Stepping into the shoes of the family-orientated Grace Baker in American Siege, Anna Hindman is kicking off 2022 with a bang as she gets to grips with her gun-toting character. Available now across all digital platforms, American Siege depicts the aftermath of the mysterious disappearance of teenager Brigit Baker — an event which has haunted the small rural town for the past ten years. Grace Baker – the missing teens sister – teams up with boyfriend Roy in a quest to find answers, facing betrayal and corruption along the way. Starring opposite Bruce Willis, Rob Gough, and Timothy V. Murphy, Anna submerses herself within the story, using the plot as a means to reflect on her own family life, and cultivates her ability to empathise in the process.
Alongside her devotion to acting, the LGBTQ+ advocate has also started teaching in Nashville, while putting out her first single “Dislove” on Spotify. Having relocated to South Caroline with her wife, Anna Hindman is focused on honing her creativity and continuing her work with LGBTQ+ charities.
As the multifaceted talent continues to make waves down the many avenues of her craft, Anna took the time to speak with Wonderland about the premiere of her latest film, and what she has learned about herself in the process of making it.
Scroll below for the trailer for American Siege and the full interview…
Hi Anna, how are you? Where are we speaking to you from right now?
Hi! I’m great, thank you so much for having me. I’m currently in Nashville, Tennessee.
Let’s start at the beginning! What is your earliest memory of acting? How did you get into it in the first place?
My very first memory of acting was in kindergarten – I was in a class play based on the “Miss Spider” books. I’ve always had a love for performing. My dad is also a musician and artist, so I was raised on the arts. In first grade I did my first professional acting job – a commercial for a local company – and I was hooked. My parents were incredibly supportive. My mom volunteered for the community theatre every summer, and both my mom and dad constantly encouraged me to pursue my dreams.
You made the brave move from Connecticut to Los Angeles to pursue your career after graduating, talk to us about that experience!
Yes! I jumped into that headfirst – I really had no idea what to expect. In fact, when I first moved to LA, I was living in this artist’s hostel in Koreatown with about 25 other people. It was actually really cool, and kind of defined a lot of my experiences in Los Angeles going forward. I was able to immediately connect with other creatives who had just moved to the area. It was a little chaotic, and it took me a while to find my footing in the city, but the one thing that stayed constant during my time in Los Angeles were those initial friendships. The beauty of LA is that you can create and collaborate with others, and you find these opportunities to lift your friends up. You might recommend them for projects, forward castings to them, or go to their shows and listen to their music. Now it’s been 6 years since I first arrived in LA, and my little community of creative friends are finding their success and becoming these powerhouses in the industry. It’s really an inspiration to see it happen, because it proves that if you keep working – and keep making organic connections to other professionals – it’s possible to reach your dreams.
Do you have any actors that you see as inspirations?
Evan Rachel Wood is incredible. Westworld is one of my favourite shows and I admire her career. Along with that, she is an activist who is vocal about domestic abuse. She has testified in front of the California Senate Public Safety Committee in support of a bill that expands rights to domestic violence victims. She uses her platforms to bring awareness to these issues.
Congratulations on the release of American Siege! How are you feeling about the movie’s release?
Thank you so much! It feels surreal – I actually got to see it in theatres with my family and was crying at the end. Seeing my mom and dad so proud is the best part. They’ve been there for me every step of the way. My wife is also so supportive and proud. She was there when I got the call that I booked American Siege and helped me pack while I ran around on the phone calling my parents. It’s been a dream come true.
The film is based around a harrowing disappearance, one which sends your character on a mission to uncover the person responsible. How did you prepare yourself for a role that touches on such intense and dark themes?
I’m really drawn to roles and stories like these, so I was excited to dive in. It made me reflect on my own family, since that love of family is what drives my character. I like to take time to imagine myself as the character – what is my day to day? What was my upbringing? What do I want? Why do I want that? I think it’s important to have empathy for the characters that you play, and to understand their actions. I can’t look at Grace Baker and say, “she’s a terrible person who has no redeeming qualities”, because in reality, that’s not a fully dimensional person. I think that helps me with the intense and dark themes, because I approach it from a position of trying to understand her motives.
You also star alongside the likes of Bruce Willis and Timothy V. Murphy, what was it like to work with some of Hollywood’s major players?
It was daunting at first, but once I met them on set, I felt very relaxed. Bruce Willis is down to Earth and friendly. Getting to work with him as an actor was really cool, he’s able to just turn it on and get down to business. Timothy V. Murphy was great as well! He’s so nice but plays this icy villain on screen. We really couldn’t have asked for a better cast and crew. We all became like a family on this film.
You are also very involved with LGBTQ+ charities! Talk to us about the importance of these charities to you.
Yes! Along with being an actor, I’ve been a teacher for the past two years. So, I’m really passionate about advocating for LGBTQ+ youth and giving them the resources to understand their identities. The Trevor Project is a great resource for that, and also offers support if someone is feeling depressed, anxious or a danger to themselves. I struggled immensely with depression and anxiety in high school, so I can understand how someone may feel hopeless and in need of that support. On TikTok, I am donating 100% of my Creator Fund to The Trevor Project. I also love GLAAD, and recently shared their “Books Not Bans” campaign on my Instagram because it is extremely important for affirming books to be available to kids. Even if someone doesn’t identify as LGBTQ+, reading a book with LGBTQ+ characters may help them understand others.
What is next for you? Are there any other projects you are working on at the moment?
Right now, I am developing my script “Daughter”, where the main character finds out a secret about her late father that changes her life. I love anti-hero characters – I love playing strong women roles with a dark past who are on a mission. That comes up in “Daughter” as well. I’m hoping to be able to play roles that tell stories of women who are determined and willing to do whatever it takes for their family or chosen family, where there’s this tension of “will they do the right thing?”. You want to root for them, even if they’re going a little too far. The Bride in Kill Bill and Ruth in Ozark are prime examples of that.
