Tina Fey: Being present is as important as achieving

Asked if she ever got lost in work and obsessed with her passion, Fey said: "I think that there is a sequence in the movie, Soul, where (her character) 22 gets lost. It is her own negative self talk which is trapping her. I think that is really relatable.

New Delhi: Actress Tina Fey says there have been moments in her life when she was so consumed by work that it almost turned injurious.

Asked if she ever got lost in work and obsessed with her passion, Fey said: “I think that there is a sequence in the movie, Soul, where (her character) 22 gets lost. It is her own negative self talk which is trapping her. I think that is really relatable. There have definitely been periods in my life where I’ve been so fully focused on work that it’s almost been injurious. That it has taken it out of me. But at the same time it has been worth it. I am thankful it has not felt as dark as 22 goes in her lowest low in the movie.”

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Co-directed by two-time Oscar winner Pete Docter and Kemp Powers, Soul takes viewers on the journey of Joe Gardner, a middle-school band teacher (voiced by Jamie Foxx) and how he is about to find his true calling. Having lost his passion for music, Joe seeks the help of a soul named 22 (Tina Fey) to find his way back and, in the process, learns a lot about himself.

The actress says working on the film gave her a chance to reflect deeply on themes such as life, death, and art.

“The film does get you to reflect on these topics. It also does a really interesting thing, where they go a step beyond just saying, “You’ve gotta find your passion in life”. They also bring up the idea that an all-consuming passion can overtake your life, and that being present is as important as achieving,” she shared.

The actress continued: “Especially coming out in 2020, it’s a year when we all are taking stock of what it means to have had a good year, what it means to have been successful in your life. It often now means taking small joys where you can find them, and being present with the people that you love.”

The Pixar film will release on Disney+ Hotstar Premium in India on December 25.