NEED TO KNOW
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В in the film "Sweet"« Midori Francis plays Hana, a medical student struggling with body image issues, family trauma, and more.
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In an interview with PEOPLE magazine, she spoke candidly about the new supernatural horror film, which began filming immediately after completing work on the TV series "Grey's Anatomy"« .
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In an exclusive interview, Francis discusses Hana and the "challenges" she brought to the character off-screen.
Midori Francis has established herself as a talented actress playing queer women in series such as «Grey's Anatomy» и «"The Sexual Life of Female Students"» . In the new supernatural horror film «"Saccharin"» She plays another woman of non-traditional sexual orientation - but that's where the similarities end, perhaps.
In writer-director Natalie Erica James's new film, 32-year-old Francis plays Hana, a medical student haunted by an internalized fear of her weight, family trauma, and a literal ghost—plus, a crush on her fitness instructor. As Hana begins taking diet pills with a sinister secret ingredient (human ash—yes, you read that right), Danielle Macdonald adds humor as her loyal friend, and Shouko Shoufukuthei brings a touch of tenderness as her neurotic but sweet mother.
But in the end, «Sugar» — is Hana's story. According to the official synopsis, the film "is an intimate look at one woman's struggle with body image issues, self-esteem, and shame-related obsessions, told through the lens of supernatural body horror with an LGBTQ perspective.".
Above the bright, candy-pink lighting and funny moments of the film «"Sweet"» There's an ominous, dark atmosphere, partly due to the subject matter. James warned viewers about potentially traumatic content, and Frances herself told PEOPLE that she "never would have taken this on if it weren't for years of therapy and a continuous journey of healing.".
Midori Francis in "Sweet" Source: Shudder
«"It's incredibly captivating and bone-chilling," says the actress, who first showcased her scream queen talent in the film. «"The Invisible"» 2023, about the film, which became the latest addition to the growing catalog of "ugly horror" created by films such as «"Ugly Stepsister"» и «"Substance"» .
And she should know it. Frances is "in every frame" - no small achievement, considering she filmed this horror movie on a tight schedule, just two days after her 38-episode run on the series wrapped. «Grey's Anatomy» ended emotionally overseas.
«"I finished filming, cried, and said goodbye to all my friends. I thought, 'Wow, what an important chapter in my life,' and two days later I was flying from Los Angeles to Melbourne," the actress recounts. «Dash and Lily» . "I got off the plane probably around 6 a.m., and by 8 a.m. I was already at a costume fitting for Hana—and we got right to work.".
«"And I kept joking, 'I believe you that I'm in Australia, but I could have just passed out on the plane and ended up in some nondescript place that we pass off as Australia.' Because I was in every shot, so there wasn't any free time until a few weeks later," she continues. "So for the first week, I was like, 'I mean, I could be in Australia. I don't know. I only saw the soundstage.'".
In this interview with PEOPLE, Francis talks about roles of Sakharin — about the challenges she faced while filming, the lesson Hana taught her about herself, and what she hopes to do in the future.
Midori Francis in "Sweet" Source: Shudder
PEOPLE: You had amazing chemistry with all the characters in this film. I wondered if you had time to get to know them beforehand, but it didn't seem like that was the case at all.
MIDORI FRANCIS: Well, Nat, our wonderful director, and I had been talking on Zoom a few months before. I already felt a connection with her. And then Danielle and I became fast friends. Even at the first table read, when I was sitting next to her, I think I was a little playful and joking around, and she was all for it. Then we had a lot of time rehearsing to get to know each other better. We had a rehearsal where we practiced inhaling artificial ketamine, like actors do. It definitely brought us closer.
PEOPLE: She was one of those characters you immediately want to befriend.
Francis: Yes, she's exactly like that in real life. She's a friendly mom.
PEOPLE: Tell us more about the notebook. At the New York premiere, you mentioned losing it.
FRANCIS: I like to have marble notebooks for every project, and coincidentally, because I thought, "I don't want to waste trees," this notebook ended up having my notes from last season. «Grey's Anatomy» under the title "In "a little sugar"» . We were moving to a new location, and the deadline was really tight, and somewhere along the way the notebook got lost, and I panicked because it's my thread. I write everything down—every stage, every scene she's in. And there were also a lot of random poems in it that I thought, "I don't want anyone to see this." And luckily, they found it and sent it to me, which was really nice.
PEOPLE: Did you reunite with him after filming?
FRANCIS: Yes, that's right. I received a package with things I left behind, and among them was this, and I was so grateful for it. I hugged it.
