From Set to Seminar

West Mulholland’s Life Between Hollywood and Higher Education.

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19-year-old West Mulholland balances Hollywood and academia, bringing depth to both his craft and his studies at Stanford.

Words by Dio Anthony

Intelligence in a performer is a rare and captivating thing. Not just the kind of intelligence that allows an actor to memorize lines or deliver them with precision, but the kind that permeates their work with depth, nuance, and an understanding of the human condition. West Mulholland possesses that kind of intelligence in spades. It’s not just evident in the way he speaks—articulate and measured, brimming with curiosity—but in the way he approaches his craft, his studies, and even his worldview.

In Steven Soderbergh’s latest film, Presence, Mulholland doesn’t just play a role—he unsettles. His performance lingers like a shadow in the corner of the room, a presence (fittingly) that you can’t shake even after the credits roll. He steps into horror not with theatrics but with restraint, the kind of quiet unease that burrows under the skin and festers. It’s a testament to his range, his instincts, and that same intelligence that makes him such a compelling figure both on and off the screen.

Mulholland isn’t just an actor—he’s a student, a writer, a thinker. Off set, he’s equally at home exploring ideas in the classroom, proving that true creativity thrives at the crossroads of passion and learning. This is an artist who reminds us that the best stories are lived, not just performed.

Sitting down with Mulholland is an exercise in discovery—of film, of history, of ideas that spark unexpected tangents. And as he discusses his journey, his influences, and the chilling nature of Presence, it becomes abundantly clear: this is an actor not just to watch, but to truly listen to. But only if you’re lucky enough to. My conversation with West transcended what could be translated on paper. He’s the type of presence to experience in person. It made me realize that any room that West occupies is a room anyone should want to be in.

Dio Anthony: I read that you grew up on the coast in California, right? Tell me about growing up in SoCal.

West Mulholland: San Clemente is paradise—a dream place to grow up. Almost every kid surfs, and everyone loves the ocean. I fondly remember doing junior lifeguards with my sister, a program that taught us about ocean safety and conservation. Including picking up trash before push-ups sometimes. Jumping off the pier was a rite of passage in Clemente. And of course, hanging out with my buddies and getting up to no good.

Anthony: Sounds like Quintessential California. Working as a lifeguard, wow.

Mulholland: Yeah. [Laughs] That was always my backup plan. I’d tell my parents that if acting didn’t work out, I’d become either an undercover cop or a lifeguard.

Anthony: Why undercover cop?

Mulholland: Oh, because I saw Reservoir Dogs and I was a big fan [laugh]. It was just a joke—my dad was so excited to show me the movie, so I thought I’d take a little jab at him and say, “Hey, I can do that. I can be an undercover cop.”

Anthony: So, you're in school now, right?

Mulholland: Yes, I go to Stanford. I just started because I took a leave of absence last quarter to film.

Anthony: That's interesting. Is it hard for you to be able to take a leave of absence? How does that work?

Mulholland: Stanford has this awesome rule where you can take up to eight leaves of absence—they really encourage flexibility. I mean, take Reese Witherspoon—one of our most famous alums—I’m sure she took a few before ultimately deciding, “You know what? I’m not finishing my degree.”

Right now, I’m technically on track to graduate by 2027, but honestly, my main goal is just to finish before my little sister—she’s three years younger, so if I can graduate by 2030, that’d be a win. [Laughs.]

I’ve used one leave already, so I’m down to seven, and they can be negotiated. But the hardest part when I’m actually in school? Balancing everything—self-tapes, work, even interviews. Like, I’ve got this one scheduled perfectly during my lunch break between classes. But honestly? This is the life I want, and it’s so much fun.

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Anthony: It’s exciting, right? The leave of absence thing is so interesting because, as a performer, balancing school and work can be tricky. Sometimes you’re stuck wondering, Do I take a break? Do I come back? And then everyone’s trying to schedule around your schedule. So it’s nice that Stanford actually encourages you to get that real-life experience while still making it possible to finish your degree.

