MARLEY // Max Mayfield

Drew Barrymore Interview (Actors AU)

The atmosphere of the studio was welcoming as Marley walked on stage, glancing around at the crowd and waving, large and grandiose, she whispered hellos, winked at the camera and grinned at the audience. She had a system when doing interviews independently, an almost robotic and habitual routine whenever a camera started rolling. Being alone without one of her castmates always made her nervous, especially when there was no one she knew even sitting in the crowd. 

Sadie hadn't been able to make it.

Marley turned to Drew with a more easy-going smile, accepting the hug as the woman pulled her into one and rocked them both from side to side, it even earned a quiet chuckle when she pulled away but was immediately pulled back into it once more. It felt genuine, warm and with a strength that was not too flimsy and not too constricting, a thing Marley deeply appreciated.

"It's so good to finally meet you," Drew murmured into her ear and Marley mirrored the sentiment, the two finally pulling away to take their respective seats. It was then Drew turned to the camera and shook her head in gleeful disbelief, "I am so happy to welcome our absolute guest of honour, Marley Dae!"

The crowds clapped again and Marley laughed a quiet thing, nodding to the audience and camera again before turning back to Drew, "I'm happy to be here too, I've watched your interviews with Noah, Millie and Finn and was wondering when I'd get to defend myself from their slander," Marley grinned, leaning back in the plush chair she'd claimed.

"Millie insisted it was all just, in her words, banter," Drew smiled and Marley nodded with a laugh. The comment was a little corny but painfully American.

"Yeah, yes," she said, agreeing readily as she cleared her throat and straightened up in her seat, "but truly it is such a -- a treat to be here, I am a huge fan of the show."

Drew clutched her heart and sighed, reaching out her hand which Marely readily took, even slipping further forward in her chair so that she just teetered on the edge. 

"And I'm a huge fan of you!" Drew said, shaking Marley's hand vigorously as if to prove her point, "Seriously, you're such a big shot right now, everybody's talking about you! Is that something you've noticed or - or?"

Drew let her question hang and Marley nodded, "no, no yeah, absolutely," she chuckled, swallowing solidly as she winced, trying to come up with the words, "It's good...great -- sometimes I feel the pressure from it but I couldn't be any more grateful for everything I've been given."

"I wouldn't say you've been given this, you've worked hard!" Drew said and her voice held a note of scolding, as if she was telling Marley off for belittling her work. "Honestly, your work ethic is inspiring but I can imagine it takes its toll."

Marley nodded, "yeah, yes it...it certainly does, um --" she grabbed a glass of water that had already been laid out for her and took a swig, taking a moment like she had done before, she found it hard to come up with words to fill the silence when she was being interviewed alone, "sorry..." she laughed sheepishly but Drew simply shook her head and reassured her. "Starting out I guess I found it hard to balance my life? I don't know, I've been acting for a very long time but I think Stranger Things was what really launched me into the limelight and after that, it sort of kept rolling."

"I can imagine,  you started acting at 10? 11?" Drew said, her face the picture of understanding and care, Marley found herself holding the woman's hand just that bit tighter as she shook her head with a small smile.

"No - well - yes, I started acting in film when I was 11, however, I did plays and theatre from when I was around 6," Marley grinned and at Drew's quizzical yet intrigued expression she continued, adjusting in her seat so noticeably Drew decided to drop off her seat and onto the floor. Marley soon followed and they sat cross-legged across from each other, "My sister, who you've interviewed before, Mason was a massive inspiration for me when I was younger, I mean she was literally a world-famous witch, you know? And I got to hang out with Emma, Rupert and Daniel...people like Rickman, Emma Thompson, Dame Maggie Smith. It really -- really influenced my life."