It’s the era of book adaptations! Based on Jay Crownover’s best-selling novel, Marked Men: Rule + Shaw hit the theaters this January and is now available to stream on Apple TV and Prime Video. We Facetimed with Sydney Taylor, who stars as Shaw Landon, to learn more about her character and prep for the film, working with Chase Stokes, and her favorite behind-the-scenes moments!
In Marked Men: Rule + Shaw, Shaw Landon, a pre-med student, has been in love with rebel tattoo artist Rule since she first laid eyes on him, but Rule has always viewed Shaw as a family friend, unaware of her deeper feelings for him. Yet a night full of unexpected intimacy and secrets leads them to confront their true feelings and navigate their different backgrounds and family expectations. The movie also stars Alexander Ludwig, Ella Balinska, Evan Mock, Paul Johansson, and more!
“We had the best time when everyone was on set.”
While Marked Men: Rule + Shaw was Sydney’s debut film, she has had multiple roles in TV, including as Amelia Taylor in the Disney+ series American Born Chinese and as Lexi Hamilton in Prime Video’s Just Add Magic: Mystery City.
“[From American Born Chinese], I got to see how much of a difference it makes when so many personal touches are put into scripts and the set deck and prep.”
Sydney walked us through her audition process for the film, and said she did multiple self tapes and then had a one-on-one meeting with director Nick Cassavetes to talk about her role.
When Sydney filmed the audition scene where she follows Rule through the tattoo shop, she revealed she even asked the crew to switch chairs as it made more sense for the scene, and this definitely gave them all the confidence in Sydney as an actress!
While the script and Marked Men book series differ slightly, Sydney said she relied on the foundation of Shaw Landon’s character but also got to make choices that felt right to her and draw from her own experiences.
“Anytime there are any adaptations that I’m auditioning for, I usually read the books.”
Sydney said the entire cast was super close while filming in Bulgaria. She worked most closely alongside Chase and said they didn’t have to work super hard to develop chemistry because their prep and understanding of each other’s characters was super similar.
“The way that Chase set up his character with all of his prep and the way I set up my character and did all of my prep, they naturally melded quite well together from the start.”
Because this was her first major film, Sydney said she learned a lot about dealing with pressure and stress on a large set. Sydney relied on her extensive preparation and also tried to find many self care moments throughout filming, including spending time with her castmates and going on long walks.
“The stress made me really lock in and try my hardest.”
For anyone who hasn’t watched Marked Men: Rule + Shaw, what are you waiting for?! Sydney said she wanted to highlight that a woman doesn’t have to change once she gets into a relationship in film and hopes people find a character they can relate to.
Thank you, Sydney, for Facetiming with Young Entertainment! Make sure to follow her on her Instagram at @atsydneytaylor. Watch the rest of the interview where we ask her more about down time on set and her favorite experiences filming in Bulgaria. While you’re there, be sure to like and subscribe to our channel for the latest news in young entertainment.
Consider this:
- The longer you can stay locked in and not think a lot about what you’re doing, the better your line delivery will be. Try not to focus on anything else when you’re acting, be in the moment.
- The more preparation you do beforehand for a role, the less stressed you’ll be on set. Whenever you are feeling overwhelmed, rely on your readiness and preparation.
