AceShowbiz - The Drama offers a bold new chapter for Alana Haim, showcasing her range and readiness to dive into complex roles. Earlier this year, the musician-turned-actress, a devoted fan of the Bravo franchise Real Housewives, playfully channeled that energy in a unique promotional stunt. Alongside her co-star Zendaya, Haim unexpectedly DJ’d a wedding party in Las Vegas, decked out in sparkly attire including a fedora and tie. Fans quickly compared her look to the iconic Countess Luann from Real Housewives of New York City. While the homage was unintentional, Haim embraced the comparison with pride, calling it her “fedora-over-one-eye, Countess Luann era.”

The influence of Real Housewives also informed Haim’s sharp and acidic performance in The Drama, an A24 black comedy written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli (Dream Scenario). This project marks a departure from her earlier debut in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza, where she portrayed a lost 20-something with subtle nuance. Now, Haim is fully immersing herself in a variety of acting challenges, describing herself as “the vessel” soaking up everything the craft demands. In a Hollywood studio green room, she wore a casual tee, far from the glamorous Housewives aesthetic, yet her performance captures that intensity perfectly.

The Drama centers on a soon-to-be-married couple, Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson), with a pivotal dinner scene involving their friends Mike (Mamoudou Athie) and Rachel (Haim). During this tense gathering, the group plays a revealing prenuptial game, confessing their worst misdeeds over orange wine. Each revelation unsettles the group, but Emma’s final confession drastically shifts the dynamics of friendship and love, unsettling Rachel the most and pushing the narrative into darker territory.

This role places Haim in an unexpectedly antagonistic position. Director Borgli revealed that he actively pursued Haim for the role of Rachel, impressed by how quickly she connected with the character’s hidden turmoil. Haim relished the complexity, describing the role as a cathartic outlet for decades of bottled-up emotions. Though her character unleashes fury upon the gentle Zendaya, Haim found the experience emotionally freeing despite the intensity on set.

Her work in The Drama further solidifies Haim’s growing reputation for versatility, especially given her limited but impactful filmography. Following Licorice Pizza’s 2021 release, she earned critical acclaim including best-actress nominations from BAFTA and the Golden Globes. Haim reflects daily on the transformative experience of that film, acknowledging it as “the greatest time” of her life and a defining milestone. She fondly remembers sharing the journey with co-star Cooper Hoffman, who is also poised for a breakout year with upcoming projects from prominent directors like Luca Guadagnino and Olivia Wilde. Haim admires Hoffman’s rise, hoping he stars in “5 million movies.”

Despite the momentum from her acting debut, Haim chose to return to her musical roots rather than immediately pursue more acting roles. Along with her sisters Este and Danielle, she toured extensively with their band Haim on the One More Haim tour before releasing their album I Quit in June of last year. Although she maintained a low profile in film, she did take a small role in Anderson’s upcoming project One Battle After Another. This appearance sparked attention, especially due to a memorable scene where her blonde bob wig flies off during an action sequence, creating numerous memes. Haim jokes about the challenges of controlling the wig, which sometimes required resetting takes.

Attending the Oscars with Anderson to celebrate the success of One Battle After Another was a deeply emotional experience for Haim. She recalls holding one of Anderson’s Oscars and being overwhelmed by the night’s achievements, describing herself as “a ball of emotion” who cried throughout the ceremony.

After a four-year hiatus from filming apart from Anderson’s projects, Haim was deliberate about choosing roles that would challenge her. She was fortunate to have the stability of her music career while waiting for the right opportunities. Two such projects arrived simultaneously: The Mastermind, a period heist film directed by Kelly Reichardt and starring Josh O’Connor, and The Drama. These marked Haim’s first films without Anderson’s direction, and production schedules required her to shoot both back-to-back. She traveled extensively for filming, starting in Cincinnati for The Mastermind where she played a 1970s wife and mother, then moving to Boston for The Drama, before returning to Ohio and the East Coast to complete both films.

The experience of switching between such contrasting roles was intense. Haim describes the mental shift from playing a 1970s mom focused on family stability in The Mastermind to embodying a modern, volatile, Real Housewives-inspired character in The Drama as a “crazy mind warp.” The former film premiered at Cannes last fall to critical acclaim.

One of the most demanding scenes for Haim in The Drama was the nearly 20-minute dinner sequence. She was somewhat familiar with Robert Pattinson, whose connection with her siblings felt surreal given her longtime admiration for him. Particularly during the dinner scene, Pattinson’s spontaneous acting choices impressed her, describing him as “arguably one of the greatest actors of all time” whose live performance was unpredictable and thrilling.

Nonetheless, Haim’s performance is most deeply influenced by her dynamic with Zendaya. Their chemistry during the intense scenes is a highlight of the film. Interestingly, the pair had never met before filming began. They approached the scene like a theatrical play, performing continuous takes with minimal breaks. Haim praises Zendaya’s craft and composure, noting how her presence shaped the tone and emotional weight of their shared scenes. This collaboration brought some of the film’s most gripping moments to life.

Alana Haim has clearly committed herself to embracing challenging and diverse roles, balancing her musical career with an expanding acting portfolio. From playful promotional stunts to emotionally raw performances, her journey reflects a readiness to confront the complexities of her characters and the demands of the industry. As The Drama prepares for release, audiences can expect to see a fearless and multifaceted performer at work, confident in navigating “hard discussions” both on and off screen.