A British Independent Film Award winner. A Screen International Star of Tomorrow. But 22-year-old Safia Oakley-Green is only just getting started. We talk to the talented Television Workshopper about her upcoming film Out of Darkness and dive into the easy topic of what she wants to achieve in her career…
“It’s all about choices,” Safia Oakley-Green, the talented Television Workshop graduate, ponders when thinking about where her career could go and what motivates her. And, with a British Independent Film Award already to her name, as well a spot on this year’s Screen International Stars of Tomorrow list, it’s safe to say that the 22-year-old, who’s still yet to finish her Psychology degree, has already made some excellent ones.
With credits including Extraordinary, The Burning Girl, The Lazarus Project and Sherwood, she’s worked with stars like Paapa Essiedu and Lesley Manville, worked for directors like Claire McCarthy and worked within genres ranging from horror to comedy, sci-fi to drama.
Yet does this early success add extra pressure for what’s to come? Is it stressful knowing that audiences, casting agents and directors will expect more from you as an award winner? Or is this just the thought process of a textbook overthinker, like a certain LeftLion writer who shall not be named? Well, as it goes, it’s probably the latter - as it’s certainly not something that’s fazing Oakley-Green.
“I'm obviously so grateful to receive that recognition,” she says with a smile. “When you're acting, especially when you’re relatively new to acting, it can be so easy to not have a lot of confidence in what you do. I don't know… that’s the case for me, anyway. So it feels really wonderful to receive that recognition. When you are so vulnerable in this job, it is nice to have someone go, ‘That looks good.’
“But I wouldn't say it adds any pressure, purely because both the BIFA Breakthrough award and Star of Tomorrow are specific to actors on the way to a potentially strong career, so it feels more like, ‘Okay, great, I'm on the right track.’ But I think if someone lands their first film and they win an Oscar or something like that, that could be a lot of pressure. This doesn't feel like that. This one feels like a confidence boost to keep going.”
My dream is just doing jobs that make me happy and taking on challenging characters that feel human
Does this taste of early success act as a motivator for more, though? Is this whole thing about one day experiencing that post-Oscar pressure? For Oakley-Green, in true Television Workshop fashion, the focus is more on telling powerful stories than taking home major awards. “I think my dream is just doing jobs that make me happy or stories that I want to be involved in, taking on challenging characters that feel human,” she muses. “And in terms of recognition for those types of things, I don't mind. Whatever happens, happens. I’m definitely more interested in stories that are solid and are interesting. So I think that's something I really aspire to.
“I look at people who I admire, and I think of Hayley Squires - she's done very specific, really fascinating things - or Florence Pugh’s early career. They took on really cool projects that are a bit weird and are really interesting. That’s what draws me to roles.”
For an actor whose inspiration to get into the field was I, Daniel Blake, this all checks out. Like Ken Loach’s typically loaded 2016 outing, Oakley-Green has already starred in releases that post powerful questions, like dark feminist thriller The Origin (recently renamed Out of Darkness for its upcoming cinematic release), historical LGBTQ+ horror Requiem and a winding, crime-ridden socio-political statement in Sherwood. And ending up on projects that offer more than just entertainment is no coincidence.
“I think it's really important to tell stories that get people thinking,” asserts Oakley-Green. “The Origin, for example, really picks on things like the patriarchy and sexual abuse and assault and all of these heavy, heavy, horrible themes - but it was such a crucial story to tell, and it's so unique with it being a prehistoric horror film. And then Sherwood is obviously massively politically based around the miners’ strikes, and that was really important. So there is always a reason behind the projects that I take. Although, the more socially or politically involved it is, the more scared you are, sometimes, because it feels like a bit of a responsibility.”
It’s not all about taking on these heavy responsibilities and tackling heavy subjects, though. Oakley-Green has starred in light-hearted superhero flicks like Extraordinary and taken part in twisty sci-fi shenanigans in The Lazarus Project, and one glimpse at the actor’s social media will show that she’s focused on having fun with her career, too. “It's such a brilliant job to do,” she says, “and I think if I was miserable all the time, it wouldn't be what it is. On any set, most of the time those people are your family. They are like your best mates for that period of time, if you're lucky, so of course it is about having fun. You obviously take it seriously and do your job, do what you're paid to do, but it’s also key to have those moments of lightness and go, ‘This, on set, is real life, and this, on camera, is pretend.’”
Of course, there’s no one more fun than us Notts lot. We’re great, let’s be real. And luckily for Oakley-Green, she works with a lot of local talent. From Bella Ramsey in Requiem to Anjli Mohindra in The Lazarus Project, Samantha Morton in The Burning Girls to every Nottinghamian and their nan in Sherwood, she can’t escape them - and there’s no better set than one chock full of East Midlanders. “It's always amazing when you work with someone who went through the Workshop, because you've already got that shorthand with each other. You just suddenly feel at home. I’m so lucky that on almost all my projects, there have been Workshoppers, which is so cool - they’re everywhere.”
It's always amazing when you work with someone who went through the Television Workshop, because you've already got that shorthand with each other. You just suddenly feel at home
As well as proving fun to work with, the talent and achievements of these Workshoppers also provide the alum with a motivator to push on and do more exciting projects, develop her skill set further and, whisper it, maybe even take home some more of those ‘award’ things. “When I was training at the Workshop, they did these brochures every year that would list all the actors who have done well, alongside their achievements, and there would be this person winning a BAFTA and this person winning a BAFTA. So, yeah, if I could be one of those to bring home a BAFTA for Workshop one day, that wouldn’t be too bad,” she finishes with a grin.
With a killer work ethic, gripping screen presence and the ability to jump from one genre to the other with ease, we think it’s the least she can achieve. After finishing that degree, of course. Education is always important, kids.
Out of Darkness is set to release in cinemas in February 2024
We have a favour to ask
LeftLion is Nottingham’s meeting point for information about what’s going on in our city, from the established organisations to the grassroots. We want to keep what we do free to all to access, but increasingly we are relying on revenue from our readers to continue. Can you spare a few quid each month to support us?
