Midori Francis She made a name for herself in the projects ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’, but her latest role in the supernatural horror film ‘Saccharine’ took things to another level. The 32-year-old actress played Hana, an internalized fat phobia, family trauma, a literal ghost and a terrible crush on her gym instructor, who started taking a weight loss pill with a sinister secret ingredient, human ash.Speaking with PEOPLE, Francis talked about the personal struggles he brought to the role, the tight timeline he shot on, and what he hopes to do next.
What was ‘Saccharine’ about and why did Midori Francis take the role
Written and edited by the author Natalie Erika James‘Saccharine’ took an intimate look at a woman’s struggle with body image, self-worth and shame-driven compulsion, told through a queer lens of supernatural body horror. Danielle Macdonald He played Hana’s best friend, while Showko Showfukutei brought warmth to the role of her neurotic but loving mother.The film marked the latest entry in the horror genre with a lot of beauty, along with titles like ‘The Ugly Stepsister’ and ‘The Substance’. James shared a warning for potential viewers who struggle with an eating disorder, given the film’s subject matter.Francis was honest about what drew him to the project and what gave him pause. “I would never have come close to this if I hadn’t had years of therapy and an ongoing journey of healing,” she told the outlet. “I’ve struggled with eating disorders. My family has been touched by addictions, and I think mental struggles can bring a lot of shame.”She added: “I think back to the little girl I was, maybe always having to put on a facade or protect those things because I was too afraid to talk about them or embrace my darkness. Now, being this actor, it’s incredible that my job gives me a way and a vehicle to explore those sides of myself. There’s no antidote to shame like making a movie like this.”Francis also noted that he could tell from reading the script that writer-director James had a deep understanding of the subject matter. “I could tell from reading the script that whoever wrote it had empathy and understood the feeling of being trapped in your compulsions. I knew it was real,” he said.
How Midori Francis filmed ‘Saccharine’ just two days after ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ wrapped
The film was shot in Melbourne, Australia, on a very tight timeline, and Francis arrived in extraordinary circumstances. He finished 38 episodes of “Grey’s Anatomy” two days before boarding a plane. It was the first time she used her scream queen instincts since 2023’s ‘Unseen’.“So I packed up, I was crying, I said goodbye to all my friends. I was like, ‘Wow, what a great chapter,’ and two days later, I was on a plane from LA to Melbourne,” she said. “I got off the plane probably around 6am, and by 8am I was in Hana’s clothes. and then we hit the ground.”Francis was in every frame of the film, leaving little room for downtime. “I could be in Australia. I don’t know. I’ve only seen a sound stage,” he joked during his first week on set.
Building chemistry with actors
Despite her tight schedule, Francis found ways to connect with her co-stars. Natalie had been hooking up with director Erika James for months via video calls before filming began. With Macdonald, the connection was immediate. “From the first table read when I was sitting next to him, I think I was being naughty and making jokes, and he was on board,” she said. “We did a rehearsal where we practiced the fake ketamine swirl, just like you as an actor. There were some connections, for sure.”
Prosthetics, a playlist and a lost notebook
Because “Saccharine” was shot out of sequence over eight weeks, Francis needed prosthetics and bodysuits for both ends of Hana’s physical transformation, covering the beginning and end stages of her weight loss journey. “It took a long time. Shout out to our amazing prosthetics team. I was up in the middle of the night, basically,” he said.To get into character during those long make-up sessions, Francis listened to a playlist prepared by James, and also contributed songs. His additions included Grimes’ ‘Genesis’, AJJ’s ‘Body Terror Song’ and Mitski’s ‘Nobody’.He also relied heavily on the marble notebook throughout the shoot, a habit he had kept up since working on ‘Dash and Lily’. The notebook was lost in the middle of the shot, causing panic. “This is my salvation. I write everything, every stage, every scene, where it is. And it also had a lot of random poetry in it: ‘I don’t want anyone to see this,'” he said. Fortunately, they found it and sent it back to him. “I hugged him,” he added.
What Midori Francis learned about herself playing Hana
For Francis, playing Hana became an unexpected personal journey. “I had so much empathy for Hana at the top of the film. And I think having that empathy for Hana, maybe there are parts of myself that I empathized with,” she said. “My insecurities and her quiet nerdiness, her awkwardness, gave me some love for those parts of me.”He also reflected on the broader cultural timing of the film, which came amid a wide-ranging conversation about weight-loss drugs. “I think we’re at an interesting point where maybe it looks like, because of the momentum that’s been going forward, we’re now seeing a little bit of a backslide, and that’s sad,” he said.On the subject of plated scares, Francis revealed that he kept a file of scary images on his phone to quickly get into character. He also described a particularly disturbing moment in which an actor playing a corpse was being lowered onto his face with ropes while he was supposed to be completely still. “It was scary. It was scary,” he said.
Midori Francis on queer roles, horror and what’s next
Francis reflected on how he became known for queer roles. “After ‘Dash and Lily,’ I did an interview and they said, ‘What roles do you want to play next?’ And I just threw it out there. I was like, ‘Well, I’ve never played a super weird role. That would be fun.’ And then I think ‘Sex Lives’ came after that, and then they didn’t stop coming.”He said what he appreciated most about “Saccharine” was that Hana’s quirkiness itself was only part of it, rather than the main focus of the story. “The weirdness isn’t the point. It’s just Hana, and that’s just one aspect of it,” she said.Asked about his next moves, Francis hinted at a new direction. “I’ve never played a villain. Maybe this will be my villain time,” he said. He also expressed his enthusiasm to continue in the horror genre. “Horror is in such a fascinating place. There’s never been such a hunger outside of niche audiences. It feels like a massive desire for this genre.”Getting back to “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” Francis said he hadn’t heard an update but was still open. “I know that show meant a lot to a lot of people and I’m sure there will be an audience.”‘Saccharine’ is currently in theaters and will be available via streaming at a later date.
