Alexis Floyd Talks 'Inventing Anna', Bringing the World of Shonda Rhimes to Life, and the Magic of Telling Stories
Alexis was photographed by Alison Engstrom; hair by Patrick Kyle; makeup by Vincent Oquendo; she was styled by Shameelah Hicks
Hi Alexis, thank you so much for taking the time to do the virtual shoot for ROSE & IVY! Let’s dive right in to talk about Inventing Anna, I can’t wait to tune in on February 11th. I remember reading and being intrigued about the actual story of Anna Delvey, who fooled and conned so many people into thinking she was someone she was not, an heiress. Were you at all familiar with the news story and what excited you the most when you got the script?
Thank you for having me, and for virtually hanging out in my living room that afternoon! Art against all odds!
In truth, I had not encountered Anna’s story prior to reading the script. I’m a bit of a social media recluse, so it doesn’t completely surprise me I was late to the game, but upon beginning my research, all I had to type into Google was “Anna D-” and watch my laptop explode with information, articles, fan-fiction even... it became clear upon impact that Anna Delvey was and is a force of nature. She excited and spooked me right from go.
It must be very rewarding to bring the words and ideas of Shonda Rhimes to life. What was it like working with her and bringing her vision to life?
Well, speaking of natural phenomenons, Shonda is, herself, a universe. She has a fearlessly empathetic gaze when it comes to exploring the human condition across time and space. Anna exists in a world where everyone thinks they know her better than she knows herself, but Shonda honors her complexity with masterful integrity, as is true of all the stories in her ever-expanding canon. Not to mention, she takes incredible care of her storytellers and keeps them close. I remember at our first table read, Shonda shared she’s had three gut-feelings about actresses coming to make waves in her past work: Katie Lowes, Sandra Oh, and myself. It’s one of the honors of my lifetime.
In the series, you play Neffatari ‘Neff’ Davis. Can you share more about her?
Neff is a concierge at the hotel, 12 George, where Anna spent about three months of her stay in New York City. Neff piqued Anna’s interest when it became clear her access to the city’s most elite and exclusive networking opportunities could be of use to her; and Neff, a filmmaker with big student loans and even bigger dreams, saw a way to turn Anna’s $100 tips and priceless confidence into assets for herself. She was born and raised in PG County and is a 10 year veteran of “the greatest city in the world” by the time we meet her at the hotel. She loves Basquiat, Stanley Kubrick, 80’s Disco, and Hermés orange. She is so self-studied and gracefully confident; I learned so much moving through the world as her.
I read you actually met the real Neffatari ‘Neff’ Davis person. Had you ever played a real-life person before and did you find it easier, harder, or more pressure to get it right?
This was my first go at playing a real person, and Neff was abundantly generous with her time and energy in terms of helping me build the Neff you see on screen. I like to think of the Inventing Anna Neff as a celebration of our friendship: a woman who lives in between the two of us in a metaphorical venn diagram, and more than anything, a woman who honors what I love most about Neff—her creative intelligence and her inner-voice. Those two things are the only authorities she needs to move through and thrive in life. I hope people are drawn to explore the multitude of gifts the real Neff has to offer, because she really is just getting started.
It’s so easy to want to immediately rise to the top in New York, to want to be perceived a certain way, be swayed by money, the glitz and glamour and to succeed at all costs. What would you have done in Neff’s case if you were in the situation? And could you relate to the story lines of any of the characters?
I am so proud of Neff’s decision making, in both the series and in real life. She stayed true to herself, she protected herself, and even still, she remained a force of unshakable loyalty to her friend Anna. Her ability to navigate “ The Scene” and the scandal with such grace is a testament to the strength of her character. In terms of other character arcs, I’m a big believer in adages, motivations and mantras—so I’d love to connect (and train!) with Kacy Dukes.
Speaking of characters, you play alongside such an amazing cast. Did you have any memorable moments on set you can share?
So, so so many, but the first one that comes to mind is always the first scene I filmed with Julia Garner. It’s in the middle of Episode 5, where Neff and Anna are enjoying a 3am sleepover after a long and luxurious night. The shopping is done, the couture is put away, and it’s just two girls in bathrobes staying up way past their bedtime. It was effortless to build a connection with Julia. She is one of the most inventive, generous, and relaxed actors I’ve ever come across, and she is also a warm and joy-loving person. We were laughing in minutes.
What are you the most proud of from the series?
In full truth, I’m most proud of the friendships we made. Our cast, crew and production team kept each other safe, kept each other laughing, and played as hard as we worked. I know that our company will be cheering each other on for decades and decades to come, and that’s really special to me.
Now to talk about your background, you are from Ohio (me too, I’m from Akron!) and you have a degree in musical theater from Carnegie Mellon. You are also a talented singer and dancer. What was it about performing that pulled you in so early?
What’s up Ohio! I myself am a Cleveland girl (but we share LeBron James love do we not?!), and I give a lot of credit to the city itself for showing me that art is my home. My first production was The Wiz at East Cleveland Community Theater, and even though I didn’t know to prepare a song ahead of time for the audition, the music director, J Layne, walked me through “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” and had me singin’ it like it was a gospel hymn honey! That’s really what it’s always been about for me: telling stories seems to bring magical, generous, empathetic and fearless people together, with their own story and ability to see story, depth and magic in one another. It’s as old and sacred a tradition as life itself.
Since you are multi-talented, where do you feel most in the flow, music, dance, acting?
Oh, a beautiful question. Thank you for guiding me to think about the answer! I think it’s less about the medium for me, and more about what it is in which I’m flowing. Shonda Rhimes’ dialogue is music. Singing Back to Black by Amy Winehouse is a five act play. Listening to I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston cannot be done without your shoulders getting involved. I feel enormously grateful to have different ways in to flow, especially when they all come together.
When it comes to your creative endeavors, what else do you dream to do in the future?
I will say I’m a lover of challenges and trying new things. I’d love to work/play abroad, get an album together, direct/choreograph another several music videos, and try my hand at both creative fiction and non-fiction. But I’ve also learned I do best when I get out of the dream’s way and let her do her thang through me, so I’m staying wide open to the dream as it makes manifest.
Since we have all been through so much over the past two years, what is bringing you the most joy these days?
Another beautiful question, I appreciate it! The answer is: food, family (bloodline and chosen), and moving slowly enough that I’m taking as much stock of the simple things and mini-miracles of daily life as I can. I don’t know that I’ve ever had this much gratitude to simply be a healthy human before, and as Breneé Brown teaches us, gratitude and joy go hand in hand. Oh yeah, Breneé Brown and Oprah also bring me a lot of joy and lifeforce. When the two of them are in dialogue, and I’ve got ‘em in my headphones on a long walk through Central Park? Forget it - heaven.