Brianne Tju Chats Gone in the Night, Representing the World That We Live in Through Art, and More

Like Michelle Yeoh, Sandra Oh, and the pioneers that came before her, Brianne Tju is blazing a trail for people of color, specifically women, in Hollywood. She’s brought three-dimensional characters and complex stories to life in projects including Scream: The TV Series, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Three Months.

Her latest project, Gone in the Night, finds Brianne starring opposite Winona Ryder, John Gallagher Jr., Owen Teague, and Dermot Mulroney. Upon arriving at a remote cabin in the redwoods, Kath (Ryder) and her boyfriend (Gallagher Jr.) find a mysterious young couple (Teague and Tju) already there—the rental has apparently been double-booked. With nowhere else to go, they decide to share the cabin with these strangers. When her boyfriend mysteriously disappears with the young woman, Kath becomes obsessed and enlists an unlikely supporter (Mulroney) with finding an explanation for their sudden breakup—but the truth is far stranger than she could have ever imagined.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Brianne about Gone in the Night, working with this star-studded cast, and paving the way for the next generation.

PC: This project has so many twists and turns, making it so fun for the audience to watch. Do you remember what you felt when you first read the script? What was it about this character that you connected with?
Brianne: Right off the bat, I was so impressed with the script. It’s not always that you read a script and immediately you’re just so drawn to it. You feel like an audience member and wonder, “What is going to happen?” The characters are written so dynamically. They all have two sides to them. As an actor, I feel like that’s the dream: to be able to play someone that’s so multidimensional. These characters start out one way, and throughout the course of the movie, they reveal another side of themselves. I read the script back-to-back twice in the same night. I couldn’t believe that this script had landed in front of me and that Eli [Horowitz] was interested. I ended up auditioning for it and I got the part. I’m so happy about it because it’s a really cool project that is different from anything I’ve ever really done.

PC: You’ve played so many dynamic and powerful female characters throughout your career. Who were the women in your life who shaped the artist that you are today?
Brianne: Oh, wow. Yeah. I’ve been really lucky in having women in my life that are willing to be mentors to me. Honestly, it’s so hard. It’s not just one person. It’s so many people. Growing up, seeing my mom and the things that she’s overcome. When you reach that age where you see your parents as human beings rather than idols and superheroes, that has really deepened the relationship that I have with my mom. Because of my mom, I know what it’s like to be a mother, a wife, and a woman. I have three sisters, and they’re all very unique, passionate, and special.

My best friend, Gia (who’s also my roommate), from an acting perspective. She’s taught me so much. She’s also an actress. She’s taught me so much as a person as well. Then there are people like Michelle Yeoh or Sandra Oh who have paved the way for me to even be where I am right now. What they’ve done for representation and for Asian women—although we still have ways to go—I don’t think we would be here without them. Also working with Winona [Ryder], I was so intimidated. She’s an icon. I’m obsessed with her. But to walk onto the set and have her be so loving, supportive, and kind to me was so helpful.

PC: Great answer. Without giving any spoilers, your character has a line in the film where she talks about what people are willing to do to get what they want. That’s especially true for Greta. As an actor, your job is to bring this character to life. How were you able to approach her without judgment?
Brianne: It’s funny because a lot of what Greta does and a lot of how she chooses to behave is not necessarily something that I agree with, but I have to empathize with her. I have to understand her, and I can’t judge her. Although I don’t necessarily think she’s a straight-up psychopath, she has psychopathic tendencies and narcissistic tendencies. Eli and I both found common ground early on in the process of creating Greta. I ended up listening to a lot of psychology podcasts about psychopaths and how to identify them. What makes them become that way? Also, theories on that. I learned a lot. At times I felt like, “Oh my God. What’s happening? Am I a psychopath?” But it was about understanding the science, the behaviors, and the reason why someone might behave this way in order to help justify her behaviors in a way where I could have empathy for her. I wasn’t making a caricature of a person. It was a real person who happens to do some things that are not great.

PC: Like you were saying earlier, this role is a departure from what we’ve seen you do in the past. Is there a particular scene that you’re really excited for your fans to see?
Brianne: I don’t think there’s a particular scene. What’s so great about this is that every scene is a piece of a puzzle, which is this whole film, and it’s non-linear. We’re going back to the past and back to the present and all in a different order. I feel like everything needs to be paid attention to because that way you get the most satisfying outcome at the end. You can go back and be like, “That’s why that happened. That’s why she did that. That’s why she said that.” I think looking at it like that is probably the best way. I had so much fun filming any scene that I had with Owen [Teague].

From the beginning, he and I gave each other permission. We were like, “Look, I got your back. You got my back. You want to try something weird? Go for it. I’m not going to judge you. I’m going to support you. I’ll tell you if it sucked.” [laughs] We had that trust and especially with Eli, the director. I had a lot of fun.

PC: Throughout your career, you’ve said it’s about the people that you get to work with that attract you to a project. This is Eli’s feature film debut. What was it like getting to collaborate with him as you brought this story and character to life?
Brianne: He’s such a prolific and talented writer. I was a huge fan of Homecoming, the podcast first and then the show, even before I heard about this project. I was so excited about the opportunity to work with him. He’s very insightful and very detail-oriented. But with that being said, he’s so collaborative. He wants everyone to be able to have a say and for this to feel like an experience that we’re all taking part in. He’s not just the leader. It was great because there were some things that I would read where I’d be like, “I don’t understand why she’s doing this.” He’d be like, “Okay.” He wouldn’t tell me why she did it. We would talk through it until I understood. Because also, as a woman portraying a woman, there were certain perspectives that I had that he maybe didn’t consider. He was so great to work with. I had such a lovely time.

