Pop-Culturalist.com

When Natasha Behnam landed her first TV pilot, showrunner Aline Brosh McKenna said to her, “You’re a star. I’m honored to be working with you as the rocket is taking off.” And boy has that rocket taken off! This October, the quadruple threat makes her feature film debut in American Pie Presents: Girls’ Rules. We caught up with Natasha to learn more about her, her career, American Pie Presents: Girls’ Rules, and the important conversations she hopes the film inspires.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Natasha: I came out of the womb performing. I actually wanted to be a rock star when I was a kid, but that dream didn’t work out as well considering I had a terrible singing voice. Acting came really naturally for me; I was deeply curious about why people did the things they did and would always try to put myself in other peoples’ shoes.

I remember trying to mirror, or imitate, certain things people did and dissect the deeper meaning behind the smallest things. I was fascinated by human behavior; that was part of always knowing I wanted to be an actress. I don’t think I found a real sense of home in the arts until I was fully surrounded by artists and filmmakers in college. The vulnerability of the human experience is amplified when you’re eighteen through twenty-one and trying to figure out how to “make it”. Being in film school while simultaneously taking classes at multiple acting studios helped me to find my voice as a creator, and plant roots in my craft. Every step of the way has affirmed that this what I love most in the world.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Natasha: Oh man, there are too many people to name! I’ve been so lucky to meet really incredible, supportive artists along my journey. My acting coach, Mark McPhersen, was really pivotal in me finding positivity and purpose early on in my career. People like Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Michaela Coel, Issa Rae, Ramy Youssef, and Mindy Kaling are huge inspirations for me—obviously because, in one way or another, they’re all either women or POC that are creating their own content, which is what I want to do.

I look up to Phoebe Waller-Bridge so much because she has a seamless knack for displaying the most subtle human moments in her shows, the ones people normally don’t even notice in real life. She sews those moments together with such a fun, raunchy, real sense of human that gets me going! She’s been a huge inspiration to me in my own writing. I’m still waiting for a second season of her iconic 2016 show, Crashing.

PC: You’re a multifaceted artist. How has your work behind the scenes made you a stronger actress and vice versa?
Natasha: My acting training has a huge influence on my writing. When I write, I have the most fun with the dialogue and the character relationships, which I think is the actor in me. They funny thing is, working as a director/producer in film school actually gave me a weird, unexpected awareness that would pop up when I was acting.

At first, I thought this would be helpful because I had so much understanding of what was happening on the other side of the camera, but actually, I now have to consciously turn that part of my brain off when I’m acting because it takes me out of the scene. If I don’t, I’ll find myself thinking, “I have to lean to the right so this light can fill the frame exactly how the DP wants, because I know what they’re looking for.” That’s a big no-no when you’re trying to be real and in the moment.

Despite that, I do think that everyone should take classes in different artistic fields. It’s valuable to understand all your different artistic muscles, even if you only use one, mainly. It’s like working out at the gym; making one part of yourself stronger enhances your entire being.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your young career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Natasha: It’s hard to narrow them down. I’ve had a lot of special moments along my short journey. I genuinely think you have to notice all the serendipitous, lucky, beautiful moments and be grateful for them, no matter how small, because this can be such a long ride.

I’ll share two that pop into my head. My first TV job was a CBS/POP TV pilot, Arranged. I booked it the week I was graduating from college and was shooting it up until four hours before my actual graduation ceremony. I always joked that my goal was to get famous enough to have to drop out of college. Obviously, that didn’t happen, but booking a lead character in a TV pilot as my first TV job the week I was graduating felt really special; it felt like a sign that everything was happening exactly the way it was supposed to.

Aline Brosh McKenna, the showrunner, emailed me after and said something along the lines of, “You’re a star. I’m honored to be working with you as the rocket is taking off.” I printed two copies of that email, one for me and one for my mom. I still have it and look at it when I have any doubts. I know it’s cheesy, but it had a huge impact on me to hear that from someone so established.

The second moment was when my two best friends, who are writers, were hired to do rewrites/punch ups on the American Pie: Girls’ Rules script. It was before I had even audition and I was so excited for them. Little did we know I would end up being in the movie myself.

