Susie Abromeit: In Bloom & On a Roll

I realized how important it is to be in nature. It feels so healthy, and you can hear your own thoughts and not the hum of the city and thousands of external forces. I can see the stars at night. Connecting to yourself and God, listening to that inner voice, that’s the place to start. Photography by Storm Santos. Styling by Anna Schilling / Glam by Kimberly Bragalone for Exclusive Artists

Susie Abromeit, most known for her title role in Marvel’s series “Jessica Jones,” unravels the true character of the actor behind the proverbial curtain. Getting deep, meaningful, and a little dreamy, she plucks the petals (“loves me, loves me not”) of what matters most in life, creating the image of “Love in Bloom.”

South magazine: We really need a feel-good flick and we hear one is ‘in bloom’ having premiered Aug 27. Why is this film the good vibe we need right now? 

Susie Abromeit: Love is what helps my character Amelia Hart blossom. It’s so true that on the journey of discovery and self-love, we find ourselves becoming more of who we really are. This is so relevant while we’re all trying to redefine ourselves post pandemic, how we fit in this new world, and what the most beautiful version of who we are can be – letting go and opening ourselves up to love.

S: From your role in “Love in Bloom” to most-familiar, the Jessica Jones series, what’s your favorite kind of project and what appeals to you about it most? 

SA: I love telling honest, soul-baring stories. Understanding humanity is where I love to exist, being fully available, accessing every part of me and expressing it in storytelling like in “Diving Normal.’’ With “Love in Bloom” and “Much Ado About Christmas,” I felt so free in the spirit of those characters. That’s where you come alive and where the audience feels it too, where they get to come alive in a shared experience.

S: Actors are often merged mercilessly with the roles they play but getting to know the gal behind the glam – what’s a bit of Susie that broad audiences may not know?

SA: I’m everything and nothing of the characters I play. I try to put my soul into it and find the truth within that character. I really feel what Jim Carrey says, that we can be anyone at any given point with a given set of circumstances. We are all deeply complex and multifaceted with unique pairings and contradictions. We can all paint with multiple colors. My aim is to use the gifts God gave me to be an extension and embodiment of light and love within the personality he gave me.

S:  We hear there’s also a tune in bloom – tell us how “Slow Your Roll” did anything but. 

SA: My gym coach in high school heard me singing in the stairwell and asked me to sing the national anthem for our school’s basketball games. Six months later, I was almost signed to Atlantic records, had a top-requested song, another song on the radio with Fat Joe called “Slow your Roll,” and booked my first role as a female rapper in a Lionsgate film.

S: Mental health at long last has found its light. What prompted your move to Utah, how are things going, and what words of encouragement do you have for someone who needs to find their own square-state state of mind?

SA: I realized how important it is to be in nature. It feels so healthy, and you can hear your own thoughts and not the hum of the city and thousands of external forces. I can see the stars at night. Connecting to yourself and God, listening to that inner voice, that’s the place to start.

S: Boundaries are big! They also melt under the hot lights of Hollywood. How do you keep them, and do you have tips for others to do the same? 

SA: Knowing who you are makes it easier to feel comfortable to have boundaries, learn from your mistakes, and to say ‘no’ which isn’t easy. That and aligning with God and the divine, that’s where self-respect, love, and forgiveness all exist, where you don’t take it personally when someone hurts you. You realize it’s their own pain and trauma that get in the way of being on that path of love and we can all get off the path or choose to be on it.

S: Your good work (on screen) is backed up by your good will (not the thrift store). Let readers know about Represent.us and Not For Sale, how you got involved, and how others can help.

SA: I got a chance to work with Not for Sale, an organization doing the heavy lifting of giving support and tools to people vulnerable to human trafficking. I’m also on the creative council represent.us, working across the aisle on anti-corruption laws that put power back into the hands of “we the people,” because it’s all of us in this world together. It’s not just me, “it’s we.”

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