Prediction: Maya Erskine is going to leave a permanent mark on Hollywood.
Though she’s not exactly a newcomer, the 32-year-old actress and writer found herself in the headlines earlier this year with the release of Hulu’s beloved cult comedy PEN15. She hilariously (that’s not hyperbole) portrays Maya, a 13-year-old navigating seventh grade with her BFF Anna (Anna Konkle, her co-creator). I’ve watched all 10 episodes of season one twice (it’s been renewed for a sophomore run), and if you’re desperate for a show that’ll make you yearn for the early 2000s—a time when Tamagotchis were in and AIM chat rooms reigned supreme—then you too will end up re-watching.
Erskine has become popular, but it doesn’t sound like she's getting chased down by fans and the paparazzi—yet.
“People at first don’t recognize me because I don’t look too much like my PEN15 character, well at least I hope not,” she jokes. “But it’s happening in certain pockets. In L.A., I live in a neighborhood where the show’s demographic lives, so it’s becoming more frequent. When I have been recognized it’s usually by someone I went to school with.”
Erskine previously lent her skills to indie shorts as well as appearances in Issa Rae’s Insecure. Plus, she may have caught your attention in Netflix’s Wine Country alongside Amy Poehler and her squad of comedians. But she’s now making a splash with the summer release of Plus One (out now in select theaters), a romantic comedy basically written for millennials that simply #cantdeal with having to attend too many weddings.
In the film, directed and written by Jeff Chan and Andrew Rhymer, Erskine stars alongside Jack Quaid (Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid’s son). She plays Alice, a 20-something-year-old wedding-goer who turns to her closest pal Ben for her plus-one to 10 summer nuptials. At first, they agree to platonically be each others' wing-person, but by the middle of the film—you guessed it—they start to develop feelings for each other. It’s not the most original premise, but it works. The movie took home the Narrative Audience Award at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival—and critics have compared it to When Harry Met Sally. In other words, it’s cute (in the best way possible), funny, and will uplift your spirits.
I recently caught up with Erskine to discuss Plus One, what she hopes to add to the entertainment landscape, and what we can expect from season two of PEN15.
What compelled you to take on the role of Alice in Plus One?
The writing to me is pretty impeccable—and I loved Alice. It’s rare to find a female lead, especially in a romantic comedy, that’s so gross and funny and witty and smart and messy and flawed—yet incredibly vulnerable. I always did want to be in a rom-com, but this one plays into some of the genre’s formulas and manages to subvert it. You’re seeing two characters separate from each other develop and then they fall in love. That was exciting to me.
Why do you think it’s rare to find such complex female leads in rom-coms?
Thankfully, there are great writers coming out that feel a desire to portray a level of authenticity in something that could easily be surface level. This movie draws on When Harry Met Sally, which I’ve watched endlessly and I never get tired of. But in it you get the male and female point of view, and you see full characters. Movies now try to copy that formula but don’t go deeper. When Bridesmaids came out, studios tried to copy the formula: get five girls to go crazy and be on a road trip. But no, there was nuance and heart in those flawed characters. I don’t know if that continues to happen, honestly.
What elements of Alice did you most relate to?
It was easy for me to tap into the messy parts of her. I’ve gone through some of those things—the belligerent moment at the party. I’ve gone through feeling really bad and crying, and I’ve also gone through the anger part of that space.
Your work—especially PEN15—is definitely subversive. What do you hope to bring to the table as an actress?
It’s funny that I’ve been in these comedies because I was so scared of it growing up. I approach characters from the perspective of trying to play everything honestly, and I avoid doing anything for laughter or for the joke because to me that is never funny. I went to experimental theater school so I naively thought I was going to be playing, like, women with humpbacks, trolls, and men, and kids. I thought there was no limit to what kind of character I could play, but was brought to reality when I came to L.A. But that’s the genius of creating your own work. I get to play a 13-year-old.
There’s a lot of pomp and circumstance in Hollywood, meaning your appearance at certain events really does matter. What’s that been like for you?
I can’t be in those situations and not feel like I’m in middle school again. I think everyone feels like they’re in middle school when they’re at any of these functions. It’s awkward. I don’t know how to schmooze, I’m not good at it. I’d rather stay home and eat spicy Cheetos and watch the Real Housewives. It’s a weird world and a strange business, and I’m still learning.
The pop culture references in PEN15 are so sharp and funny. How did those come to you?
What we wanted to do was to try and remember things that weren’t the obvious go-to. We didn’t want to include big, easy pop culture references like Britney Spears. It was more like, let’s talk about B*Witched, because for the people who were fans, that was a huge nostalgic moment—they remember that song and heard it 10 times over and peed their pants laughing.
What can we expect from season two of PEN15?
While I’m incredibly proud of season one, I want it to keep evolving and getting better. In my mind I don’t think, Great, you made a perfect show so let’s go repeat that. We were not expecting this at all and it definitely blew our minds. We’re trying to stay in that mindset to keep imaging more things for how we can evolve the show and its tone. And we want to give fans what they want, too. I have to consider how Maya and Anna will evolve with the world. As of now, we’re having them stay in seventh grade.
Plus One is out in select theaters.
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As the Senior Editor of OprahMag.com, I'm a jack-of-all-trades, overseeing our entertainment coverage (we cover TV shows like The Politician and Big Brother, movies such as J.Lo's Hustlers and Lena Waithe's Queen and Slim), features, news items, and— as her number one fan—all of Lady Gaga's whereabouts. I proudly edit Coming Out, a series where LGBTQ+ change-makers reflect on self-acceptance. And I edit our Weird or Wellness series, which I highly recommend you read on the weekend. Prior to O, I began my career in the fashion department at Marie Claire, and eventually moved on to InStyle, where I dabbled in social media and covered events such as the Grammys, Toronto International Film Festival, and New York Fashion Week. A native of Miami, I received my journalism degree from the University of Miami. One time, Rosario Dawson complimented my hair and asked to touch it. I let her.
