Abigail Hawk talks about starring in the new film ‘Regarding Us’

Abigail Hawk in the indie film ‘Regarding Us.’ Photo Credit: Caroline Stucky

Actress Abigail Hawk (“Blue Bloods”) chatted about starring in the new film “Regarding Us.”

“Regarding Us” will have its American premiere at the Dances With Films Festival on June 27, 2024, at 7 p.m. PST at the TLC Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California.

‘Regarding Us’ experience

On her experience doing this indie film, she said, “The first thing I noticed when I walked onto David Beck’s set was the immediate warmth and welcome. I felt like I had known these people for years.”

“Alexandra Grey and I spent my first morning on set giggling and conversing like old friends. She is just delightful and oh so talented. I was also so taken with the crew’s professionalism and passion – everyone shared the same vision and went to work executing it flawlessly and creatively,” she elaborated.

Portraying Constance in ‘Regarding Us’

On playing Constance, she remarked, “Constance is a human being, beholden to her own life experiences and prejudices, but she learns so much about her children and herself throughout the film.”

“Her heart breaks wide open, and so much knowledge and love and acceptance comes pouring in – I loved expanding with her,” she added.

The digital age

On being an actress in the digital age, she responded, “Listen, I am a technological dinosaur. My glory days were spent playing Solitaire and Oregon Trail on our computer at school, so get off my lawn! I do feel being an actor is a timeless profession – we’re storytellers.”

“How we tell our stories may change as technology advances, but our need to share and be in community with each other is universal. That being said, I am grateful for the gains and protections SAG-AFTRA made for us during the strike in regards to AI, streaming revenue, but I think we all need to remain vigilant as technology will obviously continue to advance and expand,” she noted.

“I want to live and work in a world where humans are making art and robots are doing the dishes and the laundry,” she acknowledged.

She continued, “Social media is a double-edged sword: I am grateful for the instantaneous connection it provides, but I hate the pressure to “perform” and post and influence and develop a brand… I am a person, not a brand. I just want to age – I love my wrinkles and laugh lines and scars and shadows – they make me interesting. They are part of my story!”

“So while I am active on social media, I am authentic. I want my followers (another term I hate) to see the “real” me. I show my struggles and my imperfections, and I am also not afraid to go offline for awhile to recalibrate. I think that’s important – to be able to disconnect and not be “on” all the time,” she added.

Lessons learned from ‘Regarding Us’ film

On the lessons learned from this indie movie, she said, “I want to continue raising my boys with an open mind and an open heart. I have no idea how difficult it is to be a kid in the digital era, so I want to continue leading them with grace.”

“The film also taught me how much I don’t know about the LGBTQ community and its history. How their community IS our community. It’s that whole ‘there’s no such thing as other people’s children’ mentality. We just need to be there for each other. I just want to be there for people.” she said.

“To give advice when I need to give advice. But more importantly, to listen when it’s time to listen. I want everyone to have a seat at the table. So I guess it taught me to keep working towards a more inclusive world – one where everyone feels they have representation in media,” she added.

Advice for young and aspiring actors

For young and aspiring actors, she said, “To reiterate what I said above, don’t lose your humanity. You need to experience this amazing world we live in – go see art and theatre. Read new plays and books. Get into nature. Go volunteer. Travel. Your work as an actor is only as good as your worldview, so why not actively expand it? Also, people watch!”

“Go to a park or a coffee shop and just observe the people around you – how they walk, how they talk, how they engage with each other. Great character research! Watching others communicate also gives you a feeling for dialogue and conversation – a dying art, in my opinion,” she said.

“My other piece of advice is to just write it yourself. Film it yourself. Upload it yourself. I may not be capable of doing these things (my 12-year-old often does my reels for me) but the world is so small and accessible now, and work begets work begets work,” she elaborated.

“Oh, and always, always, always wish your fellow artists well. Be kind. Be the kind of person everyone wants to work with,” she added.

Success

On her definition of success, she said, “I will consider myself a success once I stop caring what other people think of me. I will have “made it” when I stop playing it safe and people-pleasing. When I make choices and take risks because I want to make them and I want to take them.”

“I really resonate with Matthew McConaughey’s Oscar speech where he said he needed three things: something to look up to, something to look forward to, and someone to chase. I feel like my life is in alignment if I keep those things forefront in my mind,” she elaborated.

“Success in our industry – financial, recognition, acclaim – can mean constant hunger. So I believe if you can find your joy, your groundedness outside of our industry, and bring that joy and that groundedness to our industry  – you are successful,” she said.

Closing thoughts on ‘Regarding Us’

Hawk remarked about this movie, “With universal themes like family, and forgiveness, and identity, this is a film for everyone. It’s based on a true story, and anytime you have a film based on someone’s truth, I find it’s instantly relatable.”

“We will see ourselves in this film – our desperate need to be loved for who we are, to be seen, to be heard. It’s just such a gorgeous story and I am so proud to be a part of it. Thank you to David, Jennifer, Catriona, and the whole team for trusting me to tell Constance’s story,” she concluded.

To learn more about Abigail Hawk, follow her on Instagram.