Mulholland: Absolutely! They want the Olympians who take time off to compete, the kids building the next Facebook or Snapchat, the future startup founders. They even want the next big actor. They really encourage you to go for it.

Anthony: What classes are you taking now?

Mulholland: Today, I’m in an American Studies class called California Dreaming, and I’m really excited about my project. Yesterday, we visited special collections at the library, and they had all these incredible objects. One that really stood out to me was a 1945 Manzanar high school yearbook. I’m part Japanese, so the first thing I did was look for my great-uncle.

I was really moved by that yearbook—the amount of joy captured in such a desolate place. Manzanar is one of the darkest chapters in American history, so seeing happiness emerge from pain was really special. I think I’m going to make it my final project. Someday, I’d love to write a Florida Project-style script set in Manzanar, focusing on kids just being kids despite everything.

I’ve been to Manzanar twice before—my parents took me, and I’ve done projects on it—but I’m excited to revisit.

I’m also taking a creative writing class, which is probably where I’ll start developing that script. It’s such a cool class. My majors are Film & Media Studies and Creative Writing, and I’m also taking an ocean conservation class.

Garcia: California Dreaming is such a neat name for a class.

Mulholland: Isn’t it? It’s based off The Mamas & The Papas Song.

Garcia: I dig it. Tell me more about this Ocean Conservation class. I’m so intrigued.

Mulholland: It's called Planet Ocean, and it’s super fun—definitely engaging a different part of my brain. I have to write an analysis of a scientific paper. Not sure if it's technically a research paper, but something along those lines.

I think I’m going to focus on how railroads affect coastlines. Since I’m from San Clemente, the Amtrak line running through the coastline is a huge feature, which I took a lot growing up. But unfortunately, it’s also eroding our beaches. A good example of efforts to push back the tracks is Trestles, which is an ideal spot for ocean conservation. But sadly, most of our beaches don’t get that kind of protection.

Anthony: Wow! Extensive!

Mulholland: Yeah. That class in particular, it got me thinking—what are some possible solutions for that issue? But honestly, my little sister is the real expert on ocean conservation. She’s super passionate about it, along with culinary arts. It’s cool because we get to bond over it—we’re both part of the Surf Rider Foundation. I was more involved in high school, but she’s really active now, and I’m so proud of her. I kind of use it as an excuse to bond with her.

Anthony: That’s so great. I’m gathering that she isn’t at Stanford with you, or is she?

Mulholland: No, she’s actually still in high school! she goes to my old school, Orange County School of the Arts. Shoutout to them, they’re awesome. It’s a great school, super rigorous with amazing academics, which is what drew her in.

Originally, I was always the artist in the family, and she was the athlete. She played soccer for years—we even went to the Women’s World Cup when they won against Norway, I think? A few years ago. That was such a fun experience.

But now, she’s shifted her focus. No more soccer—now she’s all about saving the world, or at least saving humans! She’s torn between pursuing culinary arts as a science or diving fully into ocean conservation… or maybe even finding a way to combine the two.

Anthony: Has there been a piece of information you’ve learned recently that really stuck with you? With all these fascinating conversations in class and with your peers, I imagine you come across a lot of cool insights.

For example—kind of random, but a few weeks ago, I watched Nosferatu, and it got me thinking about silent films. I ended up learning about all these different makeup techniques used in old black-and-white movies to create specific effects. It’s wild how they had to adjust colors just to make things look right on screen!

Mulholland: That’s a great point. It’s so cool right? I actually know that those old techniques are still being used today on a modern scale.. I know that with WandaVision, even though Vision is supposed to be red, they painted him blue for the black-and-white scenes because it showed up better on camera. It's crazy how those classic techniques still hold up in modern filmmaking!

Anthony: Oh wow, I loved Wandavision. I’m so glad I brought this up, because I had no idea. See, we’re always learning from other people.

Mulholland: But, something cool that I’ve learned recently–it’s kinda funky. It’s something I learned through a class. We were talking about evolution, especially in relation to global warming and how it affects the oceans. One thing that stood out was this type of ice fish that’s developed ice crystals in its blood. Those fish have adapted over millions of years to avoid their blood freezing. Now, we actually farm them and clone their cells to use the enzymes in ice cream to stop it from forming those ice crystals when it’s been in the freezer too long. So now, thanks to those fish, your ice cream stays smooth.

