Midori Francis Talks Unseen, Grey's Anatomy, And The Sex Lives Of College Girls

Your character, Emily, and Jolene Purdy's character, Sam, communicate strictly over the phone throughout the film. When did you two meet for the first time?

We met virtually via the table read and then connected on social media, and actually talked on the phone — a pretty instant connection to decompress and talk about the table read and deconstruct our feelings about everything. That was really early.

Then we met at the hotel in Covington, Louisiana. Her husband works for Disney, and she got me and Yoko [Okumura, our director] personalized presents. She got me a "Lilo & Stitch" blanket that says "Midori" on it, and I remember being like, "Who does this? This is a nicer present than my best friend would get me" [laughs], and I had just met her. Actually, we all got each other a little present — very much our love language.

[My character was] out alone in the element[s], it is true, but [Jolene] was right behind me, hiding in a bush, hiding in a tree, walking alongside me in the mud. She was out there with me pretty much every time there was an Emily and Sam scene. We actually did that together. She was essentially a reader in the scene. She played herself, which was incredible and so generous.

I feel like that would help so much when you're in a scene going back and forth.

Yeah. Once you build one side of [the scene], you are a little more locked in once you switch, because there are certain timing things, story beats, that can't be unplayed once they're filmed.

We did get to build things together emotionally, and then by the time we flipped over to Jolene's side, she took ownership too over my side, in a way. That was great because it would stink to go second if you weren't a part of the first part. It felt like we got to build it together, talk things through, and find our chemistry and our pace.