The 7
Moonee Baker
When we first catch a glimpse of the actress responsible for the year ’ s best lead performance — at least thus far — she is literally skipping   her cheetah print high tops floating over the hotel carpet . She ’ s chasing after director Sean Baker ’ s small dog   Bunsen   who has narrowly escaped being corralled by a gaggle of publicists . The actress would like to give Bunsen a blueberry . Bunsen seems to desperately want one . She implores passionately   anxiously twirling the pleather skirt and tugging at her custom T - shirt   which is black and emblazoned with the names of her acting heroes : # Elle   # Dakota   # Emma   # Daisy ( the Fanning sisters   Watson   and Ridley ). Bunsen never gets his blueberry . It ’ s time for another interview   the latest obligation in a whirlwind press tour that has whisked the actress and her family from their hometown in Orlando to film festivals in Cannes   Toronto and now New York City to screen and promote The Florida Project   an indie dramedy that has received rave reviews at each juncture . In a crowded Best Actress year brimming with icons all jockeying for five slots — Meryl Streep   Annette Bening   Judi Dench   Kate Winslet   Nicole Kidman   Jessica Chastain   and Emma Stone among them — the hope is that an aggressive push could land The Florida Project ’ s leading lady one of those slots . It ’ s a lot of pressure for Brooklynn Prince   the performer who has dutifully been charming journalists since walking the Cannes red carpet in May . “ No   not at all  ” she responds coolly   Bunsen resting at her feet . “ After all   I ’ ve been acting since I was 2 .” That ’ s five long   rich years of experience for Prince . Yes   she is only 7 years old . And   yes   in The Florida Project   she really is that good . The Florida Project is Sean Baker ’ s follow up to his 2015 feature Tangerine   an indie that arrived like a firecracker . The film followed Alexandra and Sin - Dee   two transgender sex workers on a raucous mission through the streets of Los Angeles to track down Sin - Dee ’ s boyfriend and pimp   who has been cheating on her . Riffing on the spark - plug chemistry between stars Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor   the film exploded with fiery   humorous energy . But while Tangerine was lauded for its kinetic   music video - like filmmaking style — and   more   for being shot entirely on an iPhone — The Florida Project is a film that stuns in stillness and long   steady shots of the Orlando backdrop . That same hilarious   poignant Tangerine energy   however   still abounds . “ We thought this could be the next Little Rascals  ” Baker tells us   looking lovingly at his Florida Project star petting his dog ’ s head . “ This could be about the joy of childhood   and at the same time deal with serious issues . The public ’ s reaction to Tangerine gave us the confidence that we could do something similar with this film .” As Baker gesticulates   he notices a giggling coming from just to his right . While he ’ s been talking about the differences between Tangerine and The Florida Project   Prince has been dramatically mimicking his hand gestures — quite convincingly   actually — and cracking  herself  up because of it . “ We needed to make sure they were extroverts  ”  Baker  tells me at one point when I ask about the casting process for the film ’ s four young kids . With Prince   he certainly got that . In The Florida Project   Prince plays Moonee   who lives in a seedy Orlando motel room with  her  single mother   Halley   portrayed in a stunning breakout performance by Bria Vinaite .  Moonee  and Halley are examples of what Baker calls the hidden homeless   members of the underclass who scrape and scavenge   and sometimes just resign   to live in motels and makeshift homes   often in America ’ s biggest cities . In this case   it ’ s in Orlando   in the bleak shadow of the happiest place on earth . Get The Beast In Your Inbox ! Daily Digest Start and finish your day with the top stories from The Daily Beast . Cheat Sheet A speedy   smart summary of all the news you need to know ( and nothing you don ' t ). By clicking “ Subscribe  ” you agree to have read the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Subscribe Thank You ! You are now subscribed to the Daily Digest and Cheat Sheet . We will not share your email with anyone for any reason . For Moonee   Baker needed to cast someone special . We meet Mooney hocking loogies with her friends . At first glance   they seem just like any rabble - rousing   listless kids running amok in the dog days of summer . Moonee ’ s a riot   with a smart - alecky loud mouth   a penchant for copying her mom ’ s raunchy dance moves and poses   and feral reign over the parking lots and derelict highway - adjacent motels that surround her . But we also witness Moonee slowly become sentient to the realities of her living situation   the frustrations over what she ’ s being deprived of   and intense conflict between her fierce love for