Elsie Fisher was about to give up on acting right before Bo Burnham's coming-of-age project "Eighth Grade" came on her radar, and it's a good thing she decided to take one last chance.
Her deft portrayal of a lonely teenage YouTuber in her last week of middle school has earned her Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Awards nominations, and now, being named one of The Associated Press' Breakthrough Entertainers of 2018.
It's also earned her the attention of entertainment heavyweights like Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alfonso Cuaron, who said her signature line ("Gucci!") to her at the Governor's Awards last month.
In this Nov. 19, 2018 photo, actress Elsie Fisher, star of the film "Eighth Grade," poses for a portrait in Los Angeles. Fisher was named as one of eight Breakthrough Entertainers of the Year by the Associated Press. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)
"He gave me a 'Gucci' and I was ready to cry," Fisher said. "It was really cool. It was really intense, but good intense."
A future in acting wasn't also so bright, however. The now 15-year-old actress had had some success early on, voicing the role of Agnes in the "Despicable Me" movies starting at the age of 4, but by age 13, the roles were drying up and auditions were getting a little meaner. Fisher said people even made rude comments about her acne.
"I wasn't enjoying it," Fisher said. "I just wasn't working a lot either. It was taking me out of school. It was a lot of give and not a lot of get. But 'Eighth Grade' changed everything."
In this Nov. 19, 2018 photo, actress Elsie Fisher, star of the film "Eighth Grade," poses for a portrait in Los Angeles. Fisher was named as one of eight Breakthrough Entertainers of the Year by the Associated Press. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)
Not only has the film led to multiple awards nominations, up against the likes of Glenn Close and Toni Collette ("I'm like please just let Toni win, she deserves it!" Fisher said) but she's also now getting more work.
She's voicing a role in MGM's animated "The Addams Family" and starring in a musical from "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" director Ken Kwapis called "The Shaggs," about three sisters who form a rock band in the late 1960s.
"It's been great," she said. "I love working. I hate auditioning. It's been great to have work."
In this Nov. 19, 2018 photo, actress Elsie Fisher, star of the film "Eighth Grade," poses for a portrait in Los Angeles. Fisher was named as one of eight Breakthrough Entertainers of the Year by the Associated Press. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)
And she's made some friends in her peer group along the way in Thomasin McKenzie ("Leave No Trace") and Millicent Simmonds ("A Quiet Place"). She met both on the awards circuit.
"They're both like incredible actresses my age, so it has been really cool to connect with them and I think they both represent our age group really well," she said.
And she's had her "Eighth Grade" director Burnham to help navigate the crazy world she's found herself in, too.
In this Nov. 19, 2018 photo, actress Elsie Fisher, star of the film "Eighth Grade," poses for a portrait in Los Angeles. Fisher was named as one of eight Breakthrough Entertainers of the Year by the Associated Press. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)
"But I've been kind of winging it," she added. "Going with the flow."
For more on the AP's 2018 Breakthrough Entertainers honorees, visit: https://apnews.com/tag/APBreakthroughEntertainers
Ricardo Pepi put the United States in good position to advance to the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals, scoring an early goal for a 1-0, first-leg win against Jamaica at Kingston on Thursday night in coach Mauricio Pochettino's first competitive match.
“We were here to fight. We knew it was going to be difficult,” Pepi said. “At the end of the day we got the result and now it's time to go and take care of it at home.”
The second leg of the total-goals quarterfinal is Monday in St. Louis, and the winner advances to a March 20 semifinal at Inglewood, California. The United States won the first three editions of the tournament.
Pepi scored from Christian Pulisic’s pass in the fifth minute, Matt Turner saved a penalty kick and the U.S. won with a shutout on the road for the first time since a 2016 friendly at Cuba. The Americans had 60% possession but were outshot 12-6.
Jamaica finished a man short after Mason Holgate was given his second yellow card for pushing Brandon Vázquez in the 86th, 10 minutes after his first for kicking Gianluca Busio.
Pulisic sparked the goal when he received a pass from Johnny Cardoso and dribbled up the center of the field. Pepi burst past Amari’i Bell, ran onto the ball and took a touch, then mis-hit his shot but put the ball in off goalkeeper Andre Blake’s far post for his 12th goal in 32 international appearances.
“I just saw Christian between the lines and I thought I had space in behind, so made a run,” Pepi said after his third goal against Jamaica.
Pulisic became the 33rd player to make 75 U.S. appearances. Pepi is the fourth American to score 12 international goals before age 22 after Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore and Pulisic.
Joe Scally’s giveaway led to Jamaica being awarded a penalty kick by Costa Rican referee Juan Gabriel Calderon. Kasey Palmer passed to Shamar Nicholson, who spun around Mark McKenzie and was pulled down by Turner. The goalkeeper dived to his right to bat away Demarai Gray’s 14th-minute spot kick, Turner's third save in eight penalty kicks while in the U.S. goal.
Malik Tillman replaced an injured Cardoso in the 20th minute.
Pochettino took over the U.S. after Gregg Berhalter was fired for a first-round Copa America exit and started with a pair of friendlies last month.
Pochettino made six changes to the starting lineup from last month’s 2-0 loss at Mexico, inserting McKenzie and midfielders Weston McKennie, Tanner Tessmann and Cardoso along with Pulsiic and Pepi.
McKennie got a yellow card in the 50th minute for pulling down Leon Bailey from behind by the jersey. Antonee Robinson and Bailey received yellow cards in the 69th after teams got into a shoving confrontation. American defender Tim Ream was not called for a possible hand ball in the second half.
Tim Weah served the second match of his two-game suspension for a red card in the Copa America for punching Panama’s Roderick Miller.
Aidan Morris will miss both matches after spraining his right knee in training. Brenden Aaronson had flu-like symptoms and skipped the trip, instead traveling to Missouri ahead of the second leg.
Jamaica forward Michail Antonio was suspended for yellow card accumulation. The Reggae Boyz are led by former England manager Steve McClaren, hired after they went 0-3 at the Copa America.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
United States' Malik Tillman, left, fights for the ball against Jamaica's Kasey Palmer during a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal first leg soccer match in Kingston, Jamaica, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Collin Reid)
United States' Yunus Musah prepares shoots the ball against Jamaica during a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal first leg soccer match in Kingston, Jamaica, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Collin Reid)
United States' Ricardo Pepi, center, celebrates scoring his side's first goal against Jamaica with teammates during a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal first leg soccer match in Kingston, Jamaica, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Collin Reid)
United States players celebrate scoring the opening goal against Jamaica during a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal first leg soccer match in Kingston, Jamaica, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Collin Reid)
United States' Ricardo Pepi prepares to shoot against Jamaica during a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal first leg soccer match in Kingston, Jamaica, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Collin Reid)
United States' Ricardo Pepi celebrates scoring his side's first goal against Jamaica during a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal first leg soccer match in Kingston, Jamaica, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Collin Reid)
