For actor Myha’la, the role of a lifetime arrived less than a year out of college. “Lightning struck,” she says, “and in so many ways I have been preparing my entire life to be here.” In this case ‘here’ is Industry’s Harper Stern, a fiercely ambitious New Yorker who has come to London to join Pierpont, a prestigious financial investment bank.

With the season finale of HBO’s breakout hit approaching, we sat down with Myha'la to discuss all things Industry (4:42 ): how the evolution of Harper can be charted by her changing hairstyles (8:05 ), her recent pivot into “ethical investing” (10:45 ), and the Gen-Z qualities she best embodies (14:04 ). We also discuss the actor’s first experiences singing and dancing (16:00 ), her time as front-woman of a Christian Rock band (20:30 ), and a formative experience at her Catholic high school (23:01 ).

On the back half, Myha’la reflects on her years at Carnegie Mellon (34:55 ), her views around “method acting” (39:30 ), the first day on the set of Industry (42:55 ), the personal investment she’s made in Harper Stern (48:00 ), a humbling performance never far from mind (53:50 ), and the ‘picture’ she’d like to paint as an artist in the years ahead (56:50 ).

This conversation was recorded at Spotify Studios and Pushkin Industries. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at sf@talkeasypod.com.

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