her mother and intrinsic suspicion that she deserves more . Baker had almost given up on his casting search by the time a local casting agency brought Prince to his attention . The first time he noticed her   she was doing squats and forcing Christopher Rivera   another young actor who ended up getting cast as Moonee ’ s friend   to do push - ups   in order to ramp up their energy for the audition . “ Clearly   she won us over even before the audition  ” Baker says . “ Why thank you   Sean .” At a hard - to - believe 7 years old   Prince is a hoot . Her preternatural poise is one thing . Her star - making performance   showcasing breezy comic timing alongside a gut - wrenching ability to emote and command the screen   is another . Where does all of this confidence come from ? “ My mom and dad  ” she explains . “ All my family has confidence . And they have confidence in me   and I ’ m really   really proud of that . I ’ m really   really happy about that .” Her father is an environmental scientist and her mother is an acting coach . The Princes also have an 8 - month - old boy . To say that Prince has enjoyed the wild ride of the film ’ s globe - trotting press tour is an understatement . But she ’ s devastated to be missing time with the love of her life   her little brother . “ He is the cutest thing you can ever see  ” she says . “ But you do not want to know his personality .” Why is that ? “ Ummmm … He is a little grumpy in some ways .” Babies can be like that . She sighs   the heavy release of a wistful senior citizen reminiscing about their long - lost love . “ I miss him so much  ” she says . “ He means a lot to me . When he was born   my mom ’ s like   are you sure you want to take this big   big responsibility ? And I ’ m like   yeah . And she handed me my little brother . And I was like   aww . I love him with all my heart . Being away from him   I cannot stand it .” She moans   a sound so heartbreaking it ’ s a Pavlovian reflex to cheer her back up . There must be some fun things about all these fancy red carpets and premieres that make it worth being away from him   right ? “ Not having throw up in my hair  ” she responds   immediately taking it back to little bro . “ Not hearing him cry at night   keeping me awake . Not eating baby food I can ’ t stand .” Prince   clearly   is just as much fun to spend 30 minutes with as her character is to watch for two hours . But   as she ’ s quick to remind us   she has been acting since she was 2 . Actress and character couldn ’ t be further apart   particularly in scenes when  Moonee  is cursing   using inappropriate innuendos   and defying authority with gusto   much to the chagrin of Willem Dafoe ’ s motel manager   Bobby . It ’ s a precarious position to put a child in   and one that Prince ’ s parents weren ’ t sure they wanted to subject her to . But she desperately wanted the part   and convinced them that she could handle it . “ My mom didn ’ t raise me that way  ” she says . “ We were strong Christian people . She was like   ‘ We can ’ t say this word . And do not do that .’ It wasn ’ t hard for me . But I grew up being a nice girl   and I ’ m very blessed to be a Christian .” When Baker settled on the four child actors he wanted for the film   he brought in their parents and explained that   if they were to sign on   their children would not just be hearing profanity   but uttering it as well . Everyone would need to be on the same page . On set   he says   “ It was clear that these words were only to be used in character and between ‘ action ’ and ‘ cut .’” Prince jumps in : “ Plus   my dad said   ‘ If you say these words   you will not be using YouTube for about three months !’” Baker starts laughing hysterically : “ Oh   OK . Now I know the secret .” It ’ s nearing the end our interview when I tell Prince how much I like her shirt listing all those actresses . “ People always ask me about meeting Elle Fanning  ” she says . “ I thought you were going to ask me that .” Baker and I lock eyes and double over with laughter . OK : How did you meet Elle Fanning ? “ I was kind of hoping you ’ d say that .” She readjusts herself in her seat . This story requires sturdiness and bracing . It will be an athletic telling . “ We were in Toronto  ” she begins   with the drama of Sophia Petrillo spinning a yarn about Sicily . “ I was just drinking a smoothie   and someone ’ s like   ‘ Brooklynn   look   there ’ s Elle !’ I was like is this really happening ? Then I saw it   the really short hair that ’ s the color of Elle Fanning ’ s hair . I ’ m like   Elle ! Then she turned and I ’ m like ”— at this point Prince looks up to the ceiling and raises her hands to the sky   singing —“ Hallelujah !” They chatted for five minutes or so . Prince has still not recovered . “ I did not stop talking about her the rest of the day  ” she says . “ My poor mom and everybody was probably like   ‘ Oh   when is she going to get over it ? !’ And I ’ m like   I ’ m never going to get it over it   boy .” Honestly   neither will we .
