Musician Alana Haim on Making the Jump to the Big Screen for Licorice Pizza

For nearly a decade, musical group Haim has been winning over fans and critics alike, with their blend of both throwback and contemporary soft-rock vibes capturing the attention of Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood director Paul Thomas Anderson, who would go on to helm multiple of their music videos. Given that both Anderson and the three Haim sisters were from the San Fernando Valley, it only made sense that he would enlist Alana Haim to star in his film Licorice Pizza, which unfolds over one fateful summer in the Southern California locale. Haim stars alongside Cooper Hoffman in the film, son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, a frequent collaborator of Anderson’s. Licorice Pizza is in select theaters now and expands nationally on December 25th.

While Haim may have had years performing in front of massive audiences full of thousands of people, making her feature-film debut brought with it a number of surprises, along with some familiarity.

“In some ways, it was the same, in some ways, they were completely different,” Haim shared with ComicBook.com in performing music as compared to acting. “Being on a set and seeing lights and cameras, it’s very much ‘lights, camera, action,’ the quotes are true, guys. It’s very much ‘lights, camera, action.’ It’s daunting. Of course, you feel like a little kid and all these people that know what they’re doing and then it’s up to you to be like, no, it’s on you, it’s just on you. And I didn’t have my siblings with me to blame them for things, I had to know what I was doing constantly on set. And I was with a lot of people who were in my family half the time. It was very terrifying, at first.” 

She continued, “Of course, I was jumping into the deep end with my eyes open, just trying to float. I just wanted to float, at least. In the very beginning, I was like, ‘Just please let me float.’ Once I got used to it, I just realized how much I loved the process. I talk about this all the time and I feel like such a dork, but even watching the camera being loaded every day with film, we worked only on film, Paul only shoots on film, and just the process, it’s like a dance. It really is, getting the film out of the canisters and putting them into this camera. It’s just like so incredibly fascinating and I loved … I soaked up so much knowledge in just this 65 days of shooting. And I’m so grateful that I got to be a part of it.”

Licorice Pizza is the story of Alana Kane and Gary Valentine growing up, running around, and falling in love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973. Written and Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film tracks the treacherous navigation of first love.

Despite Haim starring in the film, she wasn’t entirely without the support from sisters Este and Danielle, as they also played her on-screen sisters.

“I have to be honest with you; the people that played my sisters were the only two people that I didn’t get along with on set. They were terrible. Just divas, can I tell you?” the actor joked. “It was so fun, I was so happy that my sisters were with me, because that’s what I’m used to. I’m used to having my sisters with me. Also, the best part about it, was we got to add our parents into the mix. I feel like my parents have been waiting in the wings, just being like, ‘Can we join? Can we join? Can we join?’ And, finally, Paul was like, ‘Come on!’ I mean, who else would play my parents other than my parents? It was so funny, thinking about shooting that Shabbat scene. We were crying of laughter. I felt so bad for Paul in editing that scene because we were all just breaking and laughing and we could not get through it. It was just so funny.”

Another connection Haim shares with Anderson is their love for Adam Sandler, with Anderson having cast him in his film Punch-Drunk Love and Haim recording a tribute to Sandler’s famous “The Chanukah Song” along with her sisters.

“The Sandman! He is my one, I love the Sandman, I love Adam Sandler,” Haim shared of Sandler. “He did reach out, which was very nice, he tweeted about the video. Talk about being starstruck, I think meeting Adam Sandler is probably the most starstruck I’ve ever been in my whole life. He is incredible. Growing up, I watched all of his movies and he’s still … I get a little faklempt talking about Adam Sandler because he’s such an idol to me. I was very happy that he approved of our tiny version. There needs to be a longer version and we need to add the Safdies. It’ll be us and the Safdies, it’ll be great.”

Licorice Pizza is in select theaters now and expands nationally on December 25th.

Are you looking forward to checking out the new film? Let us know in the comments below!