Elizabeth Olsen has conquered us not only for her multifaceted acting career, where she has given us incredible characters like The Scarlet Witch, but also for her love of altruism, the planet and her great personality that has led her to steal the heart of all; Therefore, this month we talk exclusively with her about her personal life, her dreams, her new projects and her best fashion and beauty tips. This month we decided to recognize the Hollywood actress with two covers . The first reflects her personal essence, her love and her daily efforts for the planet and the second highlights her public face, the movie star and the importance of women on the screen.
Do you have any dreams that you would like to fulfill in the future?
Yes I have a lot. I would love to manifest multiple paths in my life in the future. I don’t think my life is necessarily being an actress, there are many things I would like to explore and I have a long list. To simplify the answer, I dream of having children. That’s always been a dream I’ve had and it’s something I hope to be able to do.
Can you tell us a little more about your experience with Latitud Project?
It’s an incredible project. Some Canadian women who I think went to Mexico with their mothers every summer ventured to Nicaragua. They started their foundation Latitud Project . In recent years, having a presence in the country has been more difficult, not only due to the COVID pandemic, but due to the political situation in Nicaragua. Basically they find communities with a lot of need and work with them, ask them about what they need. Whether it’s drinking water, solar energy… and they do one project a year with these communities. They build it with them. I went to bring more awareness to Latitud, but usually they only work with the community and the people there so they can have more autonomy over what they build together. It’s always amazing. I have gone a few times with them. Every time, in every project, you meet very beautiful people and it is truly incredible how few dollars it takes to change an entire community. It was an incredible experience and I hope to return soon.
Do you have any other plans to practice altruism in the future?
It’s amazing that people can be part of other global initiatives, but it’s also important to be part of local initiatives. In Los Angeles there is a wonderful non-profit foundation called The Rape Foundation . The place I work with is called The Stuart House and they are in charge of offering everything to children aged 18 and under who have been victims of any type of assault. They offer free therapy, free legal assistance, they do all the research to help you with court cases and they have forensic services. They also provide therapy for families. When I volunteer there, I play with the children or their siblings while they are in the waiting room because sometimes their families can’t afford child care, so I basically take care of them. That had to stop a little bit due to the pandemic, but I’m excited to come back when I’m done filming and doing press for Dr. Strange , because being there for those kids is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done in my life.
What would you do if you had Wanda’s powers?
I don’t know if I would want to have his powers in real life, because I feel like he takes the experiences of many other people and can get into their heads and minds, and thus know their greatest fears. I don’t know if I want to know all those things about people.
Have you ever experienced a love like Wanda’s?
I think so. I feel like the connection I have with the closest people in my life, which also includes my friends. I’ve had the same friends since I was a little girl and I feel like I do have this connection with them, which is very sacred and codependent.
If you weren’t Wanda, what other superhero would you like to have played?
With Wanda I can’t be very funny, except in WandaVision , where I was able to do a little comedy. But people like to watch a lot of these Marvel movies because they are clever and intelligent and the humor is great. I feel like Tessa Thompson ‘s role , Valkyrie , has a lot of humor and she has a lot of fun. So that’s who I would like to play.
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What are your favorite movies or series from recent years?
There’s a lot. I loved Power of the Dog , I think that movie was incredibly poetic and being able to see it in the cinema was very important. We have all lost that sense of stillness. We are at home changing channels quickly or watching a movie and then we decide to change it. So I feel like that movie landed a lot on a slower method of filmmaking. I really loved it. Then there’s the documentary called Some Kind of Heaven that I think was beautifully done about a retirement home in Florida. Those are the first two that come to mind and I really loved them.
What excites you most about being part of the Doctor Strange cast?
What excites me the most is the response of the fans after the film. I’m always very scared when these movies come out, especially between WandaVision and Dr. Strange because my role is a little bigger so there’s this pressure. You can’t please everyone, but you hope the fans are satisfied. I’m also excited to hear what fans would like my character to do. A lot of people ask me how I would like Wanda to continue after this movie and I really have no idea and I think the fans always have the best ideas.
What scene were you most excited to film in Doctor Strange?
I don’t know. She was actually very terrified about filming one of the last scenes of the movie , which I can’t talk much about. I was really scared to film it, but it was also a lot of fun. I think the scariest things are also the most fun because you feel like you’re accomplishing something or you’re brave and it’s a small victory.
If Doctor Strange could change something about your past, what would you decide to change?
I don’t know. I think if you change something about your past it could affect your present, which is the main theme of this movie. I am very happy where I am today, with the people in my life and my work, so I think I would be very afraid to change something from the past for fear of altering something in the present.
What are your next projects?
I just finished a short series for HBO Max called Love and Death . It will come out in October and it is a true story that happened in Texas about a woman who murdered one of her friends with an ax. She is funny, but with very dark humor and also scary. There I get to play this woman who went through a trial and I really had a great experience doing it. We had a wonderful cast and I’m excited for her to premiere.
Which actor would you like to share the screen with?
There are many. I would really like to work with Betty Gilpin because she is amazing. I would love to work with Margot Robbie because she has a great reputation as an actress and as a producer, so I feel like she would really enjoy that. There are many, but those are the ones that come to mind for now. I’m thinking about women who are in my same age range because I think that many times women of the same age can’t be together in movies. There’s usually one woman who’s in her thirties or one who’s in her twenties, and there aren’t many multi-woman stories on screen. I would also love to work with Carrie Coon , who is a phenomenal actress.
