Diana Silvers on 'Space Force', 'Booksmart', Fangirling And Those Julia Roberts Comparisons

From ELLE

Diana Silvers is well aware that playing Steve Carrell and Lisa Kudrow’s daughter in upcoming sitcom Space Force is a big deal.

As a huge fan of The Office (she was slightly more accustomed to Kudrow’s presence after starring with her in Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart), she still can’t get over the fact that Carrell follows her on Twitter, let alone that she’s shared many minutes of screen time with him.

‘The casting director emailed me after my chemistry read with Steve Carrell and couldn’t believe I’d held it together. I think everyone was expecting me to pee my pants when I met him. I mean, I have no words,’ she says shaking her head.

‘He just has such a calm presence and is the kindest person. They say don’t meet your heroes but if your hero is Steve Carrell I hope you meet him because he will exceed all expectations.’

Silvers also can’t deal with Lorde messaging her (‘I lost my sh*t, it’s crazy when someone you admire says, “Hey, I like your work too.”’) or the fact Harry Styles gave Booksmart a shout out on Saturday Night Live.

While other actors new to the game might pretend this part of fame is totally normal, Silvers is refreshingly honest. Having starred in just five films and already landing a lead role on a Netflix show, she’s slowly adapting. And one of her methods is to keep her fangirling sightly more low key. While she has no problem squealing to a journalist over Zoom about working with her heroes, she understandably plays it down when she's actually with them. It was during an interview earlier that day with co-star Ben Schwartz that he found out Silvers is also a huge Parks and Recreation fan, (in which he played the infamous John Ralphio) despite working with her for months, during which time, she had never brought it up.

Speaking to ELLE via Zoom from her home in Los Angeles, Silvers explains: ‘I’m fans of all these people and their work, I grew up watching them. I’m just trying to play it cool and be one of them and not be that creepy fan breathing down their neck. Every day I’d remind myself, “You work with them. It’s cool, it’s chill.”’

Space Force centres around General Mark Naird, a senior member of the US army who is relocated with his wife (Kudrow) and teenage daughter Erin (Silvers) from Washington DC to middle-of-nowhere Wild Horse, Colorado to launch the newest section of the American army, Space Force.

ICYMI that’s a real army institution which was launched by President Donald Trump. Though the show might not mention Trump by name, all the references to an impulsive, Twitter-loving president are there. There’s also a scene in which Naird appears in front of congress which is presided over by a Nancy Pelosi-type speaker and a young, female, straight-talking congresswoman who we can assume with 99% certainty is supposed to represent Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez.

For Silvers, starring in something satirical about real life events which are being played out as the show airs – Trump’s Space Force logo was unveiled in January (‘Our logo is so much better,’ Silvers jokes) and immediately compared to Star Trek – is both ‘exciting and scary'.

If she could choose anyone to run a space force, Silvers suggests bringing someone back from the dead in the form of President Roosevelt (FDR).

Space Force follows Booksmart which elevated Silvers, as well as her friends Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein, to mainstream success and inspired a cult following. The film recently celebrated its first anniversary and it’s clear that starring in a coming-of-age story lauded for its refreshing look at smart, young women with talented peers she now considers close friends, is still something Silvers is satisfied with.

Silvers is proud of her character (Hope) and her romantic storyline with Amy (Dever), which sees young LGBTQ+ women exploring their sexuality away from the male gaze. Though the dynamics of the scene were somewhat familiar (typically-awkward, fumbling drunken sex between teenagers) the fact that it wasn’t between a heterosexual couple was a rare and game-changing move.

Silvers still gets messages from teen fans telling her that either Hope, that storyline or the movie gave them the courage to come out.

‘It’s so cool,’ Silvers reflects. ‘As an actor that’s all you want. That’s why we do this, to represent people and live other people’s lives and hope that it inspires someone or makes them feel seen. I’m so grateful Olivia [Wilde] gave me the opportunity and that the film had that response.’

Silvers' CV may be short but she’s only 22-years-old and, with a slate of impressive roles under her belt, her profile and credentials will likely only increase. Though she is modest (she tells us she hasn't seen Booksmart since the premiere because she’ll find flaws in her performance), she has big ambitions and is impressed by fellow actors like Saoirse Ronan who have navigated a whole host of roles and genres (from Little Women to Ladybird) to rave reviews and award nominations.

And there's another actor with an incredible career who Silvers has been compared to: Julia Roberts. From their distinguishable toothy smiles through plump lips, to their doe-eyes and southern US accents, the resemblance (particularly when thinking of a 1990s Roberts) is uncanny. And, just like the experience of starring in a Netflix sitcom with her heroes, Silvers is taking it on the chin.

‘I’m so flattered,’ she laughs. ‘She is someone I really admire. She’s so cool. I would love to work with her, I would be over the moon. We’ll see. Hopefully, I can do it all.’

Space Force comes to Netflix on Friday, May 29.

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