Ali Fumiko Whitney stars as Melina in Netflix’s Find Me Falling. Upcoming, she will portray Liv in #AMFAD: All My Friends are Dead, which hits theaters on August 2 and later this year, she can be seen in Worth The Wait.

I had the opportunity to ask the actress about connecting with Melina, what makes Find Me Falling special, watching AMFAD with her loved ones at the Tribeca Festival, the thriller genre, working on Worth the Wait, and much more. Keep reading for everything she shared!

What did you enjoy most about working with Harry Connick Jr. and Agni Scott?
Ali Fumiko Whitney: What I enjoyed most about working with Harry Connick Jr. and Agni Scott was their down-to-earth spirit and warmth. Harry really took me under his wing throughout the filming process and acted as a mentor and father figure to me. He continues to do so, and to have someone as legendary as him be a friend now really is so special! Agni, being a Cypriot native, really encouraged me and gave me endless love and support throughout filming. It was so easy to play her daughter as we had such a great off-screen relationship. It made the chemistry on camera genuine! She is beautiful inside and out! 

When you read the script for Find Me Falling, what is the first thing that stood out to you about Melina? 
When I first read the script for Find Me Falling, I was struck by Melina’s love and respect for her family and community. She is incredibly ambitious and outspoken but has a deep love and adoration for her homeland and the people who made her who she is! I really connected to her right away and it is the honor of my life that I was able to portray her and represent the beauty that Cyprus has to offer through this film. 

I know you had to learn a portion of your lines in the Greek-Cypriot dialect as well as four Greek songs from scratch. What was that process like for you?
The process of learning the Greek-Cypriot dialect as well as the four Greek songs was definitely a challenge. However, I found that it helped me get into character. I had the most incredible dialect coach, Yiola Klitou, who plays Ismini in Find Me Falling. We worked together for 3-4 weeks leading up to filming and she came to set on my big Greek speaking days to support me. I also worked with a Greek singing coach, Julia Petrou, who helped educate me on all things Greek music. I fell in love with the songs I sang in our film! My process involved learning the translations first so I could understand what I was singing or saying. Next was learning how to pronounce everything in a Greek-Cypriot dialect. Then, finally learning the melody of the songs and putting it all together. I am very proud of the hard work I put in to bring Melina to life 🙂 

Did you draw any unexpected inspiration from your own life for the story or leave with any new takeaways? 
I think the mother-daughter relationship in the film is portrayed beautifully, and I definitely was able to take inspiration from my own life as a daughter who is close to my own mom. I am very grateful to have a wonderful family and I specifically tried to use my relationship to my own “Yaya,” or Grandmas, back home for my scenes with Marikou, played by Aggeliki Philippidou. The biggest takeaway I left with is how truly amazing the people of Cyprus are. They embraced us with such warmth and generosity that I hope to emulate as I continue in my career! 

What did you like about how the film handled flawed characters, missed opportunities, and the meaning of legacy? 
What I think makes Find Me Falling so special is that our writer/director Stelana Kliris did a wonderful job of creating characters who feel genuine and real. I hope people feel seen through the characters portrayed, as we all have our flaws and moments of mistakes. The ending, in how Harry’s character handles the meaning of legacy is a really beautiful moment. I love how he finally has found his peace with this family he never knew he had and suddenly the idea of “fame and career fortune” pales in comparison to that of a family legacy of love and connection. 

What did it mean to you to have #AMFAD: All My Friends are Dead premiere at this year’s Tribeca Festival? 
Growing up just outside of New York City, there are certain moments I have dreamt of for my career. One of which is having a film premiere in the city for my friends and family to come see! To be able to be part of a festival as incredible as Tribeca was really a dream come true. There are no words to describe the feeling of being in that AMC in Union Square surrounded by childhood friends and my family supporting me doing what I love! It was a very special moment. 

What is your favorite aspect of the thriller genre? 
I love the unpredictability of the thriller genre. There is something so exciting about getting a script and not knowing how it will end or in this case, who the killer is. Also, having experienced seeing AMFAD in theaters with an audience, I love a good jump scare moment and seeing the audience react. 

In your opinion, what are the elements of a perfect slasher mystery?
For me, I think a good slasher mystery needs to have elements of comedy. What I loved about the All My Friends Are Dead script is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Slasher mysteries can be hard to watch sometimes if it doesn’t have any character development. I think creating characters who you want to root for or can develop an opinion on makes it all the more satisfying when we ultimately may see them get brutally murdered (or survive). 

Can you tease your favorite death scene from the movie? 
That is a tough question because honestly all of the death scenes are wild in this film!! Some are more gruesome while others lean into the ridiculousness and comedy elements of a slasher. I can’t spoil too much, but I will say there is one character in the film who you really root for, and seeing their character develop and how it ends will definitely leave the audience feeling something! 

You also have Worth the Wait coming, what can fans look forward to about that project and what was the experience like? 
Yes, I am so excited for Worth the Wait to come out as it was a really special project for me. This is an entirely Asian/Asian-American cast rom-com that follows multiple love stories that are all interconnected. The way I describe our film is that it follows the formula of Love Actually and Crazy, Stupid, Love. Both of which are two of my favorite movies! Getting to work with Lana Condor, Ross Butler, Andrew Koji, and more was really special as they are all people I look up to in the industry. I was lucky enough to star opposite Sung Kang and Ricky He and I cannot wait for audiences to see our story on screen!