Currently under the spotlight for her impeccable portrayal as ‘Maisie Lockwood’ in the worldwide sensation “Jurassic World: Dominion”, 15-year-old Isabella Sermon joins ReVamp as our latest cover star giving us insights into her phenomenal acting journey, how it was like working alongside Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern and the phenomenal cast affiliated with this project as well as her future plans. 

Hi there, Isabella. Thank you for joining us on ReVamp! So lovely to have you! How are you doing? How is 2022 treating you so far?

I’m doing well! I’m actually doing my GCSEs at the moment so I have been quite busy. 

Before delving into your wonderful acting career so far, I’d like to ask you what was it initially brought you closer to the field of entertainment?

I think the first time I discovered that I liked acting was when I was in either year four or five. We put on a play in our school of the famous Roald Dahl’s ‘James and the Giant Peach’. I played James and I really enjoyed it. I think that was one of the moments which made me realize that I actually enjoyed acting.

You will soon be reprising your role as ‘Maisie Lockwood’ in the upcoming movie ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’. Huge congratulations on that! What can you tell us about your character within the film as well as the overall project?

Maisie has definitely grown up from what we saw her as at the end of ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’. She was a lot younger and four years have passed (from the previous movie) so now we can see her as a teenager. She’s trying to figure out her place in the world obviously because she’s a clone. She has become very curious and quite rebellious. Being a teenager we can see her kind of wanting to do her own thing. 

Were you previously a fan of the Jurassic Park movies? 

I actually was! I watched them when I was very little. I was probably five or six, actually quite young to watch it. (laughs) 

I remember I really liked ‘Jurassic Park’ as when I was little I really liked dinosaurs. I had a lot of toy dinosaurs around the house so it’s actually quite funny that I played with these toy dinosaurs growing up and now I’m getting to work with big CGI dinosaurs. 

What was it really that made you accept this project and how did you initially react when you found out you got the role?

I think for me, Maisie is quite similar to me. Obviously, I’m not a clone (laughs). She’s an only child which I related to and she was the same age as me. She had a lot of traits that were similar to me growing up, like how she was very curious.

I remember when I found out I got the role. It was an email that arrived on Christmas Eve and my mum decided to wait and tell me that I got the part on Christmas day which was so funny and it felt like that moment was something out of a film. What a great Christmas present! (laughs) 

At such a young age, you have already been a part of one of the most beloved movie franchises of all time. How do you manage to balance your professional and personal life when it comes to elements like time management?

At the moment, I believe it’s especially difficult because I’m doing press for the film and I’m also doing exams so it’s quite a little bit to balance. My education is important to me and so is my work so I believe even though it might be a little difficult, I don’t mind balancing both of these since I want to invest my time in both of these elements equally. If I didn’t want one thing as much as the other, then it might be a lot harder to balance things out.

How is this anticipation period going for you? Feeling nervous or excited? What sort of reaction are you looking forward to receiving from the fans in terms of this project? 

I am very excited about this film coming out since we filmed it all the way back in 2020. It was meant to come out in 2021 but we had to push it a year so I was waiting for this film to come out for such a long time! I’m extremely eager for my family and my friends to see the movie as well. I hope the people are excited about this film as well because there are a lot of dinosaurs in it (laughs) and a lot of action. It’s actually quite unbelievable having the original 'Jurassic Park' cast back together teaming up with the 'Jurassic World' cast. 

What’s your best memory on set? How was your experience like working with the phenomenal Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, and all the talented people affiliated with the movie? Any memorable behind the scenes you’d like to share with your fans?

I remember one scene that comes right at the very end of the movie. It was with me, Chris Pratt, and Bryce Dallas Howard and we were sitting around this campfire. We had to make s’mores and as a Brit, I don’t make a lot of s’mores because it’s quite an American thing. (laughs) So, they had to teach me how to make these s’mores and of course, I was trying really hard not to get it wrong. I just wanted to make the s’mores right and I remember I made mine and I gave a little pinch to it and it burst all over my face. I also think we might have that on camera if you ever watch the tape. 

I believe working with Chris, Bryce, Jeff, Laura and everyone was extremely exciting. I worked with Chris and Bryce before on the previous film and it was really exciting coming back to the set especially now since we were a little bit older. It was so fun to work with the same cast as well as the original ‘Jurassic Park’ cast. I think I learned a lot on set and during this journey. 

What are your plans for 2022? Is there anything on your bucket list that you want to achieve by the end of this year?

I’m extremely excited about the summer since I’ll finish my exams by the 23rd of June so it will be like a nice little break for me. I’d also like to go to some plays, concerts, and festivals since I wasn’t able to attend them due to the pandemic. Can’t wait to go out and do all of those things!

Lastly, is there any message that you wish to convey to your fans and supporters reading this interview right now?

I really hope that all of you go and see the film. Thank you for all your support! I think the best place to go and see the film would be on an IMAX so you should definitely consider seeing it on the big screen if you can. I hope you enjoy the film! 

Jurassic World: Dominion is now in cinemas!