Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Witch Hunt’s Gideon Adlon

From projects like The Society to The Craft: Legacy, Gideon Adlon is a rising star who has captivated audiences with the characters she’s brought to life on the screen.

Her latest film, Witch Hunt, finds Gideon stepping into the shoes of a sheltered teenager who must face her own demons and prejudices as she helps two young witches avoid law enforcement and cross the southern border to asylum in Mexico.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Gideon about the film.

PC: How did you discover your passion for storytelling?
Gideon: I loved doing community theater growing up. I was obsessed with all the musicals and Shakespeare.

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 to you?
Gideon: All of it. I’ve learned from every single thing that I’ve done. I’m so thankful. All the people I’ve worked with are incredible. Everything has been an incredible learning experience.

PC: Tell us about Witch Hunt and your character in the film.
Gideon: I play Claire in Witch Hunt. She seems like an outcast, but she’s really not. She has friends. She’s a bit of a popular girl. There are people that want to hang out with her, but she’s completely beside herself because she knows that she’s magic, so she’s completely pushing that aside.

In the world that she lives in, being a witch is completely frowned upon. You’ll be exiled and arrested because people are afraid of that power. It’s interesting because I feel like nowadays people are still afraid of women like that; they’re afraid of the power that we hold.

PC: You’ve done it all throughout your career. What was it about this particular project, script, and character that stood out to you?
Gideon: I really love Elle [Callahan]. I love how connected she was with the characters. She wrote about her sisters. Elle has always been very into witchcraft, and she sees a lot of herself in Claire. She had such a clear vision of what she wanted, aesthetically, with the music, the way she wanted the story to go, and who she wanted Claire to be. I loved everything about it.

PC: Throughout the film, we see Claire come to terms with her own demons and prejudice. How did you prepare to tackle that arc?
Gideon: I listened to The Witch Wave podcast a lot. It gave me more insight on modern-day witchcraft. It’s a great podcast. Everyone should listen to it. Also, being around Elle and Abbie [Cowen] helped.

PC: One of the central relationships in Claire’s life is with her mother. How did you and Elizabeth [Mitchell] approach the dynamic between your two characters?
Gideon: We got on really, really well. We both can connect with being teenage girls and having issues with our parents. She has a young son. It was very easy working with her and everyone else; everything fit so well.

PC: Which was your favorite scene to film? Which was the most challenging?
Gideon: The most challenging scenes to film are the ones that are very physical with the asthma attacks or cracking down those walls.

My favorite scene is probably the ending moments.

PC: What do you hope audiences take away after they see the film?
Gideon: Sit in your power. If you’re different, that’s a beautiful thing and know that you will always be accepted. If you’re one of those people that judges others, learn that that’s not okay. You should try and accept others and figure out why you’re not accepting of all people because everyone should be.

PC: Besides Witch Hunt, what’s next?
Gideon: I have a movie with Miramax called Sick coming out, I believe, beginning of next year. And then I’m doing a show with NBC called The Thing about Pam!

To keep up with Gideon, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Witch Hunt is in theaters, On Demand, and Digital.