“Mouse”, interview with actresses Katherine Mallen-Kupferer and Sophie Okonedo

February 25, 2026

Sophie Okonedo on "Mouse": “I said yes to the film because the characters felt like real people”

“Mouse”, interview with actresses Katherine Mallen-Kupferer and Sophie Okonedo Chiara Nicoletti

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From the directors of “Ghostlight”, Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson, “Mouse” is premiering at the 76th Berlinale in the Panorama section.

The film is a moving coming-of-age story set in 2002 Arkansas, it is written by O’Sullivan as it is loosely based on her memories of being a high school teenager in her hometown of North Little Rock, Arkansas in the early 2000s.

It stars Katherine Mallen-Kupferer, who previously appeared in the cast of “Ghostlight”, as seventeen year’s old high school senior Minnie and Academy Award nominee and Tony Winner Sophie Okonedo as the mother of Minnie’s best friend, Callie.

Katherine Mallen-Kupferer

“Ghostlight” has become pivotal to the film Mouse as it marks the filmmakers’ second collaboration with Chicago-based actors Tara Mallen and Katherine Mallen Kupferer, who played mother and daughter in “Ghostlight” and do so again in Mouse.

Katherine Mallen Kupferer confesses that, while her character in “Ghostlight” was and felt very similar to her, the one from “Mouse”, Minnie, was very different so she actually had to really “act” and therefore improving her acting technique.

Sophie Okonedo

Academy Award nominee Sophie Okonedo’s name was in Alex’s Thompson wishlist among the actors he would have liked to work with someday so with “Mouse” finally in the works, the two directors tried to make their dream come true and offered Okonedo the part of Helen, Callie’s mum. They sent her agent the screenplay of the film, along with a letter. What came afterwards, defined the film’s destiny: she said yes immediately.

“It was this beautiful, layered story about ordinary people going through stuff that a lot of us go through. The characters felt like real people” she said.

Plot

It’s 2002, and senior year of high school is on the horizon for best friends Minnie and Callie. The charismatic Callie is the golden child of their North Little Rock, Arkansas school, and Minnie has grown up in her protective shadow. When their friendship is suddenly upended at thestart of the summer, Minnie is left rudderless. Facing the challenge of establishing her own identity as the school year begins, Minnie forms a complicated relationship with Callie’s elegant and attentive mother, leading her further away from her own working mom and chaotic home.

Written by: Chiara Nicoletti

Guest

Katherine Mallen-Kupferer Sophie Okonedo

Film

Mouse

Festival

Berlinale

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“Mouse”, interview with actresses Katherine Mallen-Kupferer and Sophie Okonedo