The Midnight Club’s Annarah Cymone has big Bond girl ambitions
Call sheet: Playing Sandra in Mike Flanagan’s latest spooky season series for Netflix, the 22-year-old has horror all wrapped up. Now, her sights are set on Hollywood’s biggest franchises.
Culture
Words: Olive Pometsey
Annarah Cymone is a self-proclaimed “scaredy cat”, but that wasn’t enough to deter her from the world of horror. In fact, when it comes to acting, spooky stuff is kind of becoming her thing, having starred in not one, but two Netflix series by Mike Flanagan – you know, the guy behind The Haunting of Hill House and Bly Manor, as well as films like Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep.
But 22-year-old Cymone wasn’t in those creepy capers. She made her acting debut in his 2021 series Midnight Mass, after her dancing career was cut short by a back injury. A pivot to acting felt like the natural choice. “I always wanted to be an actor, so I thought I’d give it a try,” she says over Zoom from New York. “I started taking acting classes when I was 18, did two plays, got an agent and three months later, I got the audition for Midnight Mass.” Piece of cake.
Now, Cymone is back in her horror bag, starring as Sandra in Flanagan’s latest, The Midnight Club. Following a group of terminally ill young people in a hospice as they tell scary stories to each other and, er, perform sacrificial rituals, its first episode broke the world record for the most jump scares in a single TV episode. How did this scaredy cat deal with all the frights on set? “I’m not very good at it,” she says. “There was a basement set and a lot of times, we were actually filming in the dark with our flashlights, so we couldn’t see anything. It was actually a bit chilling.”
Worth it, though. As the show went viral for its slow-burn horror and trauma-therapy storytelling, Cymone was overwhelmed by the response. “It’s so wonderful,” she says, “I’m so grateful.”
Below, we get into the nitty gritty of Cymone’s rapid journey to the top of Netflix’s chart and Flanagan’s cast list. There’s no jump scares, promise.
The actor that made me want to get into the industry is…
I mean, it’s probably a lame answer, but as a kid I always wanted to be on the Disney Channel. If I had to pick an actor now that I really look up to, it’d probably be Willem Defoe. One of my favourite films is At Eternity’s Gate, where he plays Vincent van Gogh. I just think that he is such a mouldable actor. That’s what I want to be.
The best piece of advice I’ve been given is…
From Kate Siegel (The Haunting of Hill House and Bly Manor), who was like, “never be afraid to ask for what you need when you’re at work”. She’s such a kind person and a powerhouse. If she needs more time to get into a scene or something, she’s not afraid to ask for it. Sometimes, being a new actor, it’s kind of daunting to be like, “Wait, can I have a minute?” You don’t want to hold anybody up.
The TV show I’m bingeing at the moment is…
I’ve been watching a lot of Below Deck and reality TV. My favourite characters are Hannah, Chef Adam, Chef Ben and chief stew Kate. They’re all so interesting.
A film I wish I’d been in is…
I love Spider-Man, I’ve been a fan since I was a kid. So this is the nerd in me coming out, but if I could be in a Spider-Man where Willem Defoe was Green Goblin [2002’s Spider-Man and 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home] that would be pretty great . Anything within the Spider-Verse.
“I kind of want to do a new version of a Bond girl”
The person who left me the most starstruck was…
I was at Comic Con yesterday doing press for The Midnight Club and we walked past James McAvoy. I think he is one of the best actors. My other cast mate screamed and I was like, “no, we’re supposed to be here. We’re supposed to be calm!”
The one thing I have to have in my trailer is…
Anything I can listen to, so my phone, always, and a speaker. My favourite artists to chill out with would probably be – I mean, this is sad and super depressing – but Phoebe Bridgers is one of my favourites now and I listen to a lot of Holly Humberstone.
When I’m not acting, I’m…
Sleeping. Also, hanging out with my friends and family. Boring answer, but I’m pretty simple.
My dream role is…
I used to always be Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. But recently, I went to the 60th musical celebration for the Bond films, and I’ve never seen any of the Bond films – I know – but I’m gonna watch them all now. Because after that, I kind of want to do a new version of a Bond girl.