My close friends and I all work in different aspects of this industry, and it’s our dream to work on projects together like Judd Apatow’s crew. This was a really special gift from the universe; we felt like it was a foreshadow for us. Their names are Danya Jimenez and Hannah McMechan—you’ll see their names in the credits when I’m dancing on screen. [laughs]

American Pie Presents: Girls’ Rules

PC: Tell us about American Pie Presents: Girls’ Rules, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Natasha: I love that this infamous franchise is getting a female version. I think it’s super important to de-stigmatize women talking about and enjoying sex. It’s not like this stuff doesn’t happen in real life. I was drawn to the script because it was so relatable to me and my own girlfriends. It was so fun.

My character, Michelle, was so much fun to play. She’s confident, encouraging, and not afraid to experiment…if you know what I mean. I love that she encourages her friends to know their bodies and know what they like when it comes to sex.

Despite how silly and fun it all is, I think it’s important for girls to know it’s okay to have those conversations and know what’s what, just like boys do.

PC: There’s a natural chemistry that comes off the screen between you and your costars. How did you all build that bond?
Natasha: Honestly, we must have just gotten really lucky. Jen Presser and Caitlin Wells, the casting directors, did such a great job of hiring a really fun, diverse cast. We all became best friends at the initial table read, and we all died of sadness when we wrapped.

Literally, I remember the first night we met, we all walked around The Grove talking for hours. No one wanted to go home—it was so fun getting to know each other. I think because the script is so fun, we all gave ourselves permission to have that fun in our own relationships. It just felt like we got to show up to work and play every single day. Us girls, especially, built really strong bonds together. We were all experiencing a lot of “firsts” on that set, like our first sex scene, or first masturbation scene, and we all had each others’ backs during those for sure.

PC: Speaking of first, this is your feature film debut. Did that bring any pressure to the project? What was the biggest takeaway?
Natasha: I think I was so excited to be a part of this, I didn’t even notice the pressure. I was just so stoked to be doing what I loved. It felt like a dream come true. Every day, I had to convince myself it was actually happening. Looking back, there are always things I’d do differently as an actress, but at the time, I think I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be, and I really tried to just enjoy the ride.

I was learning so much every day, but the biggest thing is how many people are involved in making a movie happen. As an actor, you interact with twenty people before you even get to shoot your first scene of the day, so I think you have to be really aware of how you’re treating everyone. The importance of balancing everything was my biggest takeaway. Another one is taking care of yourself and your process so that you can make everyone else’s jobs as easy as possible. It’s a team effort.

PC: You are using your platform to spread positivity and bring awareness to topics that you’re passionate about. How did you discover your voice as an activist?
Natasha: Education is key. I think a lot of us (myself included) can be so quick to have an opinion on something we haven’t experienced ourselves, which is really problematic. There are so many marginalized groups of people who are willing to tell you what their experience is, and that’s where our sense of empathy has to take over, above all else.

I don’t really think I’m doing anything special by caring about other people. I am glad I get to use my voice to elevate the problems of anti-fatness and white supremacy as it relates to my own story, but more so, I’ve had to understand my own white-passing privilege and the inherent racism that exists within me because of that privilege. Black lives have been marginalized, ignored, and silenced for hundreds of years. 2020 has given non-Black folx an opportunity to care and become educated in a massive way. It’s not hard to see the issues when you look at history and notice what’s happening with human rights around the world. It’s not hard to admit you’re wrong and do your part.

So honestly, I think it’s the most human thing to do, to be an activist. Whether that means learning, speaking, listening, protesting, donating, educating, healing, conversing, or making art. Whatever your personal protest is, it’s just about creating more empathy and trying to make the world a better place for all of us.

I’m astonished at how many people still don’t understand or want that. I recently read an interview that Michaela Coel did about her new show, I May Destroy You, which I think is absolutely genius. She talks about the idea of radical empathy, and I haven’t been able to get that term out of my head ever since. I’m hoping for a future where more people can be radically empathetic. A lot of us tend to forget that, at the end of the day, we’re all human, and we all deserve to be treated as such.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Natasha: Rick and Morty and New Girl.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Natasha: John Tucker Must Die.

PC: Favorite book?
Natasha: Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Natasha: Bachelorette by Leslye Headland and Wicked.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Natasha: Arms Akimbo, and, fun fact, I lived with that band for a year!

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Natasha: My dream is that Geraldine Viswanathan would play me…or Schmidt.

To keep up with Natasha, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Watch American Pie Presents: Girls’ Rules on Netflix today.

Photo Credit: Joe DeAngelis // Hair & Make-Up: Carissa Swany // Styling: Cameron Cipolla