Olive Walton: Many viewers first connected with you through your role as Nova in War for the Planet of the Apes. What was that experience like, at 11-years-old, being a part of such a huge production?
Amiah Miller: Being part of a project on that scale at such a young age was incredibly formative. I was 11 when we filmed and I don’t think I fully understood the magnitude of it at that time. I just knew I loved being there. But looking back, it gave me a deep appreciation for the collaborative nature of filmmaking and the level of discipline it requires. It really solidified that acting was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
OW: Is there anything you learnt from taking on that entirely physical, non-speaking role that you take with you into your approach for acting now?
AM: That role really taught me how much you can still say without any dialogue and how everything can live in your eyes and in the smallest expressions. It made me a much more present actor, because without lines, your job is to truly listen and exist truthfully in the moment. That’s something I still carry with me in every role.
OW: You’ve worked with both Sarah Paulson in Hold Your Breath and now Michelle Pfeiffer in The Madison, two highly respected and decorated actors. How do those collaborations shape the way you view your own career and growth as an actor?
AM: Getting the opportunity to work with both Sarah and Michelle was such a dream and I grew immensely as an actor. They’re both so precise and intentional in their work, but deeply grounded as people. I learned a lot just by simply observing them. They really inspire me and they are such lovely humans.
OW: You have joined the Taylor Sheridan universe through your role as Bridgett Reese in The Madison. Variety reported that it debuted with 8 million views in its first ten days out on Paramount+, making it “The biggest Taylor Sheridan series launch ever”. What has it been like to receive that sort of news in response to the show?
AM: It’s been incredibly surreal. The Madison has been two years in the making and so much love went into it. For so long, it felt like I was keeping this huge secret. I knew that it was something special and I couldn’t wait for people to finally see it. So now that it’s out and people are really connecting to it, it means a lot.
OW: The casting is absolutely spot on, Macy (your younger sister in the show), played by Alaina Pollack, looks just like you and of course Michelle Pfeiffer is brilliant as your Grandmother. What was the casting process like? And did you know any of the actors cast when you were auditioning?
“…the man who picked me up from the airport actually told me I looked identical to Michelle Pfeiffer. I never told him why I was there but in that moment everything felt aligned.”
AM: No, I didn’t know any of the cast when I auditioned! I submitted a self tape in June 2024 and then found out on my 20th birthday that I’d be screen-testing for Bridgett, which already felt like such a gift. When I went out to Wyoming for it a few days later, the man who picked me up from the airport actually told me I looked identical to Michelle Pfeiffer. I never told him why I was there but in that moment everything felt aligned. The day after the screen test, I received a call from Taylor Sheridan offering me the role. There were a lot of tears, it just felt meant to be.
OW: What do you think it is about this story (grief, family, starting over) that has resonated so strongly with audiences?
AM: Audiences have connected to The Madison so deeply because of how human it feels. Getting to tell this story reminded me that everyone experiences love and loss in their own way, but those feelings are something we all understand. I think there’s something really comforting in that, the reminder that we’re not alone.
OW: Your character, Bridgett, belongs to a multigenerational story shaped by grief and reinvention. How did you begin to understand her place inside that family dynamic?
AM: I started to understand Bridgett’s place in the family by seeing how she exists within it and how much she changes. When we first meet her, she has a lot of growing up to do and is very much in her own world. But being in Montana forces her to be present in a way she’s never been before. She’s surrounded by so much change and beginning to realize what is actually important to her. That shift really helped me understand her better.
OW: When approaching this type of role that harbours such complex emotions, where do you draw from to reach those places, emotionally? Were there any books/movies/songs you connected with in preparation for your role?
AM: It really comes from understanding what the character is going through and letting myself sit in that. Music and film definitely help – we watched A River Runs Through It in preparation, which really helped shape the tone for me. And I’ve always found emotional scenes to be quite therapeutic, so I actually look forward to them. I try to not force any feelings. If I’m present as the character, it usually just comes.
