Naomi Scott Talks 'Smile 2', Mental Health, and the Entertainment Industry - INTERVIEW

Many shadows loomed large over the press junket for 'Smile 2.' The follow-up to 2022's smash hit, 'Smile,' the second franchise installment goes bigger, focusing on the fictional superstar, Skye Riley, played by British actress Naomi Scott.

When Scott sat down with Latin Times to talk about the new film on Friday, October 18, she tried her hardest to steer the conversation away from real life. However, it was pretty much impossible. It was two days after the death of One Direction member Liam Payne, and the first night of Taylor Swift's stop in Miami for her Eras Tour.

It was also the same day the film opened with amazing reviews and box office numbers that improved those of the very successful first film of the saga. Without meaning to release any spoilers, Payne, Swift and many more pop stars came to mind while we were watching 'Smile 2' in an advance screening in order to prepare for the interview.

'Smile' and the perils of the music industry

In the film, the famous pop star, Skye Riley, is focusing on preparing for a comeback tour after suffering from addiction and grief when she contracts the 'Smile' curse and has to figure out whether her singing career is worth her life.

As she realizes she is unfit due to the curse to carry on with her comeback tour, Riley must come to terms with disappointing the people around her as well as the fans who continue to support her after a breakdown.

"She's just human," Scott told me. "We're all lots of different things, and lots of different things can be true at once. So she is simultaneously selfish but she's also completely sacrificing herself for Skye, the brand." The question was about her own line, the one she wouldn't cross to preserve her health, when pressed by the demands of a business whose mantra is 'the show must go on'.

Scott likely knows this better than anyone, as a singer as well as an actress, she has seen the highs and lows of fame since starring in the iconic Disney Channel 2011 original musical film, 'Lemonade Mouth.' And, of course she would pivot it to her character, but at the end she did give me some insight on her own experience in the entertainment industry.

For 'Smile 2,' she not only acts as Riley but sings as her as well, with Interscope Records releasing 'Smile 2: The Skye Riley EP,' featuring six songs of Scott performing as Riley.

More than anything, the film is about Skye Riley and who she is. We see her at her worst multiple times throughout the film and as the 'Smile' curse torments her with her insecurities and regrets, we get a special insight into the mind of the fictional singer.

Who protects the artist?

As it happens to the main character in 'Smile 2', Scott admits that the exploitation of the artist is a real thing. "There is no one around her that's going 'I don't care about this. I don't care about that.' Your health comes first." Scott added.

Of course, without her powerhouse performance, these insights would not matter. She quite literally carries the weight of the film on her shoulders, as, except for the intense one-take opening scene Scott is in every scene of the film.

The movie carries over writer-director Parker Finn's style of disorienting camera angles and an eerie musical score, as well as one would expect for a film named after a facial expression, a focus on the faces of characters.

Sinister smiles surround Skye Riley, but it's her face that gets the most focus, in moments of brief happiness, utter blood-soaked horror, or deep melancholy, Scott successfully brings all of that emotion to her face throughout the film and makes the audience feel what she's feeling on the downward spiral she goes through throughout the film.

You can watch the full interview here and see 'Smile 2' in theaters now.