Do you think opportunities in the film industry are equal between men and women?
I think right now there’s an influx of interest in shows and movies starring women, so there’s a bit of an imbalance, but now it’s favoring women more instead of men, which I don’t think is a bad thing. There has been a very different trend all these years so what better than to change that towards the women’s side. It’s a great time for a lot of female writers and producers , especially because people really want to raise those voices, so it’s a great opportunity for people to create something for women.
If you could change one thing about the film industry, what would it be?
I feel like what I would like to change, maybe not the industry itself, but how we consume any type of media. I would love for people in charge of finances to have more faith in stories that may not have such a wide audience ; because I think that when you give people an artistic voice and allow them to take a certain amount of time and space without trying to control everything… when you make a movie, they do a lot of testing with audiences to try to get feedback and see if it’s going to be financially successful. And then they edit certain things based on that, which doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to have the directors’ full voice involved. There is a lot to be said for allowing directors to have full control in certain cases. There might be a little more faith in allowing people to do that. When you let the producers do that, you end up with a beautiful movie like Mike Mills’ C’mon, C’mon . Or something wonderful like Power of the Dog and I know these movies always amaze us, but it’s because these directors had the opportunity to be in control. I hope we can lean in that direction.
Do you think the film industry is totally inclusive?
I think he’s trying to be. But I also feel that it is an international problem and not a domestic one. We have to participate internationally if we want the industry to be very diverse, it is not just a US standard, it should be something international.
How do you practice self-esteem every day?
Even when I’m working I try to wake up to give myself 15 minutes to stretch and breathe because as I get older I feel like my body has more tension every day. That’s the first step of my day, stretch, breathe and stay silent. I also try not to use my phone mindlessly as much as I can, but that’s hard sometimes because we’re so attached to it. I try to leave it in another room because I don’t have a job where I have to always have it with me. I try to read as much as I can to allow my brain to move with more purpose, because I think it’s hard to read if you’re always distracted and I think it’s something that’s good for our brain, soul and mind . I walk a lot, I do like a meditation by walking as much as I can. For me, walking is one of the best things you can do for your brain. Without necessarily having to listen to a podcast or music, just walking around without any of that, it’s very profound for me. Every day I feel genuinely grateful to be able to walk.
What are your tips for a successful love relationship?
Communication and honesty. Never want to hurt the other person. Try to communicate without wanting to hurt other people’s feelings. You have to treat people with patience and compassion. Try to use language that doesn’t make them feel like they are doing something wrong. There is always a way to communicate without demonizing the other, even if there is a disagreement.
What advice would you give to a friend to encourage them to achieve their dreams?
That there is always a way to try to find a compromise with the reality of having a job and create the time and space for yourself, to follow your dreams and work hard for them. I think you should manifest that discipline for yourself. I think true discipline is one of the most important things if you have a goal to accomplish. You have to try. I have a lot of friends who have changed the direction of their careers in their 30s and it’s pretty scary to think that they spent their entire twenties doing something that didn’t really make them happy and they took this huge leap of faith to completely change careers and it’s a one of the bravest things anyone can do because it’s totally terrifying. But they always end up being happier.
What are the sustainability actions that you try to practice daily?
I try to be as thoughtful as I can when dealing with trash, recycling, and compost. I try very hard to have less impact. It is very difficult, but it is very satisfying to generate a small amount of garbage. Sadly not all cities in the United States have opportunities to do that, but there are always smaller companies that can be used. There’s a company in Los Angeles called Compostable and they come to your house every Tuesday, leave a container and take whatever you have, so I use them when I’m there. That extra effort can be really profound and we would generate less waste.
Why don’t you have Instagram or any other social network?
I think I’m not necessarily good at that. I think that people who do it well manage to represent themselves authentically and I never felt like I could do that. I always felt a little uncomfortable. I also thought I didn’t want it to take up hours of my time or feel like part of my job. I do think there is a mental health component to being on social media and I think it’s helpful to avoid it, potentially for adults too. I wrote a children’s book that will be out soon called Hattie Harmony under Penguin. I wrote it with my husband and it will be released in June in the US. It has a lot to do with children’s mental health, anxiety and how to teach them to identify their emotions and give them tools to manage them. The more we can teach them, at an early age, that will have more benefits for them than creating Instagram for children.
What is your day and night beauty routine?
It’s too extensive. I care a lot about my skincare routine. I use Biologique P50 every morning and night, and many of their serums. There is also an Israeli brand called Future that I use. Broken between those two brands. I try to drink water with lemon every day. I take a lot of strange packets of supplements in my water and it’s part of my routine too.
What exercises do you do as part of your fitness routine?
I walk a lot but overall, it’s been changing recently. I used to have a normal gym situation and worked out with very basic things, but I started doing more Pilates and yoga this year. I do yoga core exercises and took a lot of online classes during the pandemic. Doing yoga, pilates and walking is what I prefer. I don’t know if it has to do with getting older or if it’s the mental state I’m in, but I’ve been enjoying it.
What is the worst fashion crime you have committed?
I feel like every time I’m on the red carpet I hate what I’m wearing. I don’t know, I don’t really wear very fancy clothes in my personal life and that doesn’t work on the red carpet; so I always feel like I’m out of my body when I’m in these situations. Not all the time, but many times. I hope that as I get older I will care less.