PC: One of the exercises that Eli had you and Owen do was create a shared tattoo. What did you guys settle on? What was the backstory that you created regarding that?
Brianne: Oh my God. Thank you for reminding me of that. I completely forgot. First, Owen’s a very talented artist. He would draw a lot of the tattoos that ended up going on his body. They were all very specific and cool. But there was one that we wanted to have that was a shared tattoo. You know what’s funny? I can’t remember what the tattoo is. Owen and I had to agree on the meaning of the tattoo and no one knew the meaning except him and me. [laughs] I can’t remember the meaning. There’s only one other person in the world who knows the meaning and that’s Owen.

I can’t even remember what the tattoo was. It might have been a date. Wait, I know what it is. We were watching a lot of punk documentaries and films and listening to a lot of noise music because that’s the social culture that Greta and Al come from. We were watching Sid and Nancy. We got the years that they both passed away. I think he had Nancy’s date and I had Sid’s. It was something crazy weird.

PC: In the same vein of collaboration, this is such a star-studded cast. How did working alongside everybody help elevate the performances that we see on screen?
Brianne: It definitely did because you’re working with the likes of Winona Ryder, Dermot Mulroney, John Gallagher Jr., and Owen. I didn’t know all of them personally, but I was a huge fan of their work and Eli’s as well. There’s this innate desire to want to meet everyone’s level and to do the project and story justice. For each actor, you want to be as present in the scene as possible, as collaborative, and as creative. You have to create this very comfortable, safe space for everyone to play in. But it was cool because there were a few scenes where it was just Winona and I, which I never in a million years thought would happen. It was always like, “Brianne, you better be on your game. You are acting across from Winona Ryder.” Luckily, she was so supportive and just comforted me. I had a really lovely time with her.

PC: This film has such an examination of the human psyche, told through thriller and horror. Why do you think these genres lend themselves to this type of storytelling?
Brianne: I’ve always been a fan of horror and thriller because the storytelling is so much more dynamic. You have the opportunity to use things like thrills and horror to emphasize the story, especially when talking about mortality. That is very, very fear-inducing for people. To take something that we’re already afraid of and then add another element on top of it that makes it feel surreal and otherworldly while still creating characters that feel human and grounded is a great way to both create an escape and put your worst nightmare on screen. I think people, myself included, love that thrill and adrenaline rush that you get when you watch things like that.

PC: Beautifully said. In a conversation that you had with your long-time friend Sydney Park, you talked about how even a year ago you couldn’t name a person of color who led a horror film. Projects like Gone in the Night, Unhuman, and I Know What You Did Last Summer are bringing much-needed representation to the screen. What has it meant to you to know that you’re part of a community of trailblazers who are paving the way for this next generation?
Brianne: That’s so sweet. I never really considered myself a trailblazer. I’ve been in this industry for so long that sometimes I forget to look outside of myself. I see each project I do as a chance to grow, as a next milestone for me. I see it just from my perspective. I guess sometimes I forget to see it from other people’s perspectives. Whenever I get to see a woman of color playing a lead role with so much nuance and in a multidimensional way, it’s so satisfying and so beautiful. It’s empowering as a woman of color. Art should reflect the world as it is. In the past, that wasn’t the case, but we’re headed in the right direction. The idea that I could even possibly be a small part of that battle and journey and to be a part of that community is so nice.

PC: You definitely are. This film had its premiere at SXSW. What was that experience like for you, just given the fact that we couldn’t do any in-person events for the past two, three years?
Brianne: It was absolutely a dream and so satisfying. It was the first project in the past two years that I’ve been able to see with a full theater. We were at the ZACH Theater too, which is one of the biggest theaters at SXSW. It was packed. You could hear people responding, laughing, and gasping. There were so many reactions that I hadn’t heard in so long, watching a project that I’m in, especially one that I care so much about. A live audience really lends to the whole experience because everyone was on the edge of their seats like, “What’s going to happen? What’s going to happen?” The reception of the film was amazing. I’m so, so happy that we got the opportunity to do that in person, especially after so many years of not being able to have that luxury.

PC: What’s next for you?
Brianne: I just finished doing re-shoots for Uglies, which is a Netflix film based off of a book by the same name. I think that’ll come out sometime early next year. I’m very excited for that. It’s a young adult dystopian universe. It’s interesting because, although that book was written fifteen years ago, it is more relevant now than ever. We’ve really found ways to make it contemporary and also futuristic. But I think a very broad audience will be able to relate to it. I also have High School, which is Tegan and Sara’s show based off a book by the same name—their memoir which takes place in the nineties. We shot it in Calgary earlier this year, and that was so fun. It’s one of the first things in a while that I’ve done that’s not in the horror/thriller genre, and it feels like a departure from what I’ve done. In a good way. It was refreshing. It’s so beautiful, and Clea DuVall is amazing. She’s at the helm of it. So, I think it’ll be really good.

PC: You’ve brought so many dynamic characters to life on the screen with so much nuance. As you look ahead to the next five to ten years, is there a dream role that you would love to bring to life?
Brianne: Oh, so many. I really love comedy as well. I love dark comedies. I would really love to do a buddy comedy. A stoner comedy, maybe. I’d also love to dip my toe into some true crime. I love true crime. I just finished watching Under the Banner of Heaven, and I’ve seen Sharp Objects. I watch all of them. So to do something like that would be really cool. I don’t know, it’s just people and characters. That’s what always gets me. It always surprises me where I end up and how. Even though I don’t expect something to happen or necessarily want it, it always proves to be so eye-opening and special for me.

To keep up with Brianne, follow her on Instagram. Gone in the Night is in theaters and wherever you stream movies.

Photo Credit: Krissy Saleh