When we first catch a glimpse of the actress responsible for the year ’ s best lead performance — at least thus far — she is literally skipping   her cheetah print high tops floating over the hotel carpet . She ’ s chasing after director Sean Baker ’ s small dog   Bunsen   who has narrowly escaped being corralled by a gaggle of publicists . The actress would like to give Bunsen a blueberry . Bunsen seems to desperately want one . She implores passionately   anxiously twirling the pleather skirt and tugging at her custom T - shirt   which is black and emblazoned with the names of her acting heroes : # Elle   # Dakota   # Emma   # Daisy ( the Fanning sisters   Watson   and Ridley ). Bunsen never gets his blueberry . It ’ s time for another interview   the latest obligation in a whirlwind press tour that has whisked the actress and her family from their hometown in Orlando to film festivals in Cannes   Toronto and now New York City to screen and promote The Florida Project   an indie dramedy that has received rave reviews at each juncture . In a crowded Best Actress year brimming with icons all jockeying for five slots — Meryl Streep   Annette Bening   Judi Dench   Kate Winslet   Nicole Kidman   Jessica Chastain   and Emma Stone among them — the hope is that an aggressive push could land The Florida Project ’ s leading lady one of those slots . It ’ s a lot of pressure for Brooklynn Prince   the performer who has dutifully been charming journalists since walking the Cannes red carpet in May . “ No   not at all  ” she responds coolly   Bunsen resting at her feet . “ After all   I ’ ve been acting since I was 2 .” That ’ s five long   rich years of experience for Prince . Yes   she is only 7 years old . And   yes   in The Florida Project   she really is that good . The Florida Project is Sean Baker ’ s follow up to his 2015 feature Tangerine   an indie that arrived like a firecracker . The film followed Alexandra and Sin - Dee   two transgender sex workers on a raucous mission through the streets of Los Angeles to track down Sin - Dee ’ s boyfriend and pimp   who has been cheating on her . Riffing on the spark - plug chemistry between stars Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor   the film exploded with fiery   humorous energy . But while Tangerine was lauded for its kinetic   music video - like filmmaking style — and   more   for being shot entirely on an iPhone — The Florida Project is a film that stuns in stillness and long   steady shots of the Orlando backdrop . That same hilarious   poignant Tangerine energy   however   still abounds . “ We thought this could be the next Little Rascals  ” Baker tells us   looking lovingly at his Florida Project star petting his dog ’ s head . “ This could be about the joy of childhood   and at the same time deal with serious issues . The public ’ s reaction to Tangerine gave us the confidence that we could do something similar with this film .” As Baker gesticulates   he notices a giggling coming from just to his right . While he ’ s been talking about the differences between Tangerine and The Florida Project   Prince has been dramatically mimicking his hand gestures — quite convincingly   actually — and cracking  herself  up because of it . “ We needed to make sure they were extroverts  ”  Baker  tells me at one point when I ask about the casting process for the film ’ s four young kids . With Prince   he certainly got that . In The Florida Project   Prince plays Moonee   who lives in a seedy Orlando motel room with  her  single mother   Halley   portrayed in a stunning breakout performance by Bria Vinaite .  Moonee  and Halley are examples of what Baker calls the hidden homeless   members of the underclass who scrape and scavenge   and sometimes just resign   to live in motels and makeshift homes   often in America ’ s biggest cities . In this case   it ’ s in Orlando   in the bleak shadow of the happiest place on earth . Get The Beast In Your Inbox ! Daily Digest Start and finish your day with the top stories from The Daily Beast . Cheat Sheet A speedy   smart summary of all the news you need to know ( and nothing you don ' t ). By clicking “ Subscribe  ” you agree to have read the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Subscribe Thank You ! You are now subscribed to the Daily Digest and Cheat Sheet . We will not share your email with anyone for any reason . For Moonee   Baker needed to cast someone special . We meet Mooney hocking loogies with her friends . At first glance   they seem just like any rabble - rousing   listless kids running amok in the dog days of summer . Moonee ’ s a riot   with a smart - alecky loud mouth   a penchant for copying her mom ’ s raunchy dance moves and poses   and feral reign over the parking lots and derelict highway - adjacent motels that surround her . But we also witness Moonee slowly become sentient to the realities of her living situation   the frustrations over what she ’ s being deprived of   and intense conflict between her fierce love for her mother