Favorite Quote or Personal Mantra: "Never let grass grow beneath your feet."
ODT: Where are you from?
SH: Born in San Jose, CA, moved to Lancaster, PA, lived in Philly for a few years, now I’m here!
ODT: Describe the moment you decided to make the leap to Los Angeles.
SH: I had been planning the move for months, but it truly felt real when I saw my car getting shipped with all of my belongings in it. It was a surreal moment of “I’m actually doing this.” There were so many unknowns (like basic things, like where I’d be living) that were all still big question marks, but the one fact was true, I was going. No turning back.
ODT: What do you love about Hollywood?
SH: I love that most everyone is here with purpose. Those I encounter or am drawn to have the same gumption and fire under their butts. It’s infectious and motivating.
ODT: Describe some of the struggles you've faced being a young woman in the film industry.
SH: As a woman (and as an actor) you are constantly submitting yourself to someone else’s prejudices of you and what you represent. It all feeds into bigger issues of gender roles, stereotypes, misogyny, lesser pay, not being taken seriously, etc. It’s an endless cycle, but as a wise friend once told me, “never complain about a situation if you have the means to change it.”
That’s what we are doing with OR DIE TRYING. We know it’s wrong that only 4% of directors in Hollywood are women. We know how disturbing it is that a common phrase is “there are no good female directors/producers/crew members/talent/(you fill in the blank)”. We know that the portrayal of women on screen has had deep negative impacts on perpetuating gender norms and stereotypes.
It’s all very angering if you really think about it, but instead of sitting on our hands waiting for things to be different, we want to change it. All of it. Even if it’s in some small, yet extremely practical way.
We’re committed to hiring 85% (or more!) of our crew to be filled with badass women in film, on a project that is about women in film, created by women in film. Our hope is that on screen and off, you can see that dreams are worth fighting for, and that starts with fighting for ours.
ODT: Tell us about your life outside of OR DIE TRYING?
SH: Outside of OR DIE TRYING, I work for a female-driven production company called Busted Buggy Entertainment. When I’m not at work, I’m working on other projects! If I’m not zeroed in on a project, I’m either hanging out with Myah, grabbing a beer somewhere really divey, or hanging out with my cat named Grandpa.
ODT: What other projects are you working on at the moment?
SH: I’m currently producing a short/proof of concept for a TV series, called FILLING IN. I'm excited to tell you all more about it very soon, but for now it's under wraps. What I can tell you is that I produced it, and my dad, Bradley Hawkins, directed it. Father-daughter duo for the win. We're starting our own production company as well, called "Dadley Productions" (in reference to my nickname for him in our working relationship).
ODT: What do you love most about OR DIE TRYING?
SH: I love how authentic it is. People have started referring to it as the “west coast answer to GIRLS” — which is so humbling to hear, as GIRLS totally nailed our generation for so many people.
Friends, fans, people who have heard about ODT prior to my telling them about it, have all said the same thing: ‘that’s my life.” I feel giddy and honored, because if Myah’s words, our acting and producing of those words, can all relate that closely to our audience, we’ve done our job.
ODT: What dream are you most fighting for?
SH: To produce and/or act in projects that are truthful. The truth can be brutal, but vulnerability is powerful and I hope that on screen and off, my work forever translates to people in a very real, and poignant way.
Learn more about Sarah Hawkins and OR DIE TRYING on Seed&Spark here.ODT Spotlight: Sarah Hawkins
