Oscar winner for the musical “West Side Story”, Ariana DeBose tries her hand at a horror film in “House of Spoils”, from October 3, 2024 on Prime Video. The 33-year-old American actress plays a promising young chef haunted by hallucinations which endanger the restaurant she is trying to set up.
Is the world of haute cuisine macho, as your film suggests?
I researched a lot about this environment, particularly listening to the point of view of women who work there, and I discovered that there is a lot of misogyny. I also drew on my own experience at work to compose my character. And then I trained throughout the shoot to look like a convincing chef.
Since you bring up your own experience at work, is the film industry misogynistic?
I haven’t been working in the film industry for long, but I know we still have a lot of progress to make. Before accepting a project, I ask around me about the people with whom I will have to work. The entertainment industry generally aims to make people forget about their problems for a while. You shouldn’t be traumatized while doing your job.
Has your relationship with food changed since your culinary training?
Absolutely. I grew up in the South of the United States, in North Carolina. In my childhood, food brought people together. I was good at cooking stews but that’s about it. After making this film, I learned some good recipes and I use the knife like a pro. Cutting vegetables puts me in a meditative state and cooking calms me.
What do you cook in particular?
Before, I would never have thought about preparing food for a party and now it no longer scares me. Don’t ask me to make a chocolate cake, but I can make a killer lasagna. I’m also good at sirloin steaks. In fact, we cooked about seventy of them to shoot a scene in the film and the crew took everything with them because nothing is wasted in “House of Spoils.”
