Anna Hindman is an actor, singer, songwriter based in Nashville, TN. She plays anti-hero Grace Baker in the recent film American Siege, opposite Bruce Willis, Rob Gough, and Timothy V. Murphy. Her character is on a mission to find out about the disappearance of her sister and won’t let anyone get in her way. Hindman describes playing the character as a freeing experience and the set as both a professional and relaxing environment. Despite her acting success, Hindman’s first love is music and recently released a single titled ‘Dislove.’ In the future, she plans to expand her discography with more songs that are representative of the LGBTQ+ community in country-leaning music. Hindman and her wife also love to give back and are proud supporters of the Street Envy Motorcycle Club, Columbia Chapter, and Adopt-A-Highway program. Read on in our interview with Anna Hindman to learn more about her current projects, giving back, and supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

Where are you based?
Nashville, TN

What inspired you to go into acting?
I grew up with a love of music and singing, and got involved in community musicals in my town at a young age. I fell in love with acting because you get to tell stories and transform into other people in ways you can’t in your day to day.

Can you tell us a bit about your recent film, American Siege?
American Siege is an action/thriller with a little mystery thrown in. My character is the story’s anti-hero; she’s on an answer-seeking mission about her missing sister, and won’t let anyone get in her way. At its heart, American Siege has strong themes of family and asks: how far would you go for the people you love?

You play opposite Bruce Willis, Rob Gough, and Timothy V. Murphy in the film. What was the dynamic like on set?
It was great! It was a very relaxed set because we had such professionals working. Everyone became like a big family. Bruce Willis was so friendly and down-to-earth. He would joke around with the cast and crew and did great work as Sheriff Ben Watts. Rob Gogh became a great friend on set, as we had most of our scenes together.

Grace Baker is a bit of a badass. Can you tell us a bit about her and what it was like playing her?
She definitely is! Grace has had a rough and troubled past, so she’s become hardened and sort of numb to the world. The one thing that drives her forward is finding answers about her sister’s disappearance. I love the character of Grace because she’s a strong woman who will do anything for her family, or chosen family, and it creates this tension for the audience — where they want to root for her even though she’s not always doing the “morally right” thing. It shows us that there are dimensions to people and their objectives, and I’m drawn especially to determined, anti-hero characters for that reason. Playing Grace Baker was such a great experience because I felt huge freedom portraying her. She doesn’t care what people think, how she looks, or even if she survives the next 24 hours. It was really cool to be able to immerse myself in that story.

On top of the film, you also recently released your first single, Dislove. Can you tell us a little bit about this song?
Yes! I co-wrote this song with Kit Nolan in Nashville in January 2020. We were talking about toxic relationships and how strange it is that someone could hurt you badly, yet you could still love them. It was a great experience writing and recording that song! It definitely closed a chapter in my life and allowed me to leave it in January 2020. I’m grateful for that.

Is your first love acting or music?
Definitely music. My dad is a musician, so I grew up around music, and I love storytelling through songs.

Do you have any plans to expand your discography in the future?
Yes, I do! I want to record more songs that are representative of the LGBTQ+ community, especially in country-leaning music.

As a part of the LGBTQ+ community, you and your wife are passionate about LGBTQ+ charities and volunteer often. Most recently you have worked with Street Envy Motorcycle Club, Columbia Chapter. Can you tell us a bit about this group and what they do? What inspired you to get involved?
Yes! Both my wife and I love riding motorcycles, so we were part of that group for some time until we recently moved. We really loved the giving back aspect — they collect a lot of items to donate, like school supplies for local kids. We’ve done charity motorcycle rides with them as well, which are a lot of fun and bring out a lot of other riders who are supporting various causes, like breast cancer awareness.

Additionally, you both recently collected distributed items for the unhoused population in Columbia and did a Highway cleanup for the adopt-a-Highway program. Why is organization important to you?
I think it’s important to pool the resources of many people to make an impact. If you have ten people cleaning a two-mile stretch of highway, it will get done faster and put less strain on people if there were fewer volunteers. The same goes for collecting and distributing items. It is helpful to organize in that way because the strength of ten people and their connections and resources can bring a lot of good to a community in need. I saw this as well when there was a big tornado in Nashville in 2020. I volunteered with different locations providing food, clothing, and necessities. I also raised money to donate items, using my resources and communities of people who lived outside Nashville who wanted to help. When you bring awareness and bring people together to help out, a lot can be done.

Your wife is also active duty military and often has to relocate. Do you find new ways to volunteer in the places you relocate to?
Yes definitely! We just moved from South Carolina back to Tennessee earlier this year so I’m excited to volunteer in Nashville again. I also enjoy advocating for charities virtually, so that way I am not tied down to a certain location. I love The Trevor Project and I donate to them through my TikTok creator fund on my account @.hindman

You recently came out against the "Don't Say Gay" bill in Florida. Can you tell us why it is so important to oppose this?
This bill has the potential to be extremely hurtful to LGBTQ+ youth and LGBTQ+ families. This bill essentially wants to ban any talk of the LGTBTQ+ community in elementary grades and make it possible for parents to take legal action against anyone who brings the topic up in a school setting. The message this sends to LGBTQ+ youth is horrible. These topics are not inherently bad, or even inherently sexual. Being inclusive and teaching about the LGBTQ+ community can be something as simple as saying “Some families have two moms, some have two dads, and some have something completely different!” The wording in the bill is vague and leaves a lot of room for hateful interpretation. We should be lifting up LGBTQ+ youth and families, not hiding them.

How are you staying positive during the current wave of the pandemic?
Going hiking with my wife and our two dogs! Spending time together definitely helps us get through this.

Have any of the charities mentioned above been affected by the pandemic? How can people get involved?
When I was teaching middle school in South Carolina, I saw how families and schools have been especially affected by the pandemic. I encourage people to get involved with local public schools to donate school supplies. I am sure The Trevor Project saw increased traffic to their website for mental health services during the pandemic. You can go to https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ to donate, advocate or read about being an ally.

What does your new normal look like?
My new normal looks like a lot of family time with my wife, and making time for my creative projects in an intentional way.

What is your motto in life?
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, live the life you have imagined.

To keep in touch with Anna, please follow her at the links below:
www.annahindman.com
Instagram: @itsannahindman
TikTok: @.hindman

Anna Hindman on Playing The Anti-Hero and Giving Back