Olivia Munn in ‘The Rook’ —PHOTO COURTESY OF HBO
During our recent interview with Olivia Munn, the lovely star of “The Rook” had insightful things to say about how she looks back at 2020, stay productive and move forward in this virus-stricken world. Her answer couldn’t have been more spot-on.
She said, “The year 2021 has been feeling a lot like 2020. It’s also been a bit crazy this year—and it’s just the beginning of the year! But, you know, I take a lot of great lessons from 2020 with me. I remember there was a time during the lockdown when I had to go the grocery to get something.
“I was masked up with a face shield and we were all waiting in line to go into the grocery store one at a time and passing by complete strangers. And there was a feeling of commonality between us … that we all knew exactly what they were going through … and they also knew what I was going through.
“It was a shared experience that I think really bonded us—not just here, but all around the world. We could go on social media and see someone in Italy, China or Japan—and you know that he’s experiencing what we’re experiencing. It was such a beautiful thing that, for the first time in my lifetime, the entire world was collectively sensing the same thing!
“And that was a really beautiful way to connect with everyone, and to know that there is this common thread that goes among all of us. When you experience something like this, it becomes part of your memory, it becomes part of your soul, it becomes part of you.
“That’s a really beautiful thing, and I’ve tried to remember and hold on to that because it’s inevitable that life will eventually go back to normal … and that lessons will be forgotten. Because that’s how it goes when something big [like the pandemic] happens.
“People think that they’re all going to change and be different. Then they will be drawn back into old patterns. But at least, for me, I’d like to hold on to that feeling of unity with everyone else in the world.” INQ
The eight-part series “The Rook,” which premiered last Jan. 18, streams new episodes every Monday on HBO Go.