As a filmmaker, Micaela Wittman has written and will be starring as Remy in the not-yet-released film Remy & Arletta, and last year, she co-wrote Clairevoyant with Arthur De Larroche, which had a June release in the United States, and Micaela was in the cast as Claire. Micaela booked her first professional role in Modern Family, and has since been involved with a number of projects and, in the 2023 release of Shirley, she will be playing Maggie alongside a cast including Regina King, with the film being written and directed by John Ridley. Answering our questions, Micaela chatted to us about writing and starring as Remy in the not-yet-released Remy & Arletta, co-writing Clairevoyant with Arthur De Larroche and being in the cast of the upcoming film Shirley.
Can you tell us about your upcoming film Remy & Arletta and what was it like to write?
Remy & Arletta is the story of two girls in their senior year of high school as they navigate their relationship, and discover whether or not they will lose each other or grow even closer. Being based on a true story, it was really cathartic for me to write. I try not to judge myself when I’m writing, especially since I consider myself an amateur. One of the most important things you can do is not think too much about how your writing will be perceived as you write it. I tried to just let it flow, as unedited and uncensored as possible. I do a lot of my dialogue editing in Adobe Premiere, after the film is made.
You play Remy in the film, what can you say about the character and what is she like to play?
Remy is a shadow version of me. She was uncomfortable to play. She’s insecure, shy, and has a hard time speaking up. She starts to find her voice towards the end of the film, which felt more like me and where I’m at in my life right now. But, those earlier parts took me back to a place of being really insecure in myself, so that was difficult.
What are the upcoming release plans and who do you think the film will appeal to?
I really hope the film will appeal to young women, but, to be honest, I’ve been finding that men resonate with it a lot too. I think it’s an intimate look at the lives of girls that they don’t feel they get to see a lot, or maybe they just relate to it for personal reasons. Either way, I love the response so far. As for the release plans, we’re waiting to see, but I have a feeling it will land with the right company and they’ll help us reach as many people as possible.
Why would you recommend watching Remy & Arletta when it’s released?
Remy & Arletta is a true indie film. I paid for it on my credit cards, but we were still able to make something really beautiful. It’s honest, sometimes to a degree that repels people. But I like that because it means we have something to say. Despite being a niche story about my own life, it’s a universal story. So many girls had their own Remy or Arletta growing up, and I’m happy that we were able to reflect that.
Last year, you co-wrote the film Clairevoyant with Arthur De Larroche, how long were you working on it?
Unlike Remy & Arletta, which was done on a more standard shooting schedule, Clairevoyant was made over many weekends. I edited the footage as we went along, building the story depending on what we had already shot. Overall the process took about seven months.
How would you describe your character Claire and what can you say about the film?
Claire is a bit of an antagonist, but as the story goes on, you (hopefully) learn to love her. She’s insensitive, awkward, and a little clueless, but she means well and is truly trying her best. Finding the meaning of life is a bold task and while she doesn’t go about it in the best way, at least she tries, and that’s why I love her.
Do you remember how you felt seeing the completed project for the first time?
Since I was the one editing Clairevoyant, I saw every rendition of it a hundred times over. But there’s something to be said for playing it on the TV for the first time, without my back hunched over a lagging Adobe Premiere file. I was in a really bad place back then, and making Clairevoyant really helped me to dig myself out of a hole. Seeing it all come together was a dream come true, it was a relief to see that it was actually pretty funny and most of the jokes landed. Sometimes I still can’t believe we did that.
What was it like seeing the viewers’ response to the finished production and what did you enjoy most about working on it with Arthur De Larroche?
I know people say that you’re not supposed to care about validation and all that, but I’m a big proponent of validation. I love it. We are social beings and I think it’s only normal to want to be supported by your tribe. And while there’s a few bad reviews here and there, I’ve mostly been welcomed by an onslaught of supporters who have really nice things to say. Once again, a dream come true. And Arthur is the best! I work with him time and time again for a reason. I think you’ll be seeing a lot more of him as he’s going to be one of the seminal filmmakers of our generation.
How did the two of you start writing together and is it something you plan to continue doing?
We kind of stumbled into it. I was hesitant to write with anyone, because of my past experiences. I was so used to people just saying “no” to all of my ideas, so I thought it wasn’t on the cards for me to create with anyone. I think us working together was a bit of destiny, because it just happened so naturally. We speak the same language when it comes to all this stuff, and anyone who’s a filmmaker knows how special and rare that is.
We understand you’ll be playing Maggie in the 2023 release of Shirley, are you able to say anything about this?
I was so honoured to be able to work with Regina King and John Ridley. I think this is a really important story to tell and I can’t wait for everyone to see it!
Over your acting career so far, you’ve appeared in shows such as The Dropout, Atypical and Teen Wolf, what are some of your highlights over the years?
One of my favourite roles was my role in Modern Family. There’s nothing like that first booking. I moved to “Hollywood” from a small town in Arizona, and when you get to tell all your family and friends that you’re going to be on TV, it feels like you’re famous, even if you just have a couple of lines! And it was really validating just to know that I was doing the right thing by coming out here. That role meant a lot to me in that way.
Where does your love of acting and filmmaking come from and how did you start in the industry?
When I was little and something bad happened, the only thing that got me through was pretending that I was in a movie. That whatever bad thing was happening wasn’t actually happening to me, but to someone else, a character I was playing. That’s kind of what Remy & Arletta is. All those bad things that I couldn’t believe were happening at the time, turned into something with a higher purpose. Once again, there’s a bit of that destiny element in there. Acting was going to find me anyway it could, even through the minutiae of doing a dramatic reading of The Odyssey in 8th grade, or being a guest host on our school’s morning video announcements, or doing an educational play about brushing your teeth. I felt the pull in all those moments.
Do you have any favourite films and TV shows to watch?
Right now I’m making my way through Malcolm in the Middle. My all-time favourite film is The Secret Garden.
How do you like to spend your time away from your career?
I tend to get bored when I’m not working on something. But, I like to visit New York because there’s always so much going on there. I hope to move there one day.
Have you got any other upcoming acting or writing plans that you can tell us about?
There are a couple of irons in the fire, but I can’t say for sure what will be next. Whatever it is, I’m sure it will be awesome!
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