PEOPLE: When did these notebooks appear?
FRANCIS: I've always kept a journal, ever since I was a kid. I have the darkest, most emotional millennial journals ever. Honestly, you can't even imagine. "I hate Thanksgiving," and just pictures of family members crossed out with an X. So, I've always loved writing poetry. I loved journaling, but I think it probably started with... creating «Dasha and Lily» In a more formal sense, because it was such a large-scale project, and we were filming completely out of order. And I was given all eight episodes in advance, and I knew which path I wanted to take. It was like a safety net.
Midori Francis in "Sweet" Source: Shudder
PEOPLE: Do you like films with elements of the absurd? Because, I say this with love, but this is a film with elements of the absurd.
FRANCIS: Well, one of my favorite movies as a kid was «Pinocchio» , and it's quite dark, and of course, «"Matilda"» . I remember when we were showing it in class, one boy started crying during "Trunchbull," and it made me so sad because I had to turn it off, and I thought, "That's the best part." And "« Labyrinth »" which I wouldn't call a terrible movie, but it's definitely a wild, weird movie. But I'm not one of those people who says, "I need to watch the craziest thing in the world.".
PEOPLE: What's the scariest thing you find in movies, and why do you avoid them? Blood and gore? Ghosts? Because this movie has all of that.
Francis: Personally, I'm less scared by ghosts than by the idea of some man breaking into a house with a knife. I think it's much more realistic. So there has to be a good reason why I'm watching something like that, where a man just slashes women.
PEOPLE: I just spoke with Inde Navarrete from Obsession , which She said she was a little scared on set. . Have you ever had moments when you scared yourself or looked at the monitor and thought, "Oh, my God"?
Francis: It's so funny. I had something in one of my notes that said, "Google scary images." I thought, "I wonder what that is?" But I think it was because I had a little document on my phone with images that would quickly scare me. So it was definitely something I did to myself.
There was another moment where the person behind [Anna Adams's] body was slowly being released on ropes right into my face, and I think it was terrifying for both of us. I couldn't move because [Hana] was in a state of sleep paralysis, and I'd experienced sleep paralysis several times before, where you're in a state between wakefulness and sleep, and you can't move, but you feel like there's something threatening in the room, and it was scary. Very scary.
Midori Francis in "Sweet" Source: Shudder
PEOPLE: At the New York premiere, you also mentioned that the film's release «"Saccharin"» dedicated to the current hype around Ozempic and weight loss drugs . Could you tell us more about the context of this film?
FRANCIS: I think Nat talked about it in a recent interview because the timing of [her film's] release «"Relic"» coincided with the pandemic. I know many of us were very worried about our elderly relatives, and many of us were stuck at home—themes that eerily accurately reflected the essence of the film, but obviously, I don't think she had any plans for that. Likewise, as far as I know, she started writing the script in 2019. I remember we were on set the first week it came out. film "Substance"« , so I don't think she planned it in any way. We know these themes have been around for a very, very long time, so I think it's a coincidence, or maybe synchronicity, universal synchronicity. But I think we're at an interesting point where it seems like after some forward momentum, we're now seeing a bit of a slide back, which is unfortunate.
PEOPLE: I know this film was very personal for James, as the best trauma horror films often are. What was it about "Han" that felt so personal to you?
FRANCIS: I've struggled with eating disorders. My family has dealt with addiction, and I think the more psychological issues there are, the more shame there is. I think about the little girl I was, who perhaps always had to pretend or defend these things because she was afraid to talk about them or embrace her dark side. Now, as an actor, I'm incredibly grateful that my work gives me the opportunity to explore these sides of myself, and I'm so grateful for that. There's no better antidote to shame than making a film like this. Reading the script, I also realized that whoever wrote it, Natalie Erika James, clearly had empathy and an understanding of what it feels like to be trapped in your own compulsions. I knew it was authentic.
Midori Francis in "Sweet" Source: Shudder
PEOPLE: Was there anything that made you nervous before starting work? Because I think no matter how much someone has recovered from their illness, bringing it to life on screen can sometimes be very difficult.
FRANCIS: Of course. I don't think I would have even considered it if it weren't for years of therapy and a never-ending journey of healing. I think I was more concerned with how to tell this story in a way that felt less like a public service announcement and more like an arthouse film, and that Hana herself clearly struggled with fatphobia, because society and people with eating disorders do too.
PEOPLE: Did you learn anything about yourself from Hana?
