Actor and model Willow Glenn and I got together for a quick in-studio shoot. We bounced around with a variety of looks and styles.
Below are some of my favorite stills from the shoot, and an interview with Willow herself.
Introduce yourself
My name is Willow Glenn, and acting is the love of my life. I’ve been pursuing a professional career in Film & Tv ever since my family went on a yearlong roadtrip when I was 15. We lived out of our car, and I took online college classes. Somewhere between zoom lectures and gas station wifi, I became an actress. Ever since I discovered a talent and passion for acting, I knew what path I would follow. I need this art like I need to breathe.
I was raised on classic fantasy novels (Tolkien and C.S. Lewis fans in the house!) and Calvin and Hobbes comics. I love boba and coffee, but I hardly drink either because boba is expensive and coffee makes me anxious. I write a lot of poetry, but I rarely let anyone read it.
You specialize in acting and modeling, what do you feel when you engage in those art forms? Do you think there is crossover between the two?
Acting feels as natural to me as breathing. I crave it the way I crave food, sleep, or touch. Being on-camera fulfills some deep need in me.
It’s a single moment of pure presence. I can’t be anywhere else but in my character in their moment. If I’m distracted or pretending, my audience will know. I spend a lot of my real life planning for the future or mulling over the past. When I’m acting, all of that can fall away.
Being on camera feels like meditation or worship. I’m letting whatever muse exists use me. It’s also just so much fun! I’ve gotten to break down doors, smash wine glasses, throw mashed potatoes, and travel the country. Acting is the only kind of work that gives me a sense of purpose and fulfillment. It’s my flow state.
Modeling feels like a concentrated dose of acting. It’s all the character work, focus, and presence of a full scene, condensed into a single frame. When I’m modeling, I am still in character, but I have to use my body to make up for the lack of speech. I think actors make good models beause we know how to tell stories with our eyes.
What are 3 facts about you?
⭐️I’ve moved at least 26 times.
⭐️Conversations with my father tend to leave me sad.
⭐️Someday, I’m going to win an Oscar. Not for the fame and fortune, but for a deep love of my craft. I want to push myself to the farthest possible height.
What’s your favorite soda flavor?
And if I said I didn’t drink soda? I think the last time I had a soda was over a year ago. However, as far as carbonated drinks go, I love sparking water and kombucha! Lavender or sage are my favorite flavors. If it sounds like something a witch would brew, I’m probably into it.
What’re your top 5 favorite movies at this moment in time?
⭐️Millers Girl
⭐️Buffalo 66
⭐️Drive
⭐️Howl’s Moving Castle
⭐️Batman vs Superman. (I feel like I’m going to be roasted for this, but this movie made me cry.)
What is the role of art in society?
I used to believe that art is what made us human. The ability to create for creations sake, to create because of feeling and instinct. However, we see animals make art, so perhaps what feels more true is that art is the bond between living things. Art is the bridge that connects feeling to physicality. Personal and universal translations of love, jelousy, pain, and joy.
In society, art is a marker of both peace and disruption. It has the power to heal people, and to be a catalyst for change. It is a mode of empathy, trust, and bliss. I see art in the tiniest quantum particles and in the grandest images of our universe.
What are some of your hobbies/passions outside of acting/modeling?
Dancing! I absolutely love social dancing. West coast swing, bachata, salsa, two step. Please please please ask me to dance!
I also love reading, writing scripts and poetry, and other forms of art, such as painting and drawing.
Outside of acting and modeling, I spend most of my time training. I lift weights, run and practice yoga for at least six hours a week. The gym is what keeps me regulated and sane. I’ve struggled with anorexia and body dysmorphia for years, and the gym is one of my tools for healing. I can’t lift heavy or build muscle without nourishing myself. Training reminds me that strength requires sustenance.
How do you deal with people judging you?
I cry about it! That’s the first step. Then I get righteously angry and blame the whole world, masking my own guilt and shame.
Once that initial frenzy passes, I can laugh about it. I’m happy, and I’m going places. I am always content but never satisfied. I trust myself and my choices, and I have followed my passion & curiosity to where I am today. My drive and relentless pursuit of progress will take me to wherever I land tomorrow. With a life like that, who cares about anther persons judgement?
On the other hand, I really do value criticism. I pay a lot of attention of feedback. If my actions are being taken negatively by other people, especially by people I love and trust, then I need to reflect. Am I truly living in alignment? Are my actions harming people? I love a good self-reflection.
What is your pizza topping preference?
If I’m going to order a pizza, I want those fancy dollops of cheese that only the bougiest ones have. Goat cheese is a plus. Then, if there are slices or halves of tomato, pine nuts, and pesto, I’m in heaven.
If you could give your younger self advice, what would it be?
You know what you want. Trust your instincts and follow that passion. You’re working hard, so trust that opportunities will find you. Also, you won’t live at home forever, and one day your siblings will grow up. They won’t ask you to play mermaids anymore. Slow down and play with them while you can. Also save all of your money.
What’s something people might be surprised to know about you?
I eat fish, and on occasion, select meats, but I still consider myself a vegan. (I feel like vegans would tear me down for that one, but I swear I was a true vegan for like, five years! Now I’m a secular vegan, lol.)
I’ve been to every state but Alaska.
I’ve lived in every manner of living situation possible— mattresses in a back room of a church, in a car, in an rv, in hotels and motels, and hopping from mansion to mansion while housesitting.
I went to rehab for anorexia, and honestly? It was a great time. 10/10 recommend.
Hubris and envy are some of my worst traits, followed quickly by my habit of dreaming that I’ve responded to texts, but never actually texting back.
You can follow Willow on Instagram at @willowlupalucilleglenn
You can view her IMDB page here
And keep and eye on the Aesthete and Derive publication for future shoots with Willow.
Till next time,
-Oliver Endahl