All the reasons why you need to know who Sasha Lane is

Sasha Lane – the girl who never asked for fame – sure is getting a whole lot of recognition. From working at a Mexican restaurant in Texas to living like a star in Los Angeles, Lane seems to have dropped out of the sky and taken the film world by storm. From her debut role in the 2016 film American Honey to her roles in The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Heart Beats Loud, and Hellboy, Lane is certainly on the road to success.

After being scouted by female filmmaker Andrea Arnold while spring breaking in Panama City, Florida, Lane got the chance to star in American Honey alongside Shia LaBeouf (Fury) & Riley Keough (Mad Max: Fury Road). “She came up to me and was just, ‘I’m Andrea. I’m doing this movie. I know this sounds weird,’ and the rest is really a blur to me,” Lane told IndieWire. “I was kind of in the midst of like, ‘Yes, yes, okay. Sure, whatever,’ but I told her she could come to my hotel that night, and I didn’t think she’d come.”

Lane said that the experience was life-changing, and that working with Arnold was a treat. “I just felt really whole, and it felt like the right decision to make, to say yes,” she recalled. “I think that was what I was looking for, but I didn’t know what exactly it was. It worked out in such a perfect way.” Despite never acting before, Lane snagged the British Independent Film Award for Best Actor, which catapulted her to where she is now.

Diverse film roles

Half African-American and half European-Māori, Lane has a lot to offer when it comes to diversity. Not only is she a woman of color, but she also came out as gay while promoting The Miseducation of Cameron Post.

The film is about a treatment center that uses conversion therapy to treat patients of their “gayness” and features familiar faces like Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass) and Jennifer Ehle (Zero Dark Thirty). Not only did the film get favorable ratings, but it was also directed by a kickass Iranian female director named Desiree Akhavan (Appropriate Behavior).

Acting process

Lane discussed her acting process during a 2020 interview with The Face. She claimed to have a connection with each of the characters she has played, and credited them with helping her evolve as a person.

“It’s funny because I feel like [my roles] find me where I am at that moment in time, which is kind of beautiful. I very much felt myself in Star four or five years ago, and I’m happy to say I feel like I’ve evolved out of that for the better – it’s very much changed how I interact with people. I’m very thankful that those are the [roles] that find me, or that I can make the choice to be a part of.”

Bright future

Since her breakout role in American Honey, Lane has gone on to star in the psychological horror film Daniel Isn’t Real (2019) & the comic book blockbuster Hellboy (2020). She is next scheduled to appear in the superhero miniseries Loki alongside Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Her role has not yet been disclosed, but it’s very possible she could land a long term MCU spot. Loki is set to premiere on Disney Plus in 2021.

If you have social media (which you must do by now), Lane’s world is just a click, swipe, and follow away. She speaks openly about racial issues, political issues, and herself, unafraid to expose the wrongdoings of the industry even as she is breaking into it. She is certainly the firecracker that Hollywood didn’t know it needed.