The first time Sadie Sink appears in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, she is a foul-mouthed, shouty hurricane of an angry teenager. Stomping around the room, she takes her rage out on everything in her way – her father Charlie included. Played by Brendan Fraser, Charlie is a morbidly obese, reclusive English teacher attempting to reconnect with his estranged daughter during what seem to be the final days of his life. And Ellie – who is played by Sink – is there to ensure the process is as painful (and engrossing) as possible.
‘Ellie is certainly not like me in anyway,’ Sink is keen to clarify when we talk. The 20-year-old is softly spoken, kind-hearted, ambitious, wise beyond her years – and incredibly close to her family, who uprooted from Texas to New Jersey to support her career.
Her first big break came at 14, landing the role of Max in Netflix’s hit sci-fi television show, Stranger Things. ‘I was a huge fan before I joined the cast. I watched season one in two days!’ she says. ‘When I got the role of Max, me and my entire family were like, “OK. All right. This is going to be an exciting new chapter.” But once you’re in it, you forget the impact the show has, because it’s just so much fun to make.’
Sink didn’t formally train as an actor, but knew it was her passion from a young age. She started performing in Texas community theatres at seven, before winning her first lead role, in the Broadway production of Annie, when she was just 10.
It is testament to Sink’s talent that, in The Whale, Ellie is able to draw empathy and even a few laughs from the audience – despite the devastating nature of the film’s subject matter, which covers grief, loneliness, religion and shame. ‘It’s really tough when you’re doing the darker materials,’ she says. ‘There were days when it was so draining and felt so heavy, because it requires you to fully shed every layer and be really vulnerable.’
Such a challenging film might not have been the obvious next step for an actor who is best known for a sci-fi success, but Sink is leaving behind her ‘up-and-coming star’ era to become a Hollywood player. The Whale received a damp-eyed, six-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival last September, and is being tipped as an Oscars front-runner.
‘I’m really excited about stepping into the film space more,’ she says. ‘Doing The Whale has provided so many moments that reminded me why I do what I do. Sometimes I still can’t believe I have the opportunity to continue to act and do what I love, and I’m grateful for it every single day.’
Despite the challenge of her latest role, her main takeaway is an uplifting one. ‘There’s a line in the film where Charlie says, “Do you ever get the feeling that people are incapable of not caring? People are amazing.” For someone like Charlie, who has had such tragedies in his life, to believe that statement with every fibre of his being, and still see the good in people, is really hard to do. That’s what the film is about to me: finding truth and humanity in people, and seeing them through the lens of love and forgiveness.’
Clementina Jackson is the Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan and Women’s Health UK, covering everything from celebrity style and catwalk trends to buzzy brands and the cult products you need to know about (and shop before they sell out). She also commissions first-person and long-form fashion features, oversees shopping content and tests out the latest industry innovations. Clementina previously worked as Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, during which time she profiled high-end designers, interviewed everyone from Priyanka Chopra to Jane Fonda, and launched the Cut To Size franchise to shine a light on size-inclusive fashion. During this time, she was also named as a PPA 30 Under 30 award winner. Having worked in journalism for more than six years, Clementina has also written for the likes of Harper’s Bazaar, Red, Vanity Fair, Condé Nast Traveller and Italy Segreta, covering everything from luxury travel, lifestyle and restaurants to photography and interiors.
