Interview by Colter Ruland
In this time of uncertainty and self-isolation, we often need reminders of beauty. I often look to other creatives as lodestars to navigate such times, and Lorenza Izzo, actress and model, is perhaps no better reminder. For the cover of ContentMode’s very first beauty edition, she participated in a photoshoot inspired by the carefree, natural, and effortless glam of the 1970s. Izzo is best known for her early roles in horror films like Aftershock and The Green Inferno and her most recent role in the star-studded Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Her newest role on SHOWTIME’s Penny Dreadful: City of Angels finds her playing the mesmerizing Santa Muerte. I asked her about her new role, how she’s taking care of herself, and what it’s like to be beautiful and powerful both on and off the screen.
Q: First of all, what are you doing to take care of yourself during this time?
A: I’m trying to be easy on myself. I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself with goals and being “busy” and constantly seeking that feeling of being productive. I’m trying to take this unusual and rare time to go slower which is looking like cooking a bunch, stretching, reading, watching lots of movies, eating and sleeping.
Q: How do you think self-care has changed during this time of self-isolation?
A: It’s become a deeper kind of practice. There’s more time to spend inside your head with your thoughts, which can be very tricky to navigate, at least it is for me. Rather than having so many external distractions and “things to do”, I’m having to spend time with me and being forced to confront thoughts and feelings I would otherwise have ignored. In a practical sense, I’ve become more connected with my body through my daily self care routines. Doing my own har, nails, workouts – all privileges I had in my normal life – are now up to me. And it’s been eye opening how little we actually really need. It’s become simpler, cleaner and slower.
Q: What’s one thing you wish everyone knew about you?
A: It’s interesting, if you had asked me this question a year ago it would’ve been a very different answer. As I get older, I find that I want to be more private, that I want people to know less of me. When I was younger I wanted everyone to know my name, to know I was a good person. In terms of social media, I went from over sharing almost daily, to wanting to share less and in turn, be more present in the moment. It’s interesting what social media has done to my generation. Naturally, I have a love/hate relationship with that medium. It can get very aggressive and dark with so many people hiding behind screens, spreading hate. With time I have found that people’s cruelty inevitably bleeds through into other aspects of my life, and makes me want to be more protective of my privacy.
Q: You’ve worked on a few “genre” films—The Green Inferno is an homage to Italian cannibal films, Knock, Knock is an erotic thriller, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is an amalgamation of various genres—and now you’re on SHOWTIME’s Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, which is borrowing from hardboiled noir and folklore. What do you think genre can communicate that more conventional storytelling cannot?
A: I believe genre has the ability to transport you to worlds where it feels freer to connect to the core of the story. There’s something special about being transported into sci-fi, noir, horror, and to me it’s that escapism into a fantastical world that, while it doesn’t “look” like our reality, manages to make you feel deeper than a more “real life” approach. I believe it’s because it actually feels safer to feel things in unknown environments where there’s no judgement. The irony is they tend to brutally mirror human behavior.
Q: You play the role of Santa Muerte. What was it like playing such a recognizable figure from Mexican and Mexican-American folklore?
A: There was a lot of historical research done ahead of time. We were very conscious of respecting the existing literature and folklore around the Saint, while allowing the space to create our unique version. That’s the thing abut the Santa Muerte deity we know, she’s ever changing – but always accepting. Her origin can date back to Aztec, Mayan and Mixtec times, yet she’s still feverishly followed today. She’s known for not judging those who pray to her, which is why there’s a big tendency for gangs and criminals to worship her. For us it was a long, elaborate and collaborative process. Christie Wittenborg, our phenomenal costume designer, actually had lace shipped from Mexico to make sure it felt authentic. Creating the crown was an incredible task, as there there was an obligation to allude to the symbols seen in the streets, while also wanting to depict supernatural powers. And as for the dress, there’s a whole aging process, and a skeletal structure beneath it. It was important for the costume to reflect the heaviness of her plight: moving for her is difficult, slow and painful, and my wardrobe certainly helped with that. There were delicate prosthetics designed to enhance her supernatural nature, contact lenses for her all seeing eyes, and beautiful aged golden jewelry. It has truly been a dream for me to play such a complete role.
In City of Angels, our Santa Muerte is a goddess who’s unfortunate, painful and exhausting job is to transport the dead to the after life – much like the known figure. Everything you see on screen has been meticulously thought out, with both functionality and authenticity in mind.
Q: What made you fall in love with the show?
