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AP Breakthrough Entertainer: Myha鈥檒a doesn't take being #1 on the call sheet for granted

NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 Myha鈥檒a is best known for playing a steely, manipulative investment banker on HBO's 鈥淚ndustry,鈥 so the thought of her breaking into song seems antithetical.
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Myha'la poses for a portrait on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, in New York. Myha'la has been named one of The Associated Press' Breakthrough Entertainers of 2024. (Photo by Matt Licari/Invision/AP)

NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 Myha鈥檒a is best known for playing a steely, manipulative investment banker so the thought of her breaking into song seems antithetical.

Yet the graduate of Carnegie Mellon鈥檚 prestigious drama school says when she told friends and former acting teachers she landed a starring role in the series, they assumed it was a stage comedy or musical.

鈥淣obody saw this trajectory for me. Not even me,鈥 Myha鈥檒a told The Associated Press. 鈥淭his has actually been sort of like a very happy accident and surprise that I have any career at all in TV/film. But I really, really love it and I think I鈥檓 more suited for it than I thought.鈥

Although 鈥淚ndustry鈥 has been around since 2020, that has received the most attention. Myha鈥檒a sees this year as the cast and creators鈥 鈥渃ollective breakthrough,鈥 but it鈥檚 her own work to find vulnerability in the unshakable, calculating, risk-loving Harper Stern that makes her one of .

Myha鈥檒a, 28, had expected and hoped to start her career in theater when she got the part in 鈥淚ndustry,鈥 and says she 鈥 and most of her castmates 鈥 have learned on the job. 鈥淢y first time being #1 on the call sheet was a big deal,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e鈥檇 all basically just come out of school and didn鈥檛 know what we were doing.鈥

Though Harper regularly betrays friends and colleagues for personal gain, Myha鈥檒a manages to reveal her soft edges: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I could do her justice if I didn鈥檛 find the humanity in her. I think, us as human beings, we hold multitudes and contradictions. We are the definition of a contradiction and that鈥檚 what makes us human. So to find that in every character I play is the most important to me.鈥

Besides 鈥淚ndustry,鈥 she's acted in film with stars who have made an impression. She played Mahershala Ali鈥檚 daughter in the with Ethan Hawke and Julia Roberts. Myha鈥檒a says she was intimidated to work with 鈥渁 bunch of legends who鈥檝e been doing it way longer than I have.鈥 But she was pleasantly surprised at how they embraced her. 鈥淭hey treated me like I was just another person in the cast, not a child, not inexperienced, not a junior. None of that,鈥 Myha鈥檒a remembered.

Roberts has become a role model after Myha鈥檒a observed how she treated everyone on set.

鈥淪he鈥檚 incredibly patient. She doesn鈥檛 behave like she鈥檚 the icon that she is,鈥 the actor said. 鈥淎 generous, respectful person who has integrity. And I really love the way people responded to her. That鈥檚 鈥 the person I want to be. I want to come in and command a room with kindness and do my job really well.鈥

Doing her job well landed her roles in two notable films coming next year 鈥 鈥淪wiped,鈥 with Lily James starring as the founder of Bumble, and 鈥淭hey Will Kill You,鈥 with Zazie Beetz 鈥 in addition to the fourth season of 鈥淚ndustry.鈥

Myha鈥檒a鈥檚 personal life also blossomed this year when she got engaged to her boyfriend of four years. She loves telling the story of their ultimate meet-cute, which started when he direct messaged her on Instagram during the pandemic saying he was an 鈥淚ndustry鈥 fan.

鈥淗e was incredibly invested in me, and not in a creepy way 鈥 in a really sincere, curious way. And I was so struck by that,鈥 she said.

Grateful for the TV and film roles, Myha鈥檒a still holds out hope that one day she鈥檒l make her Broadway debut. 鈥淭he dream is not dead!鈥 she said with a smile.

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For more on AP鈥檚 2024 class of Breakthrough Entertainers, visit

Brooke Lefferts, The Associated Press