Actress Storm Reid visited SRU on Monday, April 10 in the Smith Student Center Ballroom after an invitation from the University Program Board (UPB). She sat with communication professor Emily Dolan for a moderated conversation, answering questions from Dolan and students.
At the age of 19, Reid has acted in numerous big-budget movies and tv shows. She is best recognized for her work in The Last of Us, Euphoria and A Wrinkle in Time. She also co-owns a production company and recently launched a swimsuit line with PacSun.
She said that she had never heard of Slippery Rock before but thought the campus was “beautiful” and “really pretty.”
During the talk, Reid discussed her upbringing and career before delving into acting tips and fun facts. She began acting when she was three years old.
“My first acting job was a PBS Kids Sprout commercial,” she said. She then described what it is like to work on the set of Euphoria.
“It always feels like a family, and it never really feels like a lot of work,” she said. “It’s just [that] we’re playing, we’re storytelling and we’re having a lot of fun. I try to take that attitude to every set that I’m on.”
The actress went on to explain that one of the biggest responsibilities in acting is “to be a part of purposeful content and align yourself with creators that have your same morals or values.”
“I have the responsibility to…be a representation for women, for women of color and for young people in general…I just always have to remind myself that I need to be purposeful,” she said.
The last portion of the event was dedicated to audience questions.
One student, a freshman named Heath Chase, asked Reid what her favorite acting technique was.
“The best actors are the best listeners,” she responded.
A photo opportunity was provided and some students were able to take pictures with Reid after the event.
