Maisy Stella: A Star Is Born

What would you do if you could meet an older version of yourself? Would you want to know the details of what's to come in your life; the choices you made, good and bad; every heartbreak; and whether your dreams came true? The film My Old Ass presents its protagonist with just that scenario. A powerful psychedelic mushroom trip brings 18-year-old Elliott face-to-face with her wisecracking 39-year-old self, who cautions her to spend more time with family, appreciate the people in her life, and avoid a certain love interest.

When Maisy Stella received the script for writer-director Megan Park's sophomore film—a follow-up to her critically acclaimed debut The Fallout—the young actor's life changed in a matter of seconds. She was completely invested. It was bold and interesting storytelling and felt like a modern version of the classic coming-of-age stories she grew up loving. It also perfectly depicted the younger generation today, something Stella admits is very difficult to do in an ever-changing, internet-fueled society.

Stella had never been more passionate about a role in her life. She had to play Elliott. It was just a matter of whether they were going to let her do it.

It had been a few years since Stella's last acting role as country singer Daphne Conrad on the hit show Nashville, and she spent the hiatus focused on music, writing and producing her own songs. In 2017, she released her debut single "Riding Free" for the DreamWorks animation series Spirit Riding Free, and then she and sister Lennon Stella collaborated on the song "While You Sleep" for The Fallout's soundtrack. It was then that her interest in Park began.

"I fell in love with [Megan] from reading the script of The Fallout," Stella tells me via Zoom. "She's from a town over from me [in Canada], and we just really connected on a different level." Stella auditioned for The Fallout, but the role ultimately went to one of her longtime BFFs, Maddie Ziegler. Still, it was the beginning of a fantastic creative friendship between Stella and Park.

The two exchanged numbers and talked often, bouncing ideas off one another. Park was writing a second film, and Stella was manifesting her involvement in it. "This is almost really embarrassing to say, but I have pages from my diary from two years ago, writing 'I'm in Megan Park's next movie,'" she tells me. "I can't explain to you. I was pining for it." Park hinted at being interested in Stella for the lead role, Elliott, so Stella went through the full audition process, competing against thousands of other actresses to land the part. The 3-6-9 manifestation technique she learned on TikTok worked. Or maybe the 20-year-old was a clear standout who perfectly embodied the bright and irreverent spirit of Elliott. I have a hunch it's the latter. "Those couple months were the most stressful months of my life, but it all worked out thankfully," she says.

You could say it really worked out. The film premiered at Sundance earlier this year, where it received a standing ovation and was quickly snatched up by Amazon MGM Studios in one of this year's biggest sales at the festival. Last month, Stella and Park were honored with the Breakthrough Award at Variety's Power of Young Hollywood celebration.

In a star-making turn opposite Aubrey Plaza, Stella's performance is sure to place her firmly on many "ones to watch" lists.

Elliott was a character that Stella felt a connection to out of the gate. She was around the same age as Elliott at the time of filming and was experiencing a lot of the same realizations that come with entering adulthood. "This little chunk of a movie is the visual representation of the wake-up that we all have," she says, referring to the moment we finally see our parents as just people figuring out this thing called life for the first time too.

She isn't your typical brooding or mysterious protagonist, either. Elliott is bright, lovable, and self-assured, and she has a wry sense of humor—much like Stella herself. Park wrote Elliott with a certain fluidity that was appealing to the actor. "I honestly did learn a lot about myself in the making of [this movie]. It was actually very important for me to do it. I felt a lot more open in a lot of ways," she says.

Stella was two weeks into filming the project when Plaza signed on to play Elliott's older self. She has fond memories of sitting with Park on a dock in Canada going through lists of potential older Elliotts. They could have gone one of two ways: opt for a Stella look-alike or go for special chemistry and humor. They chose the latter, which paid off in dividends. "She was such an unreal pick and such a cool choice, and I was so excited," Stella tells me with a giddiness in her voice. "I have always been such a big fan of hers. I just think she's so stupidly cool. … I was beyond stoked to be her baby self."

The two had one night to hang out before they started filming together. Plaza rolled up to where they were staying in a paddleboat in full camp counselor mode—a fitting entrance for the film's Muskoka Lakes, Ontario, location. "It was just a bunch of us hanging, and she was just staring at me. I felt her eyes," Stella laughs. Not much was spoken between the two about their shared character or how out-there the concept was. The natural chemistry was just there from the get-go, and they ran with it.

As for the film's concept of getting to meet your older self, it's a hard pass for Stella. The question alone gives her a really bad gut feeling. As someone who genuinely gets stressed out thinking about even just a week ahead of her, she prefers to take things day by day. "I think that would really just squash the fun out of life," she says of being able to know her future.

Next up, Stella has the thriller Flowervale Street with Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, which was filmed in Atlanta shortly after My Old Ass. Though she can't say much about the plot of the film, she can wax poetic about her co-stars all day long. There was Hathaway's motherly inclinations on set and dedication to the work, which left Stella flabbergasted, and McGregor's warmth and humor.

The only way Stella can describe the two back-to-back film experiences is "insane!" People keep warning her it's not the norm, but the incredible talent she is working alongside and learning from is not lost on her. She says, "I feel like a piece of clay that is being molded by every experience with these people."

Stella may not want to know what's in store for her next week, month, or even year, but I'm pretty sure the future is bright for the breakout star.

My Old Ass hits theaters on September 13.