Sophie Power set to star in Josh Pais’ The Reconnect

The Adelaide actor says getting stuck in a “TikTok hole” set her on a remarkable journey.

An Adelaide actor on the brink of her big break in Hollywood says she owes the chance to an online class she took via Zoom.

Sophie Power says her role in the upcoming feature film The Reconnect would not have happened if she had not signed up to actor Josh Pais’ (The Joker, The Dropout) course, Committed Pulse.

She is now set to star as Tritney Williams, a sex therapist who finds viral fame on TikTok.

“During the pandemic I was in Adelaide … I got stuck down a massive TikTok hole,” Ms Power said.

She said Tritney was based off of the TikTok videos and creators that she watched during lockdown in 2020.

Supplied Editorial Sophie Power in short film 'Teach Me How To Fly'. Pictures: Supplied

The idea came during class, where Mr Pais asked the class to create characters who he then interviewed and gave suggestions.

Ms Power, 32, hails from the suburb of St. Peters in Adelaide.

She began acting at 24 and has trained in a multitude of acting schools both in the USA and in Australia.

Previously, she has had roles in Night Shift (2019), Hey Doll! (2021) and most recently, Slant (2022).

“I’ve been doing a lot of improvised comedy in Melbourne … I do a lot of that on stage,” she said.

Mr Pais said he had the idea of putting different who were different from one another politically, spiritually, and sexually into a workshop to see how they would connect with others post-Covid.

He said his Committed Impulse course aimed to explore a different kind of acting that was more physical and about pushing beyond the mind and getting connected to your body.

Josh Pais and Willem Dafoe attend the "Motherless Brooklyn" Arrivals during the 57th New York Film Festival. Picture: Theo Wargo/Getty Images

“I wanted to find a way to not have spontaneity be something that sometimes seemed to happen – I really wanted to capture, and with consistency, explore spontaneity in my work as an actor,” he said.

“Partially that comes from my feeling that where we are as a species … if we don't get on the same page to a larger degree, we are going to screw anything up.” he said.

Mr Pais said that Ms Power was unlike anyone he has met before.

“She’s fantastic … she’s so there and so engaged, so spontaneous and so compelling as an actor. She definitely has got that star thing going on, and she’s definitely up and coming.” he said.

Mr Pais said they hope to take the film to festivals and streaming services and that they are still raising money for the $1 million film budget. He is confident the film will raise the money.

Originally published as Sophie Power set to star in Josh Pais’ The Reconnect