Diana Silvers thought she "bombed" her audition for ‘Ma’.
The 21-year-old actress feared she’d blown the chance of a role in Tate Taylor’s psychological horror when she read for her part without knowing all of her lines, however, Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer – who plays the film’s titular role – was the person who pushed for her to be cast as Maggie Thompson.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, she said: "Truthfully, I didn’t think I was going to get the part, there were three scenes I was supposed to prepare. I only thought there were two, so I had to cold read the third scene. I thought I bombed the audition. Octavia was just so encouraging, and she really wanted me to be Maggie.
The ‘Booksmart’ star’s alter ego Maggie is a teenage girl who befriends a lonely middle-aged woman who calls herself Ma and starts partying in her basement with her friends, however, when Ma’s hospitality soon starts to curdle into obsession, she begins meddling in the teenagers’ lives with murderous consequences.
Diana went on to explain that although she has experience in front of the camera thanks to her modelling career, she was "nervous" about exploring the Blumhouse film on an "intellectual, emotional and physical level".
She said: Obviously, modelling and acting are very different. With acting, there’s just so much more to explore on an intellectual, emotional and physical level, especially with Ma.
"I was nervous, and I was just trying my best to be present and learn as much as I could from Tate, Juliette (Lewis) and Octavia.
"I’m definitely grateful that I’ve been able to work with a company that has given me a solid start to my career, a company I hope to work with again in the future, maybe even as the director or writer."