are bullied or shunned, said, “I feel like, speaking of Regan in A Quiet Place 2, I think she’s the role model of what you need to remind yourself of.”
“She finds courage, confidence, after the loss of her father. It affects her very deeply and it’s not only her but her family.”
“She has to search deep to find hope for herself. I guess that would be my message to teens in general – find the confidence within yourself, be true to yourself and no matter what situation you find yourself in, it will be okay.”
Millicent, who also stars in a TV movie, Close Up, talked about how she sees herself in the near future.
“It’s hard for me to even imagine 10 to 20 years later because I live in the moment,” she acknowledged. “What I would like to do is to do more film and television.”
“There are so many things I want to do in my career. Also, to travel more.”
“And to help people. I would love to be a role model to other kids and say, you can do it. Other people out there fight for what’s right for everyone. And we just need to educate each other more to do that.” – Rappler.com