At nine years old, Elena Goode’s acting career began with a stranger she met at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This stranger connected Goode with an agency and helped her book a pizza commercial. Growing up in New York City, that was “the coolest thing.” There are few things that fit together as perfectly as New York City and pizza, and this combination propelled Goode into a successful career of mesmerizing and fierce female characters.
Goode’s appreciation for the arts developed at home through her family and neighborhood. “I was really fortunate enough to have a father who was really interested in keeping me connected with the city and the arts,” Goode shared. “Well, rather with the city through the arts.”
Goode continued to surround herself with the arts in her later childhood by attending LaGuardia High School, a progressive, NYC performing arts school, as she describes it.
“There were so many aspects of being in that creative bubble [in high school] that were transformative and made things that today are considered very unusual and progressive very normal. Kids were able to express themselves, whether it was their gender or their creativity or their unique sense of style, in ways that were so free and individualistic. Growing up and moving out of the city, I realized that was entirely unique,” Goode said.
Goode decided to go to the Fashion Institute of Technology, a design school, to further her education and explore other sides of her creativity, she said. She was able to expand her artistic mind outside of the acting training she had been receiving in high school. “It was kind of a refreshing experience,” Goode revealed.
Upon graduation from FIT, all her classmates shared their plans to work in the design world, and Goode did not aspire to do the same. When asked what her plan was, Goode told the class she wanted to work on a soap opera. “[My professor] said ‘why are you here,’” Goode joked. Luckily, Goode found herself signing a contract for a soap opera (“As the World Turns”) shortly after that moment.
This love for dramatic and mysterious television led Goode to her latest project: “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.” “Original Sin” is a modern spin-off of ABC’s “Pretty Little Liars” (2010-2017) that provides a more female-centric perspective in a male-dominated genre.
“Not only do they flip this norm, but they address it,” Goode said. “You’re going to see conversations happen between the girls, the little liars, that are discussing these very real and present topics, like what does it mean to look at things through a female experience. Like what does it mean to have representation…”
On the show, Goode plays a character named Marjorie, who “is a really complicated woman whose struggles have a rippling effect on her daughter’s day to day life.” Goode also describes Marjorie as both a villain and a victim, a judgment that is dependent on the viewer’s perspective, according to Goode. She shared that she was excited to work on this show because she loves psychological thrillers and the aspect of community they can bring.
“I love thrillers. I’m a big fan of psychological thrillers…I love the magic and how it brings people together because, traditionally, people gather in groups to watch scary films, and there is something kind of sweet about the effect that some are scared have on people,” Goode explained.
The audition and filming processes for “Original Sin” began during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, when most of the world was shut out from human interaction. Goode used the collaborative aspects of her new show as a way out of the isolation. “Truthfully, I was just excited to interact with new people on Zoom,” Goode shared. “It was really exciting when I got to meet everybody in person because, prior to being on set, everybody was just a tiny little square on a computer screen.”
Goode describes the filming process for her new show as a “dream job,” and says that it was thrilling to be on set each day. “There was always an element, no matter what was happening in the script or in that day, of excitement,” Goode said. “Depending on what your character was or what you were working on, sometimes you’d wrap and you’d be covered in fake blood or you’d have bruises painted on your face…”
Goode has been lucky to work on other projects that have made her feel excited and loved by the cast and crew. When filming and creating “Straight Outta Compton,” in which she played Dr. Dre’s wife, “Nicole,” Goode felt that she was welcomed into the special brotherhood that the actors and their real-life counterparts formed: a unique experience for a woman in the film industry, she believes. “Sometimes we would have to pinch each other and say, ‘we cannot believe this is work,’ because it is so fulfilling creatively, personally and professionally,” Goode shared.
Goode also felt inspired while working on “Straight Outta Compton” because she was surrounded by people of color on set, which she noted was not typical but important. “It was also really exciting to see so many women of color, and so many people of color represented in the film. That was something at the time, for me as an actor, that was not a common experience. It would happen here or there, and the projects that I’ve been on were definitely representative of diverse voices and faces, but it wasn’t the norm,” Goode revealed. “And so, walking into the audition process for ‘Straight Outta Compton,’ for me, was just exciting to see more females, the casting director was a female of color, and more females engaged, and more people of color engaged in such a big project.”
These inspirations led Goode to be more observant on set. By observing the inner workings of set, Goode has taught herself to be more appreciative of the larger network of creatives that make up a film. “I knew that [‘Straight Outta Compton’] was a wonderful opportunity as an artist to really watch and learn… sometimes when you’re on set and you're acting, you're so busy wanting to nail your scenes and perform that you don’t always get a chance to take a step back and take it all in,” Goode said.
Goode’s observations showed her that being an actress is not just about the people on camera. She now understands that creating films and television shows is art done both on camera and behind the scenes. From her first big break on, she has developed an appreciation for what goes on behind the camera.
“As an actor you’re a part of a much larger galaxy, and even though stars, I think, get the focus, obviously, because the camera is on you, you’re really part of a much larger galaxy that is rotating around you that is making everything possible,” Goode revealed. “And being really cognizant of that, I think, is really important, even simple things like timing…there’s a ripple effect that there’s a connection between what you’re doing on set, what’s happening in the hair room, how everything’s flowing in wardrobe…it’s really a team effort.”
While Goode’s job and everyday routine is so intricate, she still makes sure to save time to practice yoga, one of her favorite activities, especially for maintaining clarity and focus to bring back to the studio. Goode admits that she always feels some nerves going into set for the day because there is so much information to take in at once, and yoga helps bring her back to center. She even shares her love of yoga with her colleagues while on set.
“There were times when I would gather my cast and be like, ‘do you guys want to go to the gym? I’m going to teach a yoga class and light some candles and cover you in blankets…’ because it’s so relaxing and rejuvenating,” Goode shared.
She also enjoys being outside and exploring nature, as that is another activity that keeps her grounded. “A lot of my hobbies involve doing things that are rejuvenating because I love to give so much of myself and my energy and my creativity to the people around me and to my role when I’m on set,” Goode detailed.
Despite the craziness, Goode believes that she is still living out her dream job. She has loved all the roles she has gotten to portray, and she has experienced all kinds of films and television shows that highlight her oodles of creativity. However, her outlook on the experience of “living the dream” makes her acting feel so much more real and special; Goode’s characters all have a little piece of her portrayed on the screen, she expressed. This is what makes an actress special.
“Life is short, experiences are fleeting, and so it’s really important to really be in the moment with whatever gifts, blessings and opportunities come our way,” Goode shared.
Creative Credits
- Written by
- Emily Weiner
- Photography
- Susan Bowles
- Retouching
- Brianna Kish
