Halsey opens up about acting experience, its impact on her identity as singer

Washington [US], September 6 (ANI): Singer-songwriter Halsey has opened up on how her foray into acting has helped her separate her stage persona from her identity as a musician.

Known to fans as Halsey, the artist, whose real name is Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, has embraced two new roles in the films ‘Americana’ (2023) and ‘Maxxxine’ (2024).

In an interview, she explained that acting has provided a refreshing break from her established identity as a musician, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“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,” Halsey said.

“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 realized at that point it has kind of grown into a persona, which I never really intended for it to,” she said as per The Hollywood Reporter.

Though Halsey continues to use her stage name in her acting roles, she relishes the opportunity to embody characters distinct from herself.

“Acting gave me a chance to step out of [my singer persona], but also it gave me a chance to be a part of someone else’s vision,” she explained, adding, “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.”

Halsey also expressed her appreciation for learning a new artistic process through acting. “It was nice to be new at something, be a part of a community and collaborate,” she added.

“Being a solo artist is a really lonely venture. I don’t think people realize how lonely it is. I would certainly take it over being in a band, because I think I would be a tyrant,” she said according to The Hollywood Reporter.

During the interview, Halsey reflected on her admiration for Britney Spears, particularly in light of her own recent work.

Halsey interpolated Spears’ hit song ‘Lucky’ for her own new track of the same name.

“Obviously I will never know what it’s like to reach the magnitude and the monolith of fame and exposure and lack of autonomy that [Britney] experienced in her career,” Halsey said, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

“I will never know that, but in a way, there are some parallels. She was the first pop star I fell in love with and I knew everything about her, and I was in love with her and worshiped her. I was jealous of her. I thought she had the perfect life, as did most of us at the time, and I’ve always, through every stage of her career, really rooted for her,” she added.