What 16-Year-Old Producer Addison Riecke Is Listening To & Watching In Quarantine

Sixteen-year-old Addison Riecke isn’t used to sitting around. The actress, who broke out as Nora on Nickelodeon's The Thundermans, grew up on screen, most recently appearing in Sofia Coppola’s The Beguiled and Benjamin Kasulke’s Banana Split, now available on digital and VOD. In 2019, she launched her own production company, LÁ cov, with the goal of creating more opportunities for women creatives — both in front of and behind the camera. Her first project, a film adaption of Kristin Levine’s 2012 YA novel The Lions of Little Rock is currently in development.

Name: Addison Riecke
Age: 16
Profession: Actress & Producer
Please Help Support: Feeding America
Pronouns: She/her

Since the outbreak, almost all auditions have stopped, and if any come through they’re self-tape. I’m using my downtime from work to be more creative and come up with ideas for projects for my production company. People are watching so much film and television content while they’re in quarantine, it’s a reminder and an inspiration about how much we’re connected by storytelling.

I’m still doing school. We have online classes, which I enjoy, but I really miss seeing my friends and teachers. I’ve been spending a lot of time outside, enjoying the spring weather and admiring nature since I’ve been cooped up during the winter months. I’ve also been painting a bit, reading, and doing some fun editing with my film photography alongside experimenting with new ideas. I am trying not to get too anxious about the virus, knowing that staying home and away from others will keep me, my family, and others safe. I do worry about a lot of other people, including my extended family, friends. I’ve gotten to spend a lot more time with my family. I FaceTime with my friends and my boyfriend almost everyday to keep in touch with them.

Something concerning that I’ve been thinking about is kids that have been thrust into sudden online schooling that don’t have the appropriate technology. How will they receive their education? If they received meals at school, how intense will that change be on themselves and their family? 

I’m trying not to consume any panic-inducing media, like post-apocalyptic shows/movies, or anything that would keep my mind reeling. I have also been trying to avoid excessive amounts of time on social media. Browsing for long periods of time can be unhealthy. One can easily fall into the trap of fixating on perfectly angled, lit, and edited selfies. Self image and body image is a huge problem, especially in my generation, and I feel social media can sometimes exacerbate that unhealthy mindset.

When it comes to entertainment, I’ve really enjoyed watching Little Fires Everywhere on Hulu, and I am rewatching BoJack Horseman on Netflix from the beginning for the third time (my favorite show!). I’ve also been rewatching some of my favorite Wes Anderson films like Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Rushmore. A movie I’m in, Banana Split, just recently dropped on digital platforms (including Amazon Prime), so definitely check that out if you’re looking for something really funny to watch! 

My favorite songs at the moment are “She’s Thunderstorms” by Arctic Monkeys, the entire Because the Internet album by Childish Gambino — the screenplay based off of it by Donald Glover is brilliant as well — “Death Cup” by Mom Jeans, and “Heart Out” by the 1975. 

I hope out of all this chaos and loss the world is suffering, we are able to find some light at the end of the tunnel. When this is over, I hope we can all be more unified as a species, really appreciate human interaction, and cherish the relationships with those we love most.