Most recently, Mila Harris played Young Mary in the Netflix biblical story MARY, which released on December 6th, with Mila sharing the role with Noa Cohen, and Anthony Hopkins playing King Herod. MARY went to #1 around the world, and Mila, alongside the rest of the cast and director, attended the red carpet premiere event in Los Angeles. Previous projects for Mila have seen her play Young Gracie in feature film The Hill, portray Young Karen Broberg in TV series A Friend of the Family, film during COVID in New Zealand for her role of Jay in the Hulu thriller film No Exit, and have a guest role in the Nickelodeon series Young Dylan as Abigail. While filming for MARY on location in Morocco, Mila found out she’d be playing Rosie in the upcoming feature film World-Breaker opposite Luke Evans, Milla Jovovich and Billie Boullet, and filming wrapped last year in Northern Ireland. Mila will also be seen playing lead role Chloe in the upcoming suspense thriller feature film Coyote alongside her on-screen parents Justin Long and Kate Bosworth, and she has just returned from filming in Colombia. We chatted to Mila, who spoke about playing Young Mary in the biblical story MARY on Netflix, being announced to play Rosie in the upcoming feature film World-Breaker and filming for the future release of suspense thriller Coyote.

Your most-recently released project – MARY – premiered on Netflix on December 6th, how did you prepare for taking on the role of Young Mary?

It was a journey getting to know Young Mary when there is very little text about her childhood written down and not much in scriptures about her at this age. I really had to take the basic info we know about her like the family she came from, her daily life and journey to the temple, and her unique story of Jesus’ birth and the Angel’s message about her destiny. From that, I tried to just think about what a girl under those circumstances would feel like, and what I would feel like and then use that for the character.

Can you tell us about the film, and how was it telling the biblical story?

MARY is sort of an origin story of the most famous female in history, Mary – the mother of Jesus. This film gives the world one version based on historical research of what it may have been like living as Mary during the time leading up to the birth of Jesus. Everyone knows the story of the nativity, but it has never really been told what Mary’s life may have looked like and what it was like living with that destiny. It’s special in that way and anytime you are telling a story from the Bible, it’s a lot of pressure to make sure you get it as right as possible.

What was it like sharing the role with Noa Cohen and being in the cast, which includes Anthony Hopkins as Herod?

The cast was amazing! Noa was so special. She was like an older sister, and we really tried to make sure our versions of Mary were different for the ages we played and the moments Mary lived in at the time but also that there were little things that you could recognise from her personality that remained as she aged. And OMG, Anthony Hopkins was an absolute dream to work with! He is the sweetest man on and off set and would give me big hugs when I would run into him at dinner at the hotel. I learned so much from him and every time he was in character, it felt like the entire set would get very still and all eyes were on him because he just has such a presence. He brought humanity to King Herod but at the same time you see Herod’s slow decline as he is going mad.

How has it been seeing the fan response to the release of MARY and why would you recommend watching it?

The fans are so great; we have been absolutely floored to see so many people moved and seeing it hit #1 around the world. It is absolutely a great film to gather the family around, and I am very proud having helped bring the story to screen!

What was it like attending the red carpet premiere event in Los Angeles?

A dream! Netflix knows how to throw a party for sure, and I love any occasion to get dressed up, but the best part was seeing the director and the cast again!

It has been announced that you will be playing Rosie in the upcoming feature film World-Breaker opposite Luke Evans, Milla Jovovich and Billie Boullet, how did you feel finding out you had booked the role?

Oh my gosh, it was awesome! Funny enough, I was on the set of MARY in Morocco when I found out I’d be going straight to Northern Ireland afterwards to film World-Breaker, so I was excited to stay working and to change up the scenery after three months in the desert, rainy and green Ireland was a fun change!

How was it meeting the cast for the first time and how has filming been going?

