Short Term 12: Kaitlyn Dever Interview

It’s always exciting when an underdog sweeps a festival. The cast of Short Term 12 had no idea it would win both narrative and audience awards and garner huge success for writer/director Destin Cretton. You may recognize the fresh-faced Kaitlyn Dever, at only 16, as Tim Allen’s daughter on Last Man Standing and from another Sundance and SXSW favorite this year The Spectacular Now.

Playing an abused young girl, Jayden, in Short Term 12, Dever has already landed on countless actresses-to-watch lists. Spunky and smart, I got to chat with her about her “freak out” scene, love for Joaquin Phoenix, and the beloved Octopus story.

ATW: Tell me about your SXSW experience! There must have been plenty of celebrating.

D: The festival was really awesome. There was a lot of good food! I had so many tacos; it was crazy. I was so close to leaving too. It was the day of the ceremony, and I actually got to the airport, and we were just about to check our bags, and I was likeMom, I think we have to go to that ceremony tonight. I just had a feeling we were going to win. The whole cast was over the moon excited. When they announced Destin’s name, he couldn’t even get up! You shoot something and you have low expectations. When we won the prize, we couldn’t even believe it!

ATW: You’re from Dallas! It’s a great city! Of course I’m biased because I’m also a D town native. You were discovered at an open call! Tell me about that transition from Texas to LA.

D:  I wanted to be an actress since I was 6 years old, and I didn’t start classes till I was 8 or 9. I’d been doing it for about a year and there was a showcase at the Acting Studio, and I got picked by one of the agents to come out for pilot season. My parents were like, ‘We can’t do that, it’s crazy!’ I was begging them. I told them it was my dream. My mom took me out to LA for 3 months just to show me I wouldn’t book anything! I booked the first thing I went out on, a Mattel Barbie commercial.

ATW: How did you come across the script for Short Term 12?

D: When I read the script, I was like Man I’ve got to do this! It was a fast process. I read the script, went to the casting. I did three scenes. I did the freak out scene [giggling], which was really interesting because I’m sitting in a chair and just trying to freak out! I went straight to a callback and right after, Destin said he wanted me. I had to wait to see if the schedule would work out! But it did, and I was rehearsing a sitcom for three days and then screaming and crying in a drama! I was going back and forth!

ATW: Your character Jayden is a very disturbed young girl. What aspects of her did you gather from your own life and which did you have to create from imagination?

D: I think it was all pretty imaginary [laughs]. I don’t think I grabbed any of that from my real life! You kind of have to go into a dark place. I have a tendency to go in a dark place, and then when they yell ‘cut ‘ I’m back to myself! I really wanted to learn about kids who are abused, I was reading a lot of articles. Also, I met up with the whole cast and a counselor, and he told us a lot of stories, and I soaked it all in.

ATW: What were some of Jayden’s scenes in the film that proved the greatest challenges? Or surprisingly came the easiest?

D: The freak out scene! I did that about eight times, and I felt tired but also relieved. I felt I really accomplished something, but also whoa I feel so tired! I hit so many people today!

ATW: Tell me about the Octopus story. It was one of my favorite scenes in the film.

D: Jayden has this secret, and she’s been keeping it from everyone around her because she thinks she’ll get hurt. The only way she can tell Grace is through this story. I had to think of what she’s gone through that whole day; her dad forgetting her birthday and forgetting to come and get her…you have to think of the back-story. For the audition, I also did that scene. I wrote out the story on a piece of paper and put it in my pocket. I did the exact same thing when we shot the scene. Destin is an awesome director in the way that he lets you find the character on your own. He does give amazing direction, but a way you can take it in your own direction

ATW: You also worked with Brie Larson on The Spectacular Now! What was it like to work with her again?

D: When I went to Georgia to shoot The Spectacular Now, I was only in two scenes. I went to a few cast dinners, and I definitely talked to Brie and loved her personality! When I found out she was attached to Short Term 12, I was even more excited!

ATW: John Gallagher Jr. is also wonderful! What things did you learn from him and Brie?

D: John comes from Broadway, so watching him going from that to being so natural in front of the camera was great. With Brie, I learned from her realism too. She was so professional. She’s been in this business since she was really little; she knows what she’s doing! She was always in the scene, in the zone.

ATW: Being in that ‘zone’ must be exhausting. You definitely play a dark character! How did you guys unwind once off set?

D: I became really close with the cast, and we were shooting at this place that was very secluded up in the hills somewhere. There was no cell phone service!

ATW: Oh, god.

D: I know! But I really just talked to the cast most of the time. All the kids I hung out with too. The place we were shooting used to be a foster care facility. We didn’t have trailers like normal where you can go and work on lines and stuff. We all stayed in the foster rooms! The cast by itself made it fun, and we also did have an ice cream truck on set!

ATW: Yum. What’s up next for you? What sort of roles are you now seeking or do you have actresses that influence you?

D: I’m blessed I’ve been able to do drama and comedy and TV!  But I think I would want to do more films in my career, a drama again. I love Joaquin Phoenix; he’s such an amazing actor! I just want to be him some day or work with him! I’m a huge fan of his! My favorite movie is Walk the Line. I would want to be Natalie Portman or Meryl Streep too!