First of all, why don't you introduce yourself to those of us who
don't already know you?
Sure,
my name is Victoria Hudson and I am a Leeds-based actress represented by
Northern Star Acting. I am 30 years old and I have two beautiful and crazy
toddlers. I discovered, relatively recently, that I have a condition
called Aphantasia. You say you suffer from
Aphantasia - could you explain in some detail what that even means? And
how did you first notice it?
Aphantasia
is a fairly recently discovered condition. It is the suggested name for an
individual who does not possess a functioning mind’s eye and cannot
visualize imagery. It’s thought to be a spectrum, so where some people
cannot see any images in their head, others can have such powerful imagery
that they can draw from memory.
I
first realised I had this condition while I was sat with my husband. He
turned to me to tell me about a really interesting article he’d seen
about people who couldn’t see images in their head. I was astonished
that people could see images in their head. We looked at each other in
astonishment for a moment and then he told me to read the article. It
basically described me.
Being an actress, how does
your Aphantasia affect your acting? That’s
a really interesting question and a challenge to describe. I’ve always
had Aphantasia so I don’t really have a reference point. I now realise
however, that I must do things differently. I can’t visualise
surroundings I tend to feel my way through things, I can’t see a
character in my head before I become them. Being focussed is really
important to me so that I can hold on to the emotions.
To turn the last
question on its head, does acting in any way help you overcome your
Aphantasia? It’s
not something I’ve felt I needed to overcome as it’s just the way
I’ve always been. But acting allows me to really sink my teeth into a
story and fully appreciate the emotions of the characters. I get to leave
real life for a while and truly focus on creativity. With all that in mind, what can you tell us
about your approach to acting, and some of your techniques to bring your
characters to life? I
tend to use feelings a lot in my acting. So for me it’s really important
to know a character inside and out. I have to completely become the
character and feel what they would feel. To do that I have to let go of
myself and get lost in the scene. I also learn lines very stoically so
that I can let the emotion come out in the delivery. That way it doesn’t
seem forced. All that said, what made you want to
become an actress in the first place? I’ve
always loved acting, I was always involved in the school plays and stage
productions at school. I guess it stems from my love of theatre and film,
having watched a film or seen a play I wanted to be a part of the story. What can you tell
us about your training as an actress?
I’m
currently studying with Leeds-based
Northern Star Acting. I’m always
keen to add to my skills and I’m provisionally booked on a stage combat
course later this year. Any current or
future projects you'd like to talk about? I’ve
actually just been cast in a feature film that’s being filmed next
year. It’s a really exciting project set in the 1940’s called The
Forgotten Love. Do talk about
your past work as an actress? I’ve
done a couple of short films and I’m currently involved in a documentary
with
Northern Star Acting called The Acting Biz. Actresses (and indeed
actors) who inspire you? I
love Jennifer Lawrence. She’s so true to herself and seems like a really
fun person. I also like Dame Helen Mirren, such a classy actress with a
bit of a kick in her attitude. Love her. Your favourite movies? I
really love sci fi and fantasy so the Alien,
Star Trek and
Marvel
franchises are definitely my favorites. ...
and of course, films you really deplore?
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I’ve
never really got into films like Zoolander, I really just don’t find
them funny. Your website,
Facebook, whatever else?
www.victoria-hudson.co.uk
https://twitter.com/VHudsonActress
https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaHudsonActress
http://anactressarrives.blogspot.co.uk/
Anything else you're dying to
mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? If
anyone wants to talk more about this I’m happy to chat through my blog
or Facebook. Thanks for
the interview!
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