Pop-Culturalist.com

Sascha Nastasi’s career is off to the races. The talented newcomer is currently starring as Jennifer in Disney+’s Black Beauty. A modern-day reimagining of Anna Sewell’s timeless tale, the film follows Black Beauty, a wild mustang born free in the American West, who’s rounded up and taken away from her family. She’s brought to Birtwick Stables where she meets Jo Green [Mackenzie Foy]. The pair build an unbreakable bond that carries Beauty through the different chapters and challenges in her life.

Sascha shines as Jennifer, a competitive horse rider, who rides at the barn where Jo and her uncle live and work.

Pop Culturalist spoke with Sascha about Black Beauty, discovering her passion for the arts, and why this story resonated with her.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Sascha: I grew up dancing. I was a ballet dancer. I was a pretty performative child. I have videos of me directing a one-woman Wizard of Oz show. The only part that I didn’t play was the Wicked Witch. My brother got to play that. So it was always there.

My favorite part about ballet, which I did intensely for a while was that I was always performing. I got to do The Nutcracker and other shows. I realized pretty early on that I loved character building. But I didn’t start acting until I was fourteen and a half. That was sparked more overtly by a school play I did, which was Guys and Dolls.

PC: What has that transition been like going from dance to screen?
Sascha: It’s interesting. Ballet teaches a lot that’s very, very helpful in terms of acting, which is less about the actual dance and more about learning discipline and learning how to be relentless. It’s taught me to really work at something and to treat it as a craft. I definitely took that away from ballet. Also, there’s an awareness of your body and physicality that’s helpful.

Black Beauty

PC: Tell us about your character in Black Beauty and what attracted you to this project.
Sascha: My character is Jennifer. She’s a competitive horse rider who rides at the barn where Jo and John live and work. She’s always with her best friend, Jasmine, who’s played by Alex Jeaven. There’s definitely a little competition between the two of them. They’re also quite prone to gossip. Jennifer becomes a bit jealous of Jo and her natural horsewomanship.

What attracted me to this project was that I knew of Black Beauty. I have quite strong memories of reading it in my childhood. I grew up in London, and you can horse ride in the park there. I never did it at a competitive level, but I did love horses. Seeing this feminist remake where Jo and Beauty are both girls now is amazing. Anna Sewell wrote Black Beauty with the intention of saving carriage horses and bringing attention to that. Reading the script, it was beautiful. It touched me emotionally. I love the role of Jennifer. I thought she was super funny and was almost like the comedic relief in a movie that can be heavy and very soulful. I like that contrast and I love a lot about the script and about the character.

PC: Like you, this is a beloved story that many grew up on. Did you feel any pressure being a part of this project and getting to introduce the story to a new generation?
Sascha: I think maybe if my character had been in the book or was a huge part of it I might’ve. But I think I really was quite sure of the potency of Ashley’s script and her vision. She cares so much and is so in love with Black Beauty and the story of horses, and everything is treated with such respect. From the get-go, I was sure this was going to be something special. I hope that it will connect with this generation and generations to come.

PC: There are a lot of really important themes within the film. Which resonated with you the most and why?
Sascha: The theme of love and friendship really resonated with me. At the core of this film is Beauty and Jo’s incredible boundary-breaking love, friendship, and connection. I love seeing platonic love explored in a movie. That being a forefront of the movie is rare, and it’s so important and true to life. I’ve definitely felt such love and gratitude for my close, close friends. That theme resonated with me personally.

PC: This is also going to be a breakout role for you. Did anything surprise you about the process? What was the biggest takeaway being a part of this project?
Sascha: I think what surprised me was the scale of the movie and the crew. It was amazing to me. I remember calling my mom and being like, “They had three cameras.” I worked on short films and a bunch of commercials. Well, commercials were pretty large scale but never anything like this. That was definitely surprising.

My biggest takeaway was I learned a lot from working and a lot about the joy of improv. I had the freedom to do that with Alex Jeaven, who plays Jasmine, and that was awesome. My biggest takeaway would be the friends and the people that I met. The cast and crew had such wonderful bonds and we had wonderful conversations.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Sascha: The Great British Baking Show.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Sascha: I just rewatched Wedding Crashers with my mom. I love that movie. It made me laugh so much. It was a favorite as a kid, so I think that could be a guilty pleasure. I don’t know if I feel too guilty about watching it, but it’s definitely a lighthearted comedy.

PC: Favorite book?
Sascha: That’s a hard one. I really love The Idiot by Elif Batuman. That was amazing. I recently read My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh. That’s one of my favorites at the moment.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Sascha: John by Annie Baker.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Sascha: Phoebe Bridgers.

PC: Dream role?
Sascha: That is a good question. That’s a hard question. I read Hamlet in school, and I would love to do an all-girls Hamlet and maybe play Hamlet or Ophelia. Honestly, any character in Hamlet. Or I would love to play Jessica in This Is Our Youth. Or maybe at some point when I’m older, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. Those are my dream roles.

To keep up with Sascha, follow her on Instagram. Stream Black Beauty on Disney+ today.