Anthony: Wow, see I would have never picked up that bit of information elsewhere. You really do learn something everyday. On the topic of horror–whats your idea of an actual horror story? What’s scary to you?

Mulholland: I think you can see a lot of what's happening today as horror. But really, horror exists in everyday things, too.

Take my favorite horror movie—the original Alien (1979). One thing I love about it is the trailer. It’s something a lot of modern movies struggle with—they just give everything away up front. But Alien? It built suspense without showing too much, and that made it even more terrifying.

Anthony: I know what you mean, and I hate that too. I prefer knowing as little as possible.

Mulholland: Yeah, exactly. That first Alien teaser was pure genius. I'm a sucker for movies that do a lot with a low budget, and this one really did that.

Before they even had footage, the production team—whoever came up with it—went to a grocery store, found the weirdest, most deformed egg they could, and placed it on a table-sized brownie sheet. They lit it just right, framed the shot, and suddenly, it looked like an alien landscape. Then, the Alien title slowly formed on screen, leading to that iconic tagline: In space, no one can hear you scream.

That teaser, with the eerie music and minimal visuals, was just enough to completely pull the audience in. Obviously, Alien is one of the greatest horror movies of all time, but what’s so cool about that teaser is how simple it was. Anyone could recreate it—just an egg, a brownie tin, a light, and a phone camera. And yet, it became this incredible piece of art. It didn’t just sell the movie; it told you what the movie was about without giving anything away whatsoever.I don’t think we even see that in the film. It was its own thing.

Anthony: What's your take on social media? Your Instagram seems pretty low-key, almost like it’s new. Are you just not that into posting?

Mulholland: Yeah, I think social media can be great when it’s used the right way. I have so many friends who use it to share their art, highlight big moments in their lives, or even run fun campaigns—like when someone runs for class president and turns their Instagram into their campaign. In that sense, it can be really beneficial and helpful.

I think what is detrimental is the endless doom scrolling, and how toxic social media can be. Ideally, I’d love to see platforms focus more on artists, creatives, and people just sharing their passions—rather than turning into these distractions that pull us away from actually living and being an awesome human being in the world.

Anthony: So what's life like at school these days? It’s so far removed from all of the press and events and everything you were a part of surrounding the movie.

Mulholland: Oh, I love thinking about it this way—I kind of get to be two different versions of Cinderella. When I go to New York for press events, it’s like the fairy godmother moment. They put me in incredible Prada, style me up, and suddenly, I’m in this whole other world.

Anthony: Yes, the flashing lights..

Mulholland: Yeah, it’s amazing! It’s like I get my Cinderella moment, and my fairy godmothers—aka my agents, managers, and publicist—come in and style me up. My whole team makes it happen, and for three days, I get to live in this whirlwind of press and glamour.

But then, I get to come back to school, where life is totally different. It’s kind of like Cinderella returning home. She’s hanging out with all her animal friends. I get to come back and work at school and just hang out with my friends, living a normal life.

Cinderella goes back to the people she’s comfortable with, the ones she loves and who love her. And for me, that’s what coming back to school feels like—I get to return to my roots as a student, learning, growing, and being surrounded by people who inspire me.

Getting to be creative and just learning and growing as a human being. Honestly, college has been the best time of my life so far. I just love school so much. It’s such a gift, and I’m so grateful for the places I’ve studied and where I am now. It’s just… yeah. It’s really wonderful.

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Anthony: Yeah. It is. Education's a privilege. It's a really good thing to have and it really shapes your whole life. I love that you think that way. Earlier you mentioned Alien being one of your favorite movies. Is it your ultimate favorite scary movie?

Mulholland: Yeah, that—and probably La La Land—are my two favorite scary movies. Oh, and E.T. too. Obviously, La La Land is kind of a joke answer, but also… not really. I mean, isn’t it kind of terrifying? The idea that you meet someone who pushes you to be the best version of yourself, but in the process, you lose them? That’s heartbreaking in a way that feels almost like horror. It’s one of the most incredible movies I’ve seen in recent years.

