Bryce Dallas Howard has revealed that her Jurassic World co-star Chris Pratt played an unexpected role in convincing her to join social media after she had deliberately stayed away from it for years.
Howard, 45, said she had been a “holdout for a long time” before Pratt told her it was time to get on social media. The timing turned out to be particularly relevant because she joined the platforms only weeks before filming her acclaimed role in Black Mirror’s “Nosedive” episode.
In the 2016 episode, Howard portrayed Lacie, a woman living in a dystopian society where people rate one another on a five-star system after virtually every interaction. Her character becomes increasingly obsessed with improving her social standing, leading to a dramatic breakdown.
Howard said joining social media unexpectedly helped her prepare for the role because she immediately found herself thinking about how people present themselves and how they are perceived by others.
She recalled wondering what she should write in her online profile and described the experience as leading her into an “existential rabbit hole.” For Howard, the experience raised broader questions about how healthy it is for people to constantly remain aware of how others perceive them.
The actress also said the experience gave her an unusual advantage as a parent. The themes explored in “Nosedive” helped her begin conversations about social media with her children before they became deeply immersed in the platforms themselves.
Howard shares two children with actor Seth Gabel. She said the episode became a useful way to introduce them to the potential pressures and consequences associated with online life.
Nearly a decade after the episode premiered, Howard’s comments highlight how closely “Nosedive” anticipated some of the anxieties surrounding modern social media. Its fictional rating system may be extreme, but the episode focuses on familiar issues such as online image, social approval and the pressure to maintain a carefully managed public identity.
Howard’s connection to the episode is also notable because her decision to join social media was initially prompted by a fellow actor rather than by professional necessity. Pratt, with whom she starred as Owen Grady and Claire Dearing in the Jurassic World films, was the person who encouraged her to finally take the step.
The revelation adds another layer to Howard’s relationship with “Nosedive.” What began as a reluctant decision to enter social media ultimately became part of her preparation for one of her most recognizable television roles.
Years later, the actress is able to look back at that experience from a very different perspective — after social media has become an increasingly central part of everyday life and public identity.
