Lilia Buckingham on Hollywood hot takes and industry white lies

Lilia Buckingham dials into our Zoom call from her dorm room at Boston University. She’s just moved in and behind her are newly-decorated walls, with colourful posters bringing the space to life. We’re battling dodgy Wi-Fi, but that’s OK. It turns out Buckingham has suffered her fair share of tech troubles that come with virtual meetings.

Her first audition for her role as Cassie in Disney’s much-anticipated Hocus Pocus 2 also took place over Zoom, with director Anne Fletcher leading a session. As Buckingham waited her turn, a thunderstorm raged outside and bingo: all power went out before she had a chance to speak. Technology, eh?

But maybe it was meant to be. A thunderstorm throwing a spanner in the works feels fitting for a film about witches, after all. Almost 30 years after the original Hocus Pocus was released, the beloved Halloween comedy has been resurrected, with Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy resuming their roles as the Sanderson sisters. In the original film, the three witches, who’d been executed during the Salem trials of the 17^th century, are accidentally awakened by three high school students to roam the Earth once more. This time, they’re brought back by Cassie, the It-girl of her high school, unpopular loner Becca (Whitney Peak) and Izzy (Belissa Escobedo). As they fight to undo the terror they’ve unleashed into the world, the trio of highschoolers forge an unlikely friendship.

“If I did Hocus Pocus, I can do anything,” Buckingham says as she reflects on her first big project. The hardest part of filming, she says, was getting to grips with the CGI wizardry. ​“A lot of the time, we’d be filming on a blue screen and would have to use our imaginations. A giant magic battle happening in front of us? Sure!” says the 19-year-old, laughing. ​“It was hard at times but I learned so much. I was surrounded by really talented, strong women in the workplace. I’d go to set every day and think, ​‘I’d kill to be here.’”

She’s also a killer writer. At just 15, Buckingham co-wrote and published Influence, a novel about growing up in the public eye, inspired by her own experiences. Starring in YouTube shows like Chicken Girls and Crown Lake during her teens, Buckingham was catapulted into social media stardom from early on. But with the newfound territory came scrutiny and hatred. ​“Influence is like my baby,” she says. ​“I would love to see some sort of on-screen adaptation of it.”

And that’s exactly why she’s at university for screenwriting and film production. As much as Buckingham loves acting, she wants to be involved with the inner workings of the entertainment industry, too. ​“I hope to end up with the ability to develop books into film because I’m such a big reader.”

And although her first semester at Boston was interrupted by the news that she was off to fight fictional witches, Buckingham seems to have settled in for a second year. ​“I came to Boston to push myself out of my comfort zone,” she says. ​“I want to be an individual, I want to be separated from the LA lifestyle.”

Buckingham might have moved across the country, but don’t worry, she’s still got a few toes dipped in Hollywood. So, what’s the goss, Lilia?

The TV show that made me want to get into acting is…

My parents first made me want to get into acting. I was such a loud kid so they put me into an acting class – I started with musical theatre at four years old. But the first thing that really made me want to go into acting was Dickinson. It’s an excellent period piece while still being modern and it’s also a beautiful take on an LGBTQ+ relationship. It was done so beautifully. It changed how I watch TV and film. I’m more analytical now.

The first time I performed on stage was…

Probably when I was four years old. But the first time I remember being on stage was when I was nine years old and it was for a stage adaptation of Mamma Mia, my favourite movie in the world. I wanted to be Sophie so badly – if I didn’t get it, it would’ve been over for everyone! I ended up getting it and I remember being on stage, feeling like I could do this for the rest of my life. I had never felt more in the right place at the right time.

My most embarrassing audition moment was…

For Julie and the Phantoms. I normally trauma-block these moments out! At this point, I was two callbacks in for Phantoms and it’s a singing show. I was standing across a table of people from Netflix and everything was great until they asked me to sing Valerie. I’m much more confident in my acting and dancing abilities, but I sang my little song anyway. Then they asked if I could repeat it, but perform it around the room. I decided to go so over the top, I was pointing at them and everything. They appreciated it so it isn’t actually embarrassing, but I look back and think, ​“who overtook my body?”

The funniest thing that happened on set to me was…

I’ve definitely had a lot of these moments because I’m very clumsy so I’m constantly slipping, but the funniest moment has to be when we were working with Tony Hale on the set of Hocus Pocus 2. I remember thinking, ​“oh yeah, we’re working with a comedic legend.” We were filming a scene with me, him, Whitney and Belissa, and he kept doing improv. Every take it was a new thing and we couldn’t keep it in anymore. At one point, he was holding a candy apple, he made a move and the apple went flying across the set. Tears were about to come down my eyes. I’m thinking, ​“it’s 3am, I am delusional, this is the funniest man on the planet.”

The biggest lie I’ve ever told to get a part was…

Probably that I could sing. I’ve done auditions where they ask if I can skateboard and I’m like, ​“totally!” I mean, I can always learn! I don’t think I’ve told an actual lie, but depending on where the project is being filmed, I’m based wherever they want me to be based.

My best mate in the industry is…

Emily Skinner (who was also in Crown Lake). I have so many incredible friends in the industry but Emily is my twin flame. We met when we were 14, working on a YouTube show. We were both really young and rose to this child influencer fame at the same time. We were thrust into the spotlight, having people questioning our every move. We lived through a lot together at such a young age and we’ve stayed close ever since. It was really nice to tell her when I booked Hocus Pocus 2.

The one thing I have to have in my trailer is…

A book! Not to be cliché but I always have a book on me, because you don’t want to have your phone go off. That is so unprofessional. I would always ask my assistant Moon for my book on the set of Hocus Pocus 2 and she’d be like, ​“here, loser!” I also always have a water bottle because you get dehydrated.

One thing I wish I’d known about being an actor is…

So many things! I always knew this, but it’s always nice to be reminded that it takes so much time to book a role. You need to think about how many people are auditioning for the same roles as you – Cassie was a huge casting call. When you see all these successful actors, you forget how hard and mentally taxing it is to get into the industry. That’s why I wanted to have a separate thing and go to school. I’m hoping to be able to go into the production side, too.

One thing people get wrong about Hollywood is…

A bit of a hot take, but actors putting themselves out there and doing what they love doesn’t mean you have the right to their personal life. People fall in love with these actors and forget that they’re normal people doing a normal job. Growing up in the industry, I didn’t realise you could keep things private but I’ve established that boundary now.

My dream role is…

So many! I read so many books, so there’s so many book characters I would kill to play. As a Marvel fan, I’ve always loved Gwen Stacy. I could never top Emma Stone though.

When I’m not acting, I’m…

Watching Harley Quinn with my best friend or rotting in our little business school’s Starbucks, saying, ​“I can’t watch another movie!” Very normal school things. I live in my sorority suite and I get to do normal college kid things.