Alien has just always been a favorite—the teaser alone stuck with me forever. And E.T.—I have a funny story about that one. It was my favorite movie as a kid, but I could not handle the moment when he pops out of the cornfield. Every time, I’d hide behind a pillow and just peek out.

Anthony: From this conversion so far, you seem like a reader. Are you? What are you reading right now?

Mulholland: I am, yes. Right now, I’m rereading The Hunger Games trilogy. I was a huge fan when I was younger, and I’m diving back in. I never got around to The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, so I’m finally reading it for the first time, which is exciting. I’m still pretty early into it, but I can’t wait to see where it goes.

I also recently read Barbarian Days, which is about this guy’s experiences growing up in Hawaii—William Finnegan. What really stuck with me was how beautifully he describes the ocean. As a surfer, it resonated so much. The way he captures that feeling, that connection to the water, felt so real. It reminded me of my own early morning surf sessions—just being out there alone. It’s such an incredible experience.

Surfing with friends is awesome, but there’s something really special about going out solo to my spot. Watching the sunrise over the ocean, the moon still up, the sky dark while the sun starts to rise—it’s such a tranquil, incredible moment. It really makes you appreciate the world, this Earth that we love so much. It’s our home. That’s what made Barbarian Days such a beautiful read for me—it captured that feeling so well.

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Anthony: Incredible. I’m also curious about your playlists right now. You played such great music when we met at the shoot–it reminded me of my own taste in my music.

Mulholland: I’m all over the place with music, honestly—it depends on what I’m feeling. I just finished working on a punk film called Out Come the Wolves, which is based on Rancid’s album of the same name. Rancid is one of my favorite punk bands, right up there with The Clash. I love punk in general.

Then, I’ll dive into more ska stuff, like No Doubt. Gwen Stefani might actually be my favorite artist of all time—she’s on repeat for me right now. No Doubt is just incredible and so much fun.

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Last year, I was really into Amy Winehouse, too—so much soul in her music. I also started listening to The Sacred Souls, which is a more modern group, and they’re awesome as well. If someone asked me–what's your favorite genre? I’d say it changes throughout the week. I love The Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Aerosmith. Van Halen, too—huge fan. And The Misfits…

Anthony: You just named such distinct artists–your love for music, was that something you picked up on your own, or was it influenced by your parents.

Mulholland: I love thinking I discovered music on my own, but my parents—especially my mom—definitely had a hand in shaping my taste. In high school, I’d try to show them “real music,” only for them to be like, “Oh yeah, we played that when you were in the womb.” So, in a way, they totally got to me first.

My dad is all about Jack Johnson, but my mom has always had an amazing ear for music. She’s the one who really introduced me to the Riot Grrrl movement and punk in general. Our family isn’t musical in the sense of playing instruments, but we love and really appreciate music. Jamming out with my mom is the best—it’s one of my favorite things.

Anthony: I want to end the interview speaking a bit about your character. Because he’s such a world away from the person you are, which is a testament to your skill as an actor. There is so much I can comment on within the film and get into with you. But I think your performance is very rattling to say the least. Like many things in life, you realize you’re in this tricky situation before you know it, and lots of the time it can be too late to eradicate it or choose a different path once you’re in the eye of the tiger per se. What do you think?

Mulholland: Thank you so much, I appreciate that. I feel like my character needs to come with a warning label. I’ve mentioned this before, but there’s this toxic masculinity thing going on within him. He’s attractive, so you trust him, and don’t really see how manipulative he is or can be. You just never really know who you can trust. He’s an important reminder to always be careful. I got to watch this with my sister and I’m so glad that I was able to do that.She’s in highschool, like the characters in the film, and the movie has served as a cautionary tale in a lot of ways.

This interview has been edited and condensed

19-year-old West Mulholland balances Hollywood and academia, bringing depth to both his craft and his studies at Stanford.

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