Pop-Culturalist.com

Molly Kunz is celebrated for her ability to immerse herself in roles and evoke powerful emotions from audiences through her portrayal of intricately crafted characters. She’s best known for her performances in critically-acclaimed projects such as The Wolf and the Lion, Widows, and The Irrational. Currently, she stars in the must-see fantasy drama, Wild Eyed and Wicked.

Written by G.S. Foxwood, Wild Eyed and Wicked follows Lily Pierce (Kunz) in her attempt to strike back at the medieval creature that’s haunted her family for generations. In order to do so, she must reconnect with her estranged father, Gregory (Michael X. Sommers), a disgraced history professor, and learn how to draw upon a time of steel and blade when armor-clad knights rode out and dueled monsters to the death.

Pop Culturalist had the distinct pleasure of speaking with Molly about Wild Eyed and Wicked, her collaboration with G.S. Foxwood, how she found her way into this character, and more.

PC: You’ve accomplished so much in your career. What was it about Gordon Shoemaker Foxwood’s script and this character that resonated with you?
Molly: I was immediately floored when I read his script. The layers he gave to Lily were things that I don’t often see in many scripts and something I feel very passionate about. I’m passionate about portraying characters who are multi-faceted, with layers, and who feel like real people. They experience anger, regret, sadness, joy, setbacks, and victories. I thought Lily was a well-drawn character, and I wanted the opportunity to portray someone like her. Additionally, the medieval imagery and the cool concept—I loved the metaphor and how extensively you could explore it because it was so well thought out and put together.

PC: It’s established very early on that your character has suffered a lot of grief and trauma in her life. She has such a compelling emotional journey, as you were saying. You brought so much depth and nuance to that. As an actress, how did you find your way into this character?
Molly: I did a lot of research on trauma and grief. I love reading psychology textbooks—that’s kind of dorky, but I enjoyed my psychology classes in college and it was something I wanted to incorporate. I wanted to portray her as a fighter because often, what we see externally about grief and trauma is sadness and unfulfilled potential. I wanted to emphasize her resilience and strength throughout every phase of her journey, as she confronts her demons and seeks reconciliation. Personally, I’ve faced my share of struggles and setbacks, like many have in recent years. I drew from my own experiences and those of people I know, observing how they navigated challenges and how I’ve navigated my own.

PC: Part of that journey is reconnecting with her father and navigating their complex past. What was it like collaborating with Michael [X. Sommers] to bring that dynamic from resentment to redemption to life on the screen?
Molly: It was really fun. Michael is such a character. He’s so fun to work with. He’s always bringing new stuff to the table. I loved the journey in my character’s breakdown that I made for myself for Lily. Before we started shooting, I drew out the different phases of her relationship with her father. There’s so much context that she has with her dad that we don’t see like her whole childhood. We don’t see that relationship until they’re older, so it can seem she’s really prickly, even the scene where she’s like, “I feel like such a b*tch. I just said all these mean things to my dad.” I love that we gave Lily the opportunity to be human and have anger, have it justified at the same time, and see her want to make that relationship better. But there’s also that struggle because it takes two. He needs to get on board with her and she needs to see him show up for her and support her. It was great to watch the evolution of that relationship and see that growth and the clumsy, uneven way that they find the road to healing that relationship.

PC: It’s so compelling to watch at the end how they hold space for one another. You were speaking of Lily and how she’s a fighter. You got to do a bit of sword training for this film. How helpful is having that preparation and that physicality as you stepped into this character’s shoes?
Molly: It was huge. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to do broadsword training before we started filming. I had also taken fencing lessons. A significant part of acting involves physicality—how the character holds their body, moves, and where they carry tension. The training was incredibly useful because there’s a specific way to hold your torso and handle the sword. My background in ballet, which I’ve done for a good chunk of my life, also played a role. It helped me understand movement because sword fighting is akin to choreography—it’s like dancing. Knowing how to position my body and develop the necessary muscles for those movements was invaluable, even though it’s not something we do in our daily lives. It was a cool challenge—one I was eager to tackle.

PC: Gordon wrote and directed this project. How different is the filming experience when the person who created these characters and universe is also at the helm directing? How did the trust that he fostered allow you to take agency over Lily’s arc throughout the film?
Molly: That’s a great question. I loved it. It was really special that everything stemmed from his imagination. This world and story are entirely his creation, and he’s been involved every step of the way. Having fewer voices involved can be a good thing; it keeps the vision clear. Gordon was fantastic at collaborating, especially one-on-one. We both shared a vision for Lily’s character, and he was open to my input throughout.

He always valued my thoughts and trusted me, which is incredibly important and not always common with directors. Having that trust allowed me to shape Lily’s journey in a way that aligned with our shared vision. From the beginning, we were on the same page; before casting, we discussed the script, and our understanding of Lily was very much in sync. It made our collaboration feel natural and seamless.

PC: You’ve worked on projects of all sizes. What is it about independent filmmaking that excites you as a storyteller and an artist?
Molly: I love indie films. If it weren’t for bills to pay… [laughs] I’m kidding, but seriously, the diversity of projects I’ve been part of is a huge gift. Not everyone gets that opportunity. I feel fortunate to have worked on many different things, but indie movies hold a special place in my heart.

I grew up in indie filmmaking. I started with these passion projects. What I adore about it is that everyone involved genuinely wants to be there. There’s a deep care for the story. It creates such a supportive environment for actors because you know everyone is fully committed to realizing the vision and making it the best it can be. That passion really makes a difference.

PC: Throughout your career, you’ve done such a fantastic job jumping back and forth between television and film. In film, you know where your character starts and ends. In television, you’re learning more with each episode. How different is the character development as the actor playing these characters? How have these mediums complemented each other?
Molly: It’s fascinating to explore the different journeys characters take. In TV, you might have a general idea of where the character’s storyline is headed for the season, but there are always surprises. You discover little details along the way, like unexpected hobbies or traits that weren’t part of the initial character concept in my mind. Spending so much time with a character on TV feels like life—you surprise yourself, do things you didn’t think you would, and grow in unexpected ways.

In film, as you mentioned, you know the character’s complete arc from start to finish. This isn’t how we experience life, but there’s a catharsis in it. It’s a form of fantasy and creativity, offering escapism and the chance to craft a narrative with a clear beginning, middle, and end. It allows us to explore the human experience and imagine what we might want our own journeys to be like.

To keep up with Molly, follow her on Instagram. Wild Eyed and Wicked is available wherever you stream movies.