Alana Haim on ‘Licorice Pizza’ Oscar Buzz and the Time She Babysat Co-Star Cooper Hoffman
21.01.2022 - 23:07
/ variety.com
Jenelle Riley Deputy Awards, Features EditorThough Alana Haim has been working with Paul Thomas Anderson for years as he directed music videos for her band Haim, their connection actually goes back further than either of them knew: Her mother, Donna, was Anderson’s art teacher in grade school.“Every time Paul’s movies would be on TV, she’d be like, ‘You know, I taught him.’ And we’d be like, ‘Mom, what are you talking about? Like, there’s no way!’” Haim says with a laugh. “I mean, my mom’s not a liar, but it’s kind of outrageous.” Even when Anderson began directing Haim videos, with Alana and her sisters Este and Danielle, they didn’t bring it up, not sure how he might feel about his former teacher.
Then one day, one of the Haim sisters (Alana believes it was Este) blurted it out. Anderson has said that though he hadn’t figured out the connection, but he wasn’t surprised – on some level he felt they were connected.
It’s just one of the many coincidences and connections that Haim feels she’s been blessed with. She discusses it all in the latest episode of Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast.
Listen below:At the risk of sounding (in her word) “woo-woo,” Haim can’t help but feel like starring as Alana Kane in Anderson’s new 1970s-set film, “Licorice Pizza,” was destiny. “The universe works in weird ways,” she says.
“I really feel like we were just orbiting around each other my whole life, even before we met.”For example, there’s also a coincidental history between Haim and her “Licorice Pizza” costar Cooper Hoffman, who plays Gary Valentine, the teenager smitten with Alana. Neither Haim nor Hoffman had ever acted professionally before (though Haim did play the Witched Witch of the West in school – twice) but Haim had already
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