Standing 5 feet, eight inches tall, Cecile Sinclair is impossible to miss with her striking red hair and deep green eyes. It’s not surprising that she won Holland’s Next Top Model and captured the public’s attention in numerous runway shows and magazine editorials. 

Sinclair found herself on a whirlwind journey that propelled her modeling career internationally. She was featured on the glossies of Flaunt, Elle Italia, Dazed & Confused, and walked shows for Betsey Johnson and Nanette Lepore, amongst others. This time, Sinclair is now well on her way to captivating the film industry and its audiences. After starring in Ted Lasso, Persephone, and most recently, Dune. We are about to see more of her as she explores another facet of Hollywood’s global entertainment industry with her company, Dutch Dame Production. 

We recently caught up with Cecile to discuss her latest projects and what’s in store for her. 

Congratulations on your role as an Imperial Councillor in ‘Dune: Part Two’! What drew you to this project, and what was your experience working within such a richly imagined universe like ‘Dune’?

I love sci-fi and fantasy worlds that I can get lost in. Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival is one of my favourites, so I wanted to audition for DUNE2 when I heard casting would start. The experience was beyond incredible! It’s such a big production and set. It was great to see.

Your diverse portfolio encompasses film, television, and theatre. How do you navigate these different mediums, and what unique challenges or rewards do each offer you as an actress?

I still train and expose myself to these (film, stage, etc.) as much as possible to learn from all experiences. My OYS classes at GoHub on a Friday keep me on my toes. The challenges of acting in films are different than those on the stage.

When I was playing Sister Bernadette in the play NUNS, we had more extended rehearsals with the cast, and then, of course, as a live performance, you can only make mistakes or at least you have to move through them with everyone noticing! For the film, you can film the same scene from different angles or lenses, and keeping the energy up in that way is different.  Everything is rehearsals, research, and allowing whatever comes next to happen!

Please tell us about Dutch Dame Production, the company you co-founded. What kind of stories and projects does the company aim to produce, and how has your vision shaped its creative direction?

We (Natalya and I) wanted DDP to help get projects off the ground for newer actors (like graduates) or those who need help figuring out where to start with creating their production but have great ideas. We’d love to put on another play or showcase, as we know a lot of talented actors!

Your short films like ‘Dance To The Death’ and ‘Blood Orange’ explore intense and evocative themes. What inspires your choices in these projects, and what do you hope viewers take away from your work?

I love working on intense or evocative projects because I think they’re a great challenge and something a bit different. It’s excellent to captivate an audience with a plot twist, and I hope viewers find the originality of the imaginative storylines entertaining! 

Persephone’ and ‘Fatalism’ have received critical acclaim. Can you share what attracted you to these particular projects, and how do you approach roles that delve deeply into complex emotional landscapes?

Persephone was a great modern take on Greek Mythology, with Persephone falling into the underworld of Hades. Fatalism is something a friend wrote, and we filmed just after lockdown, once six people were allowed in one space. I’m pleased it did so well on its festival run ! Stay as open and vulnerable as possible to allow depth in complex landscapes.

You were involved in a Harry Potter fan-fiction web series, Lily Potter, which gained significant traction on YouTube. What was it like stepping into the beloved world of Harry Potter, and how did this experience impact your perspective on fan communities and their creative output?

The Order was an excellent production with a brilliant cast and crew! It was a huge honour to work on something so loved as Harry Potter and be part of creating an origin story based on fan fiction writing. Fan fiction is born from a desirous outcome that fans felt didn’t yet exist, so it’s fantastic to delve into their versions. 

You won Holland’s Next Top Model, which is quite a departure from your acting career. How did your modeling background influence your approach to acting, and what lessons from modeling have you carried into your current work?

Modelling is a fantastic but equally challenging industry, so it’s taught me resilience and given me a thick skin for rejection. It influenced my acting because I learned valuable lessons on set, like understanding lighting, positioning, and lenses, which can be great to play with when acting to amplify what you’re trying to convey. 

In ‘Ted Lasso,’ you portrayed a memorable character. How did you prepare for this role, and what was it like being part of a series that has resonated so deeply with audiences?

I was beyond excited when my Ted Lasso audition was successful. My personal experiences—working in hospitality and growing up in the Netherlands—helped me a lot. 

I’m so grateful to have been part of the series, as seeing the inner workings of a series taught me a lot about acting within that medium (TV series). I’m in awe of the guys adapting to the new writing material they had to learn overnight and trusting their instincts. I secretly hope they make a female spin-off, as I used to play football in high school! 

As an actress and producer, what kind of stories or characters do you find yourself particularly drawn to? Are there specific themes or narratives you hope to explore in future projects?

I’m a big fan of the BFI FLARE Festival, some incredible films were showing this year again, and I would love to explore more queer themes in film or like I mentioned before, the fantasy or sci-fi genres.

What are some dream roles or projects you aspire to tackle in your career? How do you see yourself evolving as an artist in the coming years?

I have a few dream roles, including working with Eliza Hittmann (Beachrats), who creates beautiful stories or something in the more fantasy or sci-fi realm. Like Game of Thrones or Star Wars, lots of them are high on my dream list, and I’m going to Comic-Con. I would also love to work on more comedy, like What We Do In The Shadows. 

I see myself evolving as an artist by taking on very varied roles. For example, in the role of Teske in Losing Us, where I played a truck driver who is part of a human trafficking network, I like taking on things that maybe people don’t expect from me!

Photo Credits: Photography – Jemima Marriott | Styling – Prue Fisher | Make up – Dani Guinsberg Hair – Tim Crespin