For actor Myha’la, the role of a lifetime arrived less than a year out of college. “Lightning struck,” she says, “and in so many ways I have been preparing my entire life to be here.” In this case ‘here’ is Industry’s Harper Stern, a fiercely ambitious college grad who has come to London from New York to join Pierpont, a prestigious financial investment bank.

With the season finale of HBO’s breakout hit approaching, we sat down with Myha'la to discuss all things Harper (4:42): how the evolution of the character can be charted by her hairstyles (8:05), a recent pivot into “ethical investing” (10:45), and the Gen-Z qualities she best exemplifies (14:04). We also discuss the actor’s first experiences singing and dancing (16:00), her time as frontwoman of a Christian Rock band (20:30), and a formative experience at her Catholic high school (23:01).

On the back half, Myha’la reflects on her years at Carnegie Mellon (34:55), her views around “method acting” (39:30), the first day on the set of Industry (42:55), the personal investment she’s made in Harper Stern (48:00), a humbling performance (53:50) never far from mind, and the ‘picture’ she’d like to paint as an artist in the years ahead (56:50).

This conversation was recorded at Spotify Studios and Pushkin Industries. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at sf@talkeasypod.com.

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