New Zealand-born actress, writer and producer Amber Lily Butterworth, who was raised in Switzerland from the age of two, is steadily building a multifaceted career across film, both in front of and behind the camera. She stars as Kaiah Shaffer in the upcoming horror-thriller ‘It Goes on All Fours’, following previous screen work including ‘Sparrow’s Call’ and ‘I Could Kill’, as well as acting in the feature ‘Moss & Freud’. As her career continues to develop, Butterworth is also expanding her creative work into producing and directing, driven by a long-standing fascination with every aspect of filmmaking. Here, she reflects on discovering acting as a child, the projects that have shaped her career so far, and why storytelling remains at the heart of everything she does.
Amber Lily, can you tell us how your acting journey began and what inspired you to pursue a career as an actress?
My acting journey started very young. At the age of four, I developed a stutter, and my mum had the brilliant idea of sending me to acting classes. Little did she know that she was essentially setting the course for the rest of my life. From then on, acting was always something I instinctively knew I was going to pursue. I also grew up watching films with my dad that I was definitely far too young to be watching, and I completely fell in love with cinema. I loved how a film could make you feel understood in your emotions. Films have always made me feel less alone in mine, and that’s really all I’ve ever wanted to do as an actress: make an audience feel seen, understood or simply a little less alone.
Which projects have been the most significant in your career to date, and why?
I’ve been incredibly lucky with the projects I’ve worked on so early in my career. ‘Moss & Freud’ was a big stepping stone because I got to experience the inner workings of a much larger production and work alongside some brilliant actors, including one of my best friends, Ellie Bamber. Watching someone you know so well completely transform into a character is quite surreal and incredibly inspiring. But starring in ‘It Goes on All Fours’ has definitely been the most significant experience so far. Carrying such a substantial role in a film and really living with a character is a beast of an opportunity, in the best possible way. You spend months getting to know this imaginary person inside out, and then suddenly filming ends and you’re expected to just… move on with your life. No one really prepares you for the strange sense of grief that comes with leaving a character behind.
Is there one particular film or role that you feel marked an important turning point in your career as an actress?
Definitely ‘It Goes on All Fours’. It challenged me enormously, both as an actress and as a person. Going that deeply into a character inevitably brings up parts of yourself too. There was imposter syndrome, a few ego deaths, plenty of questioning myself and all the glamorous parts of being an actress! But somewhere within that process, I learnt an enormous amount about who I am, not only as an actress, but as a person and as a woman. I think the best characters leave you slightly different from how they found you, and this one certainly did.
Alongside acting, you also work as a producer. Can you tell us a little about your work behind the camera and what drew you to producing?
I am a complete film nerd, so fully immersing myself in every part of filmmaking was probably inevitable. If there’s an aspect of cinema I can get my hands on, I’m going to want to try it. Last year, I had the opportunity to executive produce ‘Borghese’. It had an incredible cast and crew, and I was initially drawn to its visual world, particularly the fashion and costume design we had access to. It was such a wonderful introduction to producing because it made me appreciate just how many moving parts have to come together to make a film. I loved being involved in shaping the bigger picture from the outside in. In return, I feel as though the experience has also benefited my performance and professionalism as an actress. Understanding what is happening behind the camera gives you a much broader appreciation of everyone’s role in bringing a project to life.
What can you tell us about your upcoming projects, and what should audiences look out for next?
I’m incredibly excited for ‘It Goes on All Fours’ to be released and for people to see what we created. There’s something slightly terrifying, but also very exciting, about finally handing something you’ve lived with for so long over to an audience. I’m also developing a documentary about the America’s Cup, which is especially personal because the story forms part of my family history. I’ll be directing and producing it, and we’re working with North Sails as a sponsor, which has been an amazing vote of confidence in the project. For me, acting, producing and directing all come back to the same thing: I’m obsessed with storytelling. Whether I’m in front of the camera or behind it, I just want to make things that make an audience as excited to watch them as I am to make them.
Featured photo credit: Sophia Do