A: Well first and foremost, the world that John Logan has created. What a legend that man is.
One of the most appealing things for me was the Chicano history in Los Angeles, which is generally speaking, not widely known. Now throw in the politics, the supernatural elements, and the reflection of our modern day, and I’m completely enthralled. Add to that the noir element and the beautifully talented cast… what’s NOT to love?
Q: Do you see any parallels with the Los Angeles you are living in today with the 1930s Los Angeles represented in the show?
A: The show unabashedly touches on a lot of tough topics: The Third Reich in LA, police injustice, the displacement of the latin community, racial divide, amongst many other things. I can’t help but feel some common ground with the issues we’re facing in our current society. I see a parallel in terms of the polarization which I feel is, unfortunately, ever-growing. Even within the pandemic we’re living today. The crisis at the US/Mexico border, the power of thirsty politicians who do not vow for the collective well being. In a sense, it’s quite scary to see such a mirrored narrative, as though we haven’t learned much of anything from our mistakes. Yet, I also understand that that’s human growth: we make the same mistakes over and over, until we are forced to learn from them.
Q: The role of Santa Muerte is both beautiful and powerful. Do you think beauty and power often communicate with one another?
Why, thank you! I do believe beauty comes from within and lives in authenticity, which is where the real power lies. There is something hypnotic that happens when you experience beauty, and it is truly powerful. So I feel that true beauty and power do more than communicate, they’re essentially intertwined.
Q: You come from a family of models. What was it like living alongside them?
It’s funny- I wasn’t really aware of them being models. For me, they weren’t any different than adults that had more “normal” professions. Bur then I entered my teenage years (aka hit puberty!) and I became more aware of beauty as a concept. My mom had me at a very young age, so we lived with my aunts and grandma for a great deal of my childhood. My memories of that time are precious. I grew up surrounded by these very strong willed women, beautiful inside and out, who instilled in me a strong sense of resilience that I will forever carry. Beauty as a tool was never something that was practiced in my household, but being true to yourself was. I think that helped me a lot in navigating this industry.
Q: Do you think growing up in Chile gave you a different understanding of beauty than the way it is often portrayed in Hollywood?
A: Absolutely. Geographically, Chile is an isolated country because of its natural borders: Andes to the right, and the Pacific to the left. That has had a direct effect on our culture and way of living. In terms of beauty, it’s harder to get access to all the new products and trends happening in Europe and America, so it feels much simpler in comparison. I grew up in a predominantly female family, and their approach to beauty has never really been physical. My mom always says “less is more.” So as you can imagine, it was fairly overwhelming when I came to the US and was presented with the myriad of beauty treatments and products available.
I feel like historically, Hollywood has had very specific and unattainable goals of beauty. We’re seeing a shift in that sense, and there’s now much more room for what I think beauty is: Authenticity.
Q: Any beauty tips?
A: I have a few beauty mantras I’ve acquired from friends, family and people I admire over the years. So here they are:
Drink water (it’s good for everything)
Motion is lotion (move your body as much as you can, it needs it!)
Wash your face at night (Charlize Theron says it, so it has to be right?)
Less is more (you don’t need to try all that much)
Don’t talk shit. Not about other people, but especially not about yourself, (keep that negativity out, take a deep breath and move on, life is too damn short.)
Q: Any beauty or body care products you can’t help but recommend?
A: Rose water spray and SPF! My grandma showed me her trick of rose water many years ago and it’s become a staple in my beauty kit. I just spray it during the day on top of make up, under make up, after cleansing my face as a toner, when I’m tired on set, when I’m sad, when I’m happy, basically whenever you need a little reset!
I cannot stress SPF enough!
It’s the biggest gift you’ll give your skin. I love the sun and being outdoors, and I’ve learnt about the damage it can do to my skin. It’s our biggest organ and it deserves the protection.
Q: What more can we expect from you?
A: Tricky question. I really have no idea. Nothing and everything.
As an actor, one of the questions I dread the most is “what’s next”? It’s the logical question when you’re promoting a current project. The problem with that is, half the time, we really don’t know. It’s very hard to have your full year planned out – actually it’s nearly impossible. It’s daunting because I want to be able to answer the question – and I certainly don’t want to come off as unmotivated or lacking ambition. But the truth is, even when you are “having a really good year,” you don’t know how long it’s going to last or what’s going to come next. That’s the trade of the craft. So all I can say is, I really look forward to what the future holds – auditions and all!
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