Francis: That's a really good question. At the beginning of the film, I felt so much empathy for Hana. And I think in feeling that empathy for Hana, I was maybe also empathizing with other parts of myself. I think it's so easy for us to beat ourselves up or be too hard on ourselves when we're feeling insecure or shy or saying the wrong thing. But playing Hana at the beginning of the film, especially knowing where she was going and realizing, "No, I don't want her to go there," I felt such love for this quiet girl who was just trying to figure things out. Maybe my love for her insecurities, my love for her quiet nerdiness, her awkwardness, gave me a little bit of love for those parts of myself, because as I got older, I realized, "I want to be confident. I want to be all of this.".
PEOPLE: Many of your favorite roles are queer characters. Do you specifically seek out these roles, or do they just catch your eye, or is it just a coincidence?
FRANCIS: It seems like right after «Dash and Lily» I did an interview and they asked me, "What roles would you like to play next?" And I just said, "Well, I've never played roles that were very representative of the LGBT community. That would be great." And then, I think, «Sexual Life» , and since then similar projects have not stopped.
Midori Francis in "Sweet" Source: Shudder
PEOPLE: I'm just wondering, do you specifically seek out LGBT-related roles, or is it just the way it is?
FRANCIS: The cookie crumbles, and I'm so excited to do it. And I think what's most appealing to me about this script right now is that, of course, it's lesbian women. There's a lot of queer themes. Hana in this film prefers women, but queer themes aren't the main theme. She's just Hana, and that's just one aspect of it. And I think what interests me most right now is for that character to be the most interesting part of the story.
PEOPLE: Are you interested in being in more horror films, even though you just said you're not a big fan of watching them?
FRANCIS: Oh no, I would love to. I think especially right now, the horror genre is in such an exciting place. Never before… I don't think I've ever seen such interest outside of a niche audience. It seems like there's a mass desire to watch the genre. And you're seeing some of the most famous directors tackling it, making some of the most beautiful films. And from an acting standpoint, I think it's an amazing opportunity to actually do something. I look up to scream queens like Jamie Lee Curtis and Sarah Paulson, some of my favorite actresses of all time. So it's definitely a genre that, if it wants me to come back to, I wouldn't be opposed to it.
PEOPLE: I would really like to see you as a killer.
FRANCIS: I think I just had an interview where someone asked, "What do you want to do next?" And I casually said, "I've never played a villain before." Maybe this is my villain era. That would be great.
Midori Francis in "Sweet" Source: Shudder
PEOPLE: Hana goes through a lot of stages: how much time did you spend in the makeup chair at the beginning and end of the process?
FRANCIS: I talked to Nat about this at the very beginning, too, about the sensitivity of the subject of prosthetics, costumes, and so on. But since this is literally a weight-loss film, shot randomly over eight weeks, it had to be done on both sides. So in the first stage, we have the prosthetics and costume, and in the seventh stage, we have the gaunt prosthetics in the collarbone area and the very hollow cheeks to show the weight-loss process. And yes, it took a long time. It took a lot… Special thanks to our amazing prosthetics team. I was there, basically, in the middle of the night.
And then sometimes I would sit and play... Nat immediately had cloyingly sweet She shared a playlist with me, and she even let me pick a few songs, which was really nice. So I listened to some pretty weird music, sitting there with my headphones on, getting ready for the day, to get into character. Some of the music wasn't even music. It was just...
PEOPLE: Do you remember any songs you added to it?
Francis: Yes. Good. There was a soundtrack. to "Saccharine"« , and that's all I'm talking about, it's something that can't really be called a song. It was more like terrifying sounds. And then there were the melodies. from "Saccharine"« , and they were more fun. There was "Genesis" by Grimes. There was "Body Ache." And I added "Body Terror Song" by AJJ, which was a little too fun, but still catchy. I think I added "Nobody" by Mitski. I made it a little more fun, but the theme was still there.
PEOPLE: And finally, no going into more details about the series «Sex Lives» , I know , that it was closed on Max , but the showrunner is looking for a new home. Would you like to return to this project?
FRANCIS: Absolutely right. I haven't heard anything, but I know that show meant a lot to a lot of people, and I'm sure it has its audience—but I haven't heard anything. I think [my character] Alicia, I'm trying to remember what happened at the end. She went to work at the mayor's office or something. So I don't know. Alicia does her own thing. I think she rides off into the sunset.
The film "Sakharina"« is now playing in theaters and will later be available to watch on the Shudder platform.
If you or someone you know suffers from an eating disorder, Eating Disorders Alliance provides a 24-hour hotline at 1-866-662-1235, as well as free therapist-led support groups.
Read the original article on People.