Actress To Watch Out For In 2021: Meet The Talented Giacinta Squires

Giacinta Squires is a 23-year old emerging actor from Melbourne, Australia. She loves to spend her time cooking, gardening, and thrift shopping. Since completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Acting, she has been involved in a variety of short films and screen projects, as well as performing in and devising theatre shows. She is interested in discovering, exploring, and sharing the myriad of stories our community has to offer.

StarCentral Magazine recently caught up with Giacinta to discuss her journey in the entertainment industry and here’s what went down:

Can you tell us more about yourself? How did you get started in the entertainment industry?

My acting journey began kind of by accident. I was a keen year 7 student looking to get involved in everything high school had to offer, so I auditioned for the school play of Peter Pan. Much to my surprise, I got the role of Wendy. Since then, I haven’t been able to find anything I would rather spend my time doing than exploring this wild world of acting.

What do you like most about acting?

I love learning about others, their experiences, and their view on the world. It’s such a joy to be able to live a different life with each role. If everyone would consciously take more time to put themselves in another’s shoes, the world would be a much more compassionate place.

What are your weak points when it comes to acting? How do you try to improve them?

I think my weak point is something that everyone experiences- The more I learn, the more I realise that I don’t know. The acting craft is so vast that people with lifetimes of experience are still learning. On one hand, it’s terrifying, knowing that perhaps the confidence of ‘knowing it all’ is not possible. On the other hand, isn’t it a joy that there is no end of the road? The journey is infinite and there is always more to learn if you are keen to keep searching.

What are your strong points as an actor?

With every project I take part in, my strengths and weaknesses shift. Sometimes, something I thought I was ‘bad’ at comes effortlessly, and a skill I used to have confidence in is useless. The knowledge that every character, project, story is different and will require me to work in unpredictable ways is, in itself, a virtue, and the openness to accept that the process can be messy is something I strive for.

What have you learned from the directors that you have worked with throughout your career?

The best ones have taught me that a project is completely collaborative. If you’re working with an esteemed director, you, as an artist, still have so much to give to a project. It’s easy to let imposter syndrome suppress you into thinking that you have nothing to offer, but every impulse or choice you bring to a director is an opportunity. Sure, they may not accept your offer, but it’s still a step in the right direction towards deeper exploration.

What are some of the difficulties of the acting business?

Juggling. Literally, but mostly figuratively. As a newcomer, so much of my time is spent balancing training with projects, day jobs with exciting gigs, and self-confidence with disappointment. It takes a lot of motivation to maintain focus on your passions especially when it can take a toll on your relationships, financial security, and emotional health. But if you can manage it, the rewards are immeasurable.

What’s challenging about bringing a script to life?

For me right now, it’s pinning down my ideas. Sometimes I have so much fun improvising and exploring, that I don’t want to lose any ideas that I’ve found, and then try to stuff them all into the text. I’ve found, however, that the most intriguing projects for me to watch are the ones based on simplicity and truth. All the answers can be found in the text, and if you pinpoint that then less really can be more.

What do you do when you’re not filming?

I really enjoy eating and exploring different kinds of food! Which is lucky because I also really enjoy cooking. Shopping for groceries is one of my favourite things to do, which I know is kind of weird, but fresh markets and delis are amazing microcosms of the community.

What has been the most memorable experience of your career so far?

This is a hard one for me to answer because I’ve been lucky with so many experiences I’ve had so far. I’ve had a few experiences where, at the moment, I’ve thought, ‘Oh boy, is this really happening?’ and it’s not until I reflect back afterward and realise that I’ve done something I never thought possible. Even with experiences years ago, I look back now and think, ‘How did I manage that? How did I find the confidence to do that?’

Who have been the most interesting people you’ve met so far?

People who are unapologetically themselves. They seem fearless, self-confident, and brilliant, and boy, am I jealous of their amazing fashion choices. They inspire me to be more courageous.

If someone is going to make your life into a movie, who would play you?

Someone who hasn’t started their career yet, but is already vastly more talented than I.

What are your future plans? Inside your career or out of it.

I plan to invest my time into the things I care about. Passion projects, volunteering, and learning can give you rewards much more valuable than money.

The ‘LIGHTNING FAST’ Round:

1. Last good movie I’ve seen: Green Book.
2. What do you consider beautiful and why? Compassion. Because it brings joy to everyone involved.
3. What haven’t you done yet that you wish you could? Let go of fear.
4. Complete this sentence: “If I had no fear, I’d…” be relentless.
5. What is the one “flaw” you wouldn’t change about yourself? I eat too many olives.