The cast was so great! Funny story, when I first got to set and was introduced to Luke Evans, I didn’t even recognise him because of his look and wardrobe but after a double take I was like OMG! He is so warm and friendly, and I just loved watching him work. And Billie was brilliant and crushed her role. I was so happy to film scenes with her and we just got along so well, I really connected with her. Filming wrapped last year and I can’t wait for everyone to get to see it as well!

Is there anything you can tell us about World-Breaker, and what are you looking forward to for the release?

I’m not sure what I can say much about World-Breaker but I will say this, it’s not a story you have ever seen before! There are plenty of end of the world thrillers but this one is truly unique and has it all! Jumps and scares but also full of heart! Funny enough, World-Breaker is a story of how the world ended and MARY was the complete opposite and was about the world beginning. I really enjoyed getting to play the opposite in each.

Can you tell us about your time filming as Young Gracie in The Hill?

Yes, The Hill was another inspirational story based on true characters, so it was a film where we had to tell the true story but add our own creativity too! My character Young Gracie played an important part in developing the story of Ricky and who he becomes later in life and his love of baseball. It was Gracie’s belief in Ricky that started the whole story in motion, so I was very happy to play such an important positive part and really got to play around with a Southern accent.

How was it getting into character as Young Karen Broberg in A Friend of the Family and what was the series like to be part of?

That was a fun one to film because even though there was a lot of dark content in the series, I filmed it in Atlanta, close to home and alongside two other kids close to my age, which was great! I sometimes am the only kid on set so it’s always nice to have friends with me! Again, a true story, so we had to do justice to the real characters we were portraying.

How did you find the experience working on the Hulu thriller film No Exit as Jay?

This was a dream role! No “young” version of the lead, just Jay, her own special and unique backstory to tell. We filmed this during COVID in New Zealand and so the cast all had to move over there for nearly four months, which brought us all so close together like family. I play a young girl that is kidnapped, and the story follows a girl Darby that gets stuck in a travel lodge in the middle of the Redwood Forest with four other strangers in the middle of a blizzard. She discovers my character trapped and tied up in the back of a van and has to figure out who in the lodge is the kidnapper! It’s an edge of your seat thriller that goes totally off the rails and keeps the audience guessing, just when they think they know who done it!

What was it like having a guest role in Series 1 of Young Dylan for Nickelodeon in 2020 as Abigail?

This was my first real role and what a way to start working under the director Tyler Perry! This is such a fun show; I was so young, and I had a blast!

How did you get into acting and was it something you always wanted to do?

Yes, I’ve always wanted to be an actress. It started from the time I was little when I would make videos with my iPad and dress up my dogs and make them characters in a story! My parents encouraged me to do theatre, and it took off from there. I’m naturally empathetic and I’m told a little dramatic so it’s really a good fit. I’m blessed to be able to do something I love and tell stories as a career!

What are some of your favourite films and TV shows to watch?

Gosh, I have so many! I guess right now I’m loving Wicked like the rest of the world, and just adore the characters in that film. I’m also a fan of M. Night Shyamalan films; I love suspense thrillers with plot twists and deep meanings! I hope to work with him one day. Another hope of mine would be one day to portray a superhero or a supervillain!

How do you like to spend your time away from acting?

Like most teenagers, I love hanging out with my friends and shopping. I also love cheerleading and stunting, my dog Lulu, and travelling the world with my mom and dad.

Apart from World-Breaker, do you have any further projects coming up that you can tell us about, and what are you hoping 2025 brings for you?

Well, I just returned from filming a movie in Bogota, Colombia called Coyote with Justin Long and Kate Bosworth, who are the absolute best! I play the lead role of their daughter named Chloe, who is a rebellious teenager with a little spunk but a big heart and loves animals. The family gets trapped in their home after a wildfire breaks out and a pack of wild coyotes go on the attack, so it’s a survive the night suspense thriller that was so much fun to make! Coyote is a wild ride, so I can’t wait to see the audience reaction to this!

For 2025, I hope to stay busy creating and seeing more of the world!

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