Hannah Telle’s Reddit AMA - A Summary
I put together this summary of the amazing Hannah Telle Reddit AMA in case anyone missed it. (Although I would still strongly recommend anyone who haven’t read it to take a look at the actual thread in order to get the full context of her answers.)
So without further ado, Hannah Telle on:
”I do feel that Life is Strange reinforces the golden rule of treating everyone as you would like to be treated. I’m always so thankful and excited to read and hear what LiS fans have to say… it makes me feel so good and there are so many LiS people who have been there for me when I was going through a hard time!! I love the LiS fans like crazy and every time I see something on social media from one of them it brightens my day and reminds me why I want to keep doing what I’m doing out here in LA. Its amazing to feel like you always have a team of wonderful friends on your side. I do wish that I had more time to reply to everyone that messages or comments to me and I’m really sorry I haven’t gotten to everyone!!!”
”I’m most proud of the scenes in the 5th episode. At that point, I was deeply emotionally attached to the story and to Max and it was really difficult for me to know that the game was ending because I had never taken any time to fully appreciate or enjoy the success the game was having. I was too overwhelmed being emotionally distraught from making the episodes and overly worried about my performances and how they would be received. This all came to a head in the fifth episode and I was very emotionally unhinged and run down so that episode was particularly challenging for me. After we would have a recording session I would have to sit in my car for about 45 minutes just crying it out and trying to get myself together enough to drive home. I know that sounds extreme but I am crazy sensitive and the whole experience was honestly almost too much for me to manage most of the time. Especially the success the game was having… that often fueled my inner critic to say things like “well, no you can be the reason they start to hate it!”. So, I’m proud that I made it through and it was a good episode. In the on-camera interviews we did during that episode I’m kind of crying through it because the whole thing was just too emotionally intense for me to bear!”
”The hardest scene of season 1 was when I had to play bad Max in the nightmare timeline. Even though there is a side of me that is bitter and angry I was very afraid and ashamed to show that side so it was really tough for me to do that over and over. My favorite scene in season 1 was yelling at the storm in the final episode and also when Chloe and I have to say goodbye for the final moments of the game.”
”Life is Strange has affected my life in every way. This experience totally changed my life. I am so beyond thankful for it.”
”Max and I both had trouble with having a low self-esteem and being overly withdrawn and socially anxious. I relate to her so much and have gone on her journey of gaining self-confidence with her. I definitely still struggled with the role because there were so many lines and emotional moments. It was still a huge challenge but I was thankful that we had so many similarities.”
”I was never made aware of any inside information about Max’s Individualized Education Program but I do have some thoughts. I do think that Max is highly intelligent and overly self-aware. I find her extremely introverted nature at the start of the game to be a bit concerning. I think maybe Max struggles with some kind of issue where she is incapable of believing in herself or using her voice. I definitely can relate to that. I think her sudden onset of power interferes with this problem and ultimately solves it for her without the need for therapy or medication because it forces her to come out of her shell and speak up.”
”My relationship with Chloe isn’t based on any single existing relationship. However, I definitely used my feelings for certain people in my life as a basis upon which to build Max’s feelings for Chloe. There are very specific friendships that I drew upon to pull out feelings and also my relationship with myself and my own mind was a big part of creating their dynamic.”
”I definitely felt her inner monologue creeping into my daily life! I’ll catch myself commentating in my head on what’s happening around me! I’m more aware of my surroundings and she reminds me that even the smallest actions have consequences, which has been really powerful and positive for me. Also sometimes I say ‘hella"!! Hahaha”
Why Max Never reached out to Chloe after leaving Arcadia Bay:
”I think that Max was in shock over William’s death and the fact that she was leaving her life in Arcadia Bay to start all over at such a difficult age. I also think she was afraid to reach out because she wouldn’t know the right thing to say and thought Chloe would be mad at her for leaving and not want to talk to her. I think both girls eventually assumed the other didn’t want to talk to them and then they fell apart. Also, I’m sure Max was overwhelmed with being all alone in a big city when she suffers from social anxiety. Maybe she just withdrew even further and wasn’t really talking to anyone. I can definitely relate to that.”
”I also think that Max’s low self-esteem contributed to her not reaching out to Chloe while she was away. I think she felt like she wouldn’t be able to say anything helpful and would just make Chloe feel worse - which isn’t true, but if you have a problem with believing in yourself then oftentimes you become reclusive and silent because you feel like you have nothing worthwhile to offer anyone.”
Life is Strange: Before the Storm:
”I haven’t played BtS yet but I’m planning on live streaming it soon!!”
”My first play through I picked to save Arcadia Bay. Now I would pick to save Chloe. I’ve never been in a situation to save someone’s life before but I have been in a really dark place due to depression and had to choose whether or not to stay alive. It is always better to stick it out and hang in there through dark times because life always gets better.”
“I do think she [Max] would have saved Chloe. She has done everything in her power to save her up until then and I think she would continue to save her. She does even say “You are ALL I care about now”
”I think that they would be a little jealous of each other at first but that maybe Max would balance out Rachel’s wild side and they could all be friends eventually.”
Amberprice vs Pricefield:
”I think that AmberPrice is a seemingly more well-matched relationship but would ultimately be too risk-seeking and destructive for both girls. I think that Pricefield is a better balance between Max’s reserved caution and Chloe’s brash recklessness. :)”
Reprising her role of Max Caulfield in the Farwell episode:
”Last summer I read online that they announced the Max + Chloe bonus episode at E3. I lost my mind thinking that they were going to have someone else play Max! So I talked to my agent who is amazing and he got in touch with Deck Nine saying that I wanted to play Max. I think now that they were probably going to ask me all along but were busy with the 3 BtS episodes. However, at the time I went into an intense depression thinking they didn’t want me or something! I learned a big lesson which is don’t jump to conclusions! So when I finally got the email from my agent at the end of the summer with the contract I was just extremely relieved and cried tears of thankfulness.”
