ANNALISE BASSO IS HER OWN NORTH STAR
BY EBBY MAGAZINE
From Cannes to King to choreography in her living room, Annalise Basso is choosing presence overpressure and carving out a creative life that feels as expansive as it is intentional.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JONNY MARLOW
“I BELIEVE VIRTUE IS BEYOND MORALITY. NOT ONLY WHAT IS GOOD BUT THE SOURCE OF EVERYTHING GOOD, PEACE, LOVE, JUSTICE, AND TRUTH.”
There’s a certain stillness to Annalise Basso. She doesn’t grab attention; she holds it. Maybe it’s her porcelain features or her flame-red hair, but more than anything, it’s the way she disappears into every character she plays. Whether she’s a mother searching in the dark in Vanished Out of Sight or anchoring The Life of Chuck’s strange, time-bending world, Annalise doesn’t chase intensity; she lets it build slowly. Her performances don’t beg to be seen. They settle into you.
After more than ten years in film and television, Annalise has built a wide and quietly intentional career. She’s moved between Sundance standouts and Hollywood thrillers with the same emotional clarity. In The Life of Chuck, Mike Flanagan’s latest Stephen King adaptation, she plays Janice Halliday, a woman woven into the fabric of one man’s life. The film, which premiered at TIFF and is set to arrive in theaters this May, is a meditation on memory, mortality, and what we leave behind. And Annalise brings a stillness to it, which is all the kind that makes you lean in.
Off-screen, Annalise is just as layered. She choreographs her dances, writes, practices Muay Thai, and retreats into nature when the city’s noise becomes too loud. She’s a self-proclaimed modern pioneer woman who is grounded, creative, and curious. In an age obsessed with immediacy and image, Annalise is taking her time, crafting a career and a life with the kind of intention that can’t be faked.
With upcoming roles in Apple TV+’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles and a growing presence as an artist and storyteller, Annalise Basso isn’t chasing fame. She’s following something far more magnetic: her truth.
In “The Life of Chuck,” you play Janice, someone who holds emotional weight in Chuck’s journey. How did you approach stepping into that space, especially in a story that spans memory, time, and mortality?
I followed Janice’s footsteps and trusted Chuck’s lead. It was a pleasure to let him lead me, and the world that Mike built totally swept me away.
Mike Flanagan is known for his cerebral, emotionally layered work. What was it like working under his direction, and how did it challenge or expand you creatively?
Every time I work with Mike, it feels like a once-in-a-lifetime project. When I’m on his set, I can’t help but feel part of something truly special. Every character he writes contains multitudes. There’s always another layer, something new to discover. He trusts and encourages his actors to explore without fear or hesitation, making it such a joy to bring his stories to life.
From Stephen King’s world to your own life, how do you make space for imagination and inner stillness in such a fast-moving industry?
I’m presented with an opportunity to imagine every time I read a script or, audition, or step on set. But most of the time, I can’t wait for these opportunities to come along, so I create them myself. I produced and directed a play I wrote called “THE EXPERIMENT” about a month ago. It’s one of the greatest gifts to have a circle of friends and a community of artists who inspire me and share the same desire to collaborate.
You’ve called yourself a modern pioneer woman, and we love that. What does that identity mean to you in this chapter of your life?
It means that I’m always curious. I never want to sacrifice the potential of discovery and growth for convenience and comfort. I’m venturing into the unknown on horseback wearing linen petticoats and a bow slung across my back.
Dance, muay Thai, nature, painting; your creative outlets are as wide-ranging as your roles. How do they feed your spirit when you’re off-set?
My dance teacher, my Muay Thai coach, and everyone at my acting studio— I’m surrounded by incredible teachers, and their leadership feeds my desire to grow.
How do you define success now versus when you first started?
To be truthful is to be successful. When I first started out, success was something external that I had to earn. It was dependent upon others validating me or my work, but not anymore.
You’ve worked with icons like Jennifer Connelly, Viggo Mortensen, and now Nicole Kidman. What have you learned about grace and longevity from watching other women in this industry?
Working with legends like this showed me what it means to be a force — that grace, humility, and, most importantly, integrity are the keys to having not only longevity in a career but stability in life.
Your film “Vanished Out of Sight” touches on motherhood and fear in such a visceral way. How did that role stretch you emotionally — and what stayed with you after?
The unconditional love of a mother was a powerful thing to embrace. Although Claire’s journey is incredibly traumatic, I found strength and determination in her and within myself that I haven’t let go of since.
What stories do you feel called to tell next as a woman, writer, and creative?
I’m always looking for more stories with dance numbers. But my next project is a short film called Intimus. Part satire, part psychological unraveling, part absurdist sci-fi horror, it’s about a couple’s downward spiral of shame, failed intimacy, and identity in a world where emotional connection feels increasingly synthetic. I came to my good friend Nicholas Goldstein with a story, and what he wrote surpassed my wildest expectations. I can’t wait to direct and star in it.
Is there a daily ritual or small habit that helps you reconnect to yourself?
Yes, but it’s private. Like Mary Lennox, I have my own secret garden — the version from 1993, though. Something that’s completely my own, and that’s why it serves me.
At Ebby, we believe “inner wealth” is the new luxury. What makes you feel truly rich on the inside?
Virtue. And I don’t mean that in a medieval way. I also don’t mean “morality”. I believe virtue is beyond morality. Not only what is good but the source of everything good (Peace, and Love, and Justice, and Truth). Studying and consuming virtue on a daily basis compounds my inner wealth in a way that nothing else can.