and intrinsic suspicion that she deserves more . Baker had almost given up on his casting search by the time a local casting agency brought Prince to his attention . The first time he noticed her   she was doing squats and forcing Christopher Rivera   another young actor who ended up getting cast as Moonee ’ s friend   to do push - ups   in order to ramp up their energy for the audition . “ Clearly   she won us over even before the audition  ” Baker says . “ Why thank you   Sean .” At a hard - to - believe 7 years old   Prince is a hoot . Her preternatural poise is one thing . Her star - making performance   showcasing breezy comic timing alongside a gut - wrenching ability to emote and command the screen   is another . Where does all of this confidence come from ? “ My mom and dad  ” she explains . “ All my family has confidence . And they have confidence in me   and I ’ m really   really proud of that . I ’ m really   really happy about that .” Her father is an environmental scientist and her mother is an acting coach . The Princes also have an 8 - month - old boy . To say that Prince has enjoyed the wild ride of the film ’ s globe - trotting press tour is an understatement . But she ’ s devastated to be missing time with the love of her life   her little brother . “ He is the cutest thing you can ever see  ” she says . “ But you do not want to know his personality .” Why is that ? “ Ummmm … He is a little grumpy in some ways .” Babies can be like that . She sighs   the heavy release of a wistful senior citizen reminiscing about their long - lost love . “ I miss him so much  ” she says . “ He means a lot to me . When he was born   my mom ’ s like   are you sure you want to take this big   big responsibility ? And I ’ m like   yeah . And she handed me my little brother . And I was like   aww . I love him with all my heart . Being away from him   I cannot stand it .” She moans   a sound so heartbreaking it ’ s a Pavlovian reflex to cheer her back up . There must be some fun things about all these fancy red carpets and premieres that make it worth being away from him   right ? “ Not having throw up in my hair  ” she responds   immediately taking it back to little bro . “ Not hearing him cry at night   keeping me awake . Not eating baby food I can ’ t stand .” Prince   clearly   is just as much fun to spend 30 minutes with as her character is to watch for two hours . But   as she ’ s quick to remind us   she has been acting since she was 2 . Actress and character couldn ’ t be further apart   particularly in scenes when  Moonee  is cursing   using inappropriate innuendos   and defying authority with gusto   much to the chagrin of Willem Dafoe ’ s motel manager   Bobby . It ’ s a precarious position to put a child in   and one that Prince ’ s parents weren ’ t sure they wanted to subject her to . But she desperately wanted the part   and convinced them that she could handle it . “ My mom didn ’ t raise me that way  ” she says . “ We were strong Christian people . She was like   ‘ We can ’ t say this word . And do not do that .’ It wasn ’ t hard for me . But I grew up being a nice girl   and I ’ m very blessed to be a Christian .” When Baker settled on the four child actors he wanted for the film   he brought in their parents and explained that   if they were to sign on   their children would not just be hearing profanity   but uttering it as well . Everyone would need to be on the same page . On set   he says   “ It was clear that these words were only to be used in character and between ‘ action ’ and ‘ cut .’” Prince jumps in : “ Plus   my dad said   ‘ If you say these words   you will not be using YouTube for about three months !’” Baker starts laughing hysterically : “ Oh   OK . Now I know the secret .” It ’ s nearing the end our interview when I tell Prince how much I like her shirt listing all those actresses . “ People always ask me about meeting Elle Fanning  ” she says . “ I thought you were going to ask me that .” Baker and I lock eyes and double over with laughter . OK : How did you meet Elle Fanning ? “ I was kind of hoping you ’ d say that .” She readjusts herself in her seat . This story requires sturdiness and bracing . It will be an athletic telling . “ We were in Toronto  ” she begins   with the drama of Sophia Petrillo spinning a yarn about Sicily . “ I was just drinking a smoothie   and someone ’ s like   ‘ Brooklynn   look   there ’ s Elle !’ I was like is this really happening ? Then I saw it   the really short hair that ’ s the color of Elle Fanning ’ s hair . I ’ m like   Elle ! Then she turned and I ’ m like ”— at this point Prince looks up to the ceiling and raises her hands to the sky   singing —“ Hallelujah !” They chatted for five minutes or so . Prince has still not recovered . “ I did not stop talking about her the rest of the day  ” she says . “ My poor mom and everybody was probably like   ‘ Oh   when is she going to get over it ? !’ And I ’ m like   I ’ m never going to get it over it   boy .” Honestly   neither will we .