Teagan Croft has spent the past few years shapeshifting into superheroes on HBO Max’s Titans, but in her latest role, she’s ditching the capes for sails—and a whole lot of water. Croft stars in Netflix’s True Spirit, based on the wild, real-life story of Jessica Watson, the teenage sailor who circumnavigated the globe solo, making history and terrifying pretty much everyone who thought she was insane to try.
The kicker? Croft was actually there—sort of. “I was six, and I was at Sydney Harbor when she came back,” she says, laughing at the irony. “I didn’t remember it at all until I auditioned, and my parents were like, ‘You were there!’” So much for childhood memories.
The role required her to go from total sailing novice to semi-pro in a matter of weeks. “I’d literally never sailed before,” Croft admits. Cue the Rocky-style montage of intense training sessions with sailing coach Danielle Hutchison. “I was sailing four days a week, a couple hours a day. And I found this weird love for it. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the precision of it—the whole, finding the optimal angle for optimal speed thing.”
Of course, no one in their right mind would let a teenager solo around the world today, which made the production a bit more… controlled. “There was so much CGI,” Croft says. “It was super specific. Like, they knew exactly how many drops of water would show up in each shot.” No actual hurricanes were braved in the making of this film, but the movie’s storm scenes are still enough to make your stomach drop. “My little sister had her face buried in the couch watching it,” Croft says. “It’s nerve-wracking for me too—and I know how it ends!”
Despite being face-to-face with fake danger, Croft drew on real loneliness to play the part. Thanks to COVID lockdowns, she hadn’t seen her dad or sisters for seven months while filming. “It was really cathartic,” she says. “The emotions I was acting out on the phone in the movie were the same ones I was living in real life.”
If True Spirit gives major Bowie vibes, that’s no accident. The boat’s name? Pink Lady, reimagined here with a Starman-infused soul, courtesy of director Sarah Spillane. “Sarah’s a huge Bowie fan,” Croft says. “She really wanted him to be a presence in the movie.” As for Croft’s own comfort song? “The Sound of Silence,” she says without hesitation. “My parents sing it together, my dad plays the guitar. It’s just gorgeous.”
While Croft got to hang out with the real Jessica Watson a few times, there was no pressure to deliver a carbon copy. “Jess was so lovely,” Croft says. “She was like, ‘I don’t care, just make it your own.’ She wanted me to create a version of her, not mimic her.”
Not everything was smooth sailing, though—especially off-screen. “It’s hard for me to wrap my head around people seeing me as inspirational,” she says. “I’m just acting, having fun, trying to do a good job.” But superheroes follow her whether she likes it or not. “It’s weird knowing people are inspired by Titans. I just pretended to do magic for nine months.”
Speaking of Titans, yes, there’s more coming. “The second half of Season 4 is dropping this year,” Croft confirms. “It’s my favorite season. Joseph Morgan as Brother Blood is insane—he’s so good.”
For now, Croft is happy basking in True Spirit’s glow—and maybe avoiding boats for a bit. “I felt like a 16-year-old sailing,” she says. “Jess came back an icon, but we show her when she’s just trying to bake cupcakes on a boat. That’s the beautiful part.”
Watch the interview above and then check out the trailer below.
