Breakout star of the blockbuster franchise, A Quiet Place, Millicent Simmonds is one of BAFTA’s nominees for this year’s Rising Star Award. Speaking at one of the BAFTA Film Sessions, this remarkable 19-year-old deaf actress from Pennsylvania, talked about her unexpected road to Hollywood. 

“I never thought it was possible. Acting just wasn’t in my vision for my future,” she said. “So, I’m as surprised as anybody else to see where I am now.” 

Simmonds landed her breakout role in the 2017 film Wonderstruck, directed by Todd Haynes. “I auditioned for Wonderstruck based on a recommendation from my drama teacher at the time. She really wanted me to do it. Two weeks later I got called and was told to come to New York and start acting.” She smiles. “And here I am now, five years later. I have absolutely fallen in love with it.”

Immediately after Wonderstruck wrapped, Simmonds began auditioning for numerous roles including A Quiet Place. “John [Krasinski] asked Todd about me. So, hopefully, Todd said some nice things about me and then I did an audition. A few days later, I got a personal email from John saying, ‘You’re my daughter now. Welcome to the family!’” She continues. “It was very much an ‘Oh my God’ moment. I knew this was going to change my life again.”

In order to create an authentic bond, Krasinski took his ‘cinematic children’ under his wing. 

Noah [Jupe] and I were welcomed to John’s home. We [including Krasinki’s wife Emily Blunt] had burgers and hung out with their daughter. They were just so sweet. I think it really helped us to bond.”

Clearly ambitious, Simmonds also envisions a career for herself working behind the camera in her near future. “I’m currently developing a TV series for which I’m also a producer. It’s really exciting and I’m super motivated.” Titled True Biz, Simmonds will also take on lead acting duties on this adaptation of Sara Novic’s book of the same name.

Evidently, she welcomes the mammoth task of taking on dual roles – in front of and behind the camera. 

“Yes. As an actor, I have to be on set, and I have to be ready to know my lines but then also I’ve been involved with the project from day one as a producer.  It’s a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. You have to make sure you have the right people around you and that requires meeting a lot of people. But it’s also been a really cool experience.  

“You have a lot of decision-making power over the whole process, and you can be super creative and involved in the decision-making,” she says, enthusiastically. “I’m learning as I go; I’m learning as much as I can.”

Simmonds will next star in A Quiet Place 3, as well as Helen & Teacher, based on the life of deaf author and activist Helen Keller. Set in the early 1900s the film will feature Keller as the first deaf and blind person to earn a degree from Harvard University’s Radcliffe College.

Unsurprisingly, Simmonds is an activist herself and has become a role model for other young actors. “Oh my God, to be in this position as a role model for other children really makes me want to do the best I can. I didn’t have deaf role models when I was growing up. I really looked up to my mother and my father as well as Malala [Malala Yousafzai is the world’s youngest Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Pakistani activist for female education]. I had read her book [I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban]. It really touched me.”

While Simmonds has accomplished more at 19 years of age than many do well beyond her years, or in fact, in a lifetime, she doesn’t want to be placed on a pedestal. “I’m not a perfect human and that it’s OK to be imperfect. I want to show that it’s OK to make mistakes and learn from them.”