Speaking with PAPER in September about acting in MaXXXine and escaping being Halsey for a while, the New Jersey star explained that, “I always compare Halsey to Grey’s Anatomy, where everybody who did Grey’s Anatomy, I’m sure they loved it, but after 25 seasons, they’re like, I can’t play Meredith anymore. That’s kind of how I felt about Halsey, which brought up an even greater existential question: ‘Why do I feel like I’m playing Halsey?’ It’s meant to be just a stage name, not necessarily a persona, and I realised at that point it has kind of grown into a persona, which I never really intended for it to.
“Acting gave me a chance to step out of that, but also it gave me a chance to be a part of someone else’s vision. So much of what I make, the impetus is on me all the time to be in control of everything. It was nice showing up to someone else’s set, and my only job is to serve you in the best way that I can and you have the harder job. It was nice to be new at something, be a part of a community and collaborate. Being a solo artist is a really lonely venture. I don’t think people realise how lonely it is. I would certainly take it over being in a band, because I think I would be a tyrant.”
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