We have watched Storm Reid grow right before our eyes into a super talented young lady. Recently, the Suicide Squad actress sat down with intheknow.com to talk about her decision to embark upon the next phase in life-college.
Reid tells the news outlet that, “[she] is going to try it out,” when it comes to starting her freshman year at USC. Take a look at a snippet of what else the budding future coed had to say in the interview below.
Elaine Welteroth: I feel like you’re going to be in class with people who are going to be like, “Yo, is that Storm?” [Laughs] Is that stressful?
Storm Reid: That’s going to be so uncomfortable and embarrassing for me. Cause like, even when I’m out in public, I’ll totally forget. I’ll be at Target with my family, and somebody will come up to me, and I’m like, “Oh, you know me?” That’s so weird. I’m grateful for it. But it’s just a new experience. It’s not like I’m one of those people who is out to be recognized. I hope everybody at school is chill about it.
Elaine: So one of the reasons that I love you, Storm, is because you are what I would like to call a student of life. Not only are you enrolling in college and going off to learn more academically, but you are someone who is generally wide-eyed, always absorbing everything around you and you’re maximizing every moment. You’re showing up fully as yourself. You’re getting the most out of every room that you enter. And I love that about you. Where did you get that confidence and curiosity from?
Storm: Thank you for those sentiments. I think everybody thinks like, “Oh, Storm is so confident. She has it all figured out.” But my favorite thing to say is, “I’m a new 18-year-old that has nothing figured out.” Like day-to-day, I’m trying to figure out who I am, what I want to do. But I think it really started at home with the people around me continuously pouring into me, and not in a cocky way, but letting me know that I am great. And I do deserve to be in rooms, and I do deserve to take up space, and make [a] change and make opportunities for myself and other people.
Elaine: That’s really beautiful. Speaking of you as a student of life, you have the most epic teachers, from Ava DuVernay to Oprah, to Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling — the list goes on and on. So, this might be hard to answer, but what would you say is one of the best lessons that you’ve learned from these teachers who have also become guardians of your light?
Storm: Miss Oprah told me this while we were having a conversation when we were filming “Wrinkle [In Time]”; she said, “Don’t waste energy on things you can’t change in life when you can be using that energy on something else positive in your life.” I think I was 13 at the time, so to now be 18 and have that piece of advice really, really has helped me to think about the good things and not waste energy on the things that you can’t change. Cause if you can’t change it, then why are you wasting time on it?
Elaine: That’s a word. One person we have in common as a fairy godmother of sorts in the industry is Ava [DuVernay]. I remember meeting you on the red carpet of “A Wrinkle In Time.” You were this breakout star Ava had gushed about and said how much she loved you and that you are the next big thing. I love how when she finds somebody that she believes in, she supports you 1000%.
Storm: There are a lot of people in this world that get these amazing opportunities, and then they leave people behind or don’t try to keep the elevator open for other people. Miss Ava is putting her hands at the elevator door, and she’s like, “Come in, come in, come in.” So that’s why she’s so blessed in my opinion.
To read the interview in its entirety, click here. If you haven’t seen Suicide Squad, it is now streaming on HBO Max!