”I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with the strike! Even tho I am SAG-AFTRA financial core I didn’t want to break the strike because it would be negative for my fellow actors but also I knew I had to play Max and would ultimately just have to do whatever I had to do to be her again! My agent approached Deck 9 and then a few months later they told my agent that they wanted me to play Max again! I was so grateful. Yes I had to keep secrets about what the episode was about and how it ended.”
”I thought that Max’s story was finished and never imagined I would get to play her again! It was also sad because I knew that this would be the real last time so I tried my best to savor every moment of the experience and truly take it all in.”
”Yes, the farewell episode really opened my eyes to how difficult Chloe’s life has been and how that struggle made her into the person she was in the original game. It definitely made me understand why she was so brash and angry towards Max and why she is so destructive and risk-taking. It really helped me empathize with her pain.”
”The most difficult scene was the final recording messages that Max leaves for Chloe. It was really important for me to give those everything I had and fuel all my emotion into them so that they would be as real and heartfelt as possible. The funniest was definitely working on the pirate scenes! It was fun to play around with Ashly and come up with pirate voices!!”
”I wanted younger Max to be more lighthearted, carefree and easygoing/open with her interactions with others. She hasn’t become a full-on teenager yet with all the troubles those years bring. She’s still naive and filled with wonder at the world. The Max that comes back from Seattle is a bit cynical, distrusting and very withdrawn which leads me to believe that something happened to her while she was there to cause her to change. It was really important to me to portray younger Max’s interactions with Chloe as uninhibited, casual and playful because their relationship wasn’t yet weighted with any trauma.”
”I wrote the song Hollow Glow after I got home from this very cool party back in 2012. There were celebrities there and everyone was drinking and partying. I was sober that night and felt on the outside looking in. Everyone seemed so concerned with being the coolest and “in” with the hippest crowd. It made me feel really sad and alone but also ashamed because I have felt the same way they did before . It got me thinking about how Los Angeles somehow fosters these of feelings of striving and anguishing over being beautiful and cool enough. Everyone here is trying so hard to become something better as though what they already are will never be enough. But it is enough! LA is an amazing city but also has a sad and dark side, too.”
”I’m currently still writing the 2nd album but I plan to release some new music this year no matter if its just an EP of several songs!”
Her favorite songs from Life is Strange:
”Favorite song from the original game would be Syd Matters - Obstacles, Jose Gonzales - Crosses, Mogwai - Kids Will Be Skeletons, Sparklehorse - Piano Fire, Bright Eyes - Lua. From BTS I like Koda - I Don’t, Daughter - Youth & Dreams of William, also Lanterns on the Lake - Through the Cellar Door. I’m not super familiar with the music on the bonus episode. I need to play it again!”
”Acting is definitely where I’m most comfortable because I’ve been doing it so long. However, even when things are going great and you love the project you’re doing, acting is still extremely stressful because there are so many other people, personalities and external factors involved in your performance. It’s hard to really enjoy in the moment what you’re doing in a lasting way because things can change drastically at the drop of a hat. One minute everyone is having fun and the next all hell is breaking loose and you’re being yelled at. It’s a very tough environment to be creative in. Music on the other hand is very private. I would just be alone writing my songs and then I would show them to my producer and we would be alone working on recording them. If you have the right producer it is much less complicated and emotionally taxing to work on music. However, just being with one other person and working so closely can also be very emotionally intense. All in all, I would say I prefer music because it offers me privacy in creation and the joy of live performance. What’s next for me is to do more on-camera acting because I miss using my face and body to portray emotion. I’m also hoping for more voice over jobs!! And of course I want to finish my second record and go on tour. So, haha, a lot of things!! I want to do it all!”
Advice for aspiring actors:
”I would say that persistence is key. As long as you are working hard and being proactive you will eventually encounter success. That being said, I wish I had known more about how the acting industry really works before I dove in. So definitely educate yourself as much as possible. I also wish that I had been less stubborn and more open-minded so that I would have listened more to the “warnings” people gave me about the downsides of this business. Then I wouldn’t have taken so many rejections personally. It’s really important to remember that this is a BUSINESS before anything else. So its not personal when someone doesn’t want you. They are just doing their best to keep their jobs and everyone is stressed.”
Her friendship with Ashly Burch:
”I get to see Ashly at our voice acting agency sometimes when we both come in to the sound booth to record auditions! It’s always really cool when we see each other because she is the only other person who fully understands what its like to be in this game the way I do! So we have a very special bond that will always withstand time.”
Whether or not anyone has recognized in public due to her voice:
”A few people who know about the game and are part of the online community have recognized me but no one has recognized me from my voice yet! I think its because my natural speaking voice has a southern accent.”
How it feels to know that she have made people cry:
”It makes me want to cry knowing that I’ve made others cry! When I was Max’s age my teacher asked me why I wanted to become an actress and my answer was “to make people feel”. So it is very dear to my heart that people were able to feel emotions from the game! At the same time, I don’t want anyone to cry too much!! ;)”
The film I’d Kill for You/I Live for You:
”It’s hopefully being digitally distributed later this year!! I will keep everyone posted!”
Portraying two eighteen year old girls named Max in succession:
”I did the short film Flesh and Blood before I even auditioned for Max so it was a total coincidence to play two 18 year old girls who become unexpected heroes and are both named Max! I took it as a special sign from God that it was meant to be!”
Belgian Waffles vs Bacon omelette:
”Belgian Waffle!!! With strawberries on top!”
