Indya Moore on Grief, Family and Activism

Actor and activist Indya Moore is discussing the intersection of grief, family, and identity in relation to their role in the 2026 film Father Mother Sister Brother, directed by Jim Jarmusch. In a series of interviews with AnOther Magazine, DIVA, and the Popcorn Podcast, Moore explores how the film’s themes of estranged connections and loss mirror their own perspectives on community, and activism.

The film, which marks Jarmusch’s 14th feature, is structured as a triptych of three unconnected stories that collectively examine family ties. The narrative explores various strained dynamics, including a vignette featuring an evasive father played by Tom Waits and his children, played by Adam Driver and Mayim Bialik, as well as a segment centered on an emotionally unavailable mother, played by Charlotte Rampling, and her daughters, played by Cate Blanchett and Vicky Krieps.

Exploring the Sibling Bond

Moore stars in the third vignette of the film alongside Luka Sabbat. They portray siblings Skye and Billy, who return to their childhood home in Paris following the death of their parents. According to DIVA, the parents were killed in an airplane crash, leaving Skye grief-stricken and relying on Billy to help process the tragedy.

Despite the sadness of the premise, Moore describes this specific storyline as the most hopeful within the film. They note that the bond between Skye and Billy has endured, characterized by a confident distance rather than the anxiety and struggle for closeness seen in the other characters.

They’re not forcing each other to be there, and they’re not ‘working on their relationship’, right? They’re there because they love each other and probably because they had an [emotionally] rich childhood.

Indya Moore to AnOther Magazine

Moore stated that they were deeply moved by the character’s love for her parents. To connect with the role of Skye, Moore imagined how they would personally cope with such a tragic scenario, viewing grief as evidence that we’re loving and that we did love.

Family as Community and Activism

Beyond the script, Moore has linked the film’s exploration of family to a broader definition of community. They explained to DIVA that the concepts of family and community are interchangeable, suggesting that the love found in siblinghood and sisterhood serves as a vital anchor when individuals are faced with external violence.

This perspective on grief extends into Moore’s public life as an activist. They revealed that their performance was motivated in part by the grief they have experienced while speaking out against the genocide in Palestine. Moore expressed grief for innocent children and people who simply want to live, continuing to use their platform for activism despite the risk of being silenced or blacklisted within the industry.

Career Context

The role in Father Mother Sister Brother follows a diverse trajectory of performances for Moore. Their career includes:

• The breakout role in the film Saturday Church.
• The iconic portrayal of Angel Evangelista in the FX series Pose.
• Roles in films such as Ponyboi and Aquaman.
• Voice work as Alamzapam Davis in Nimona.
• The role of Wanda in The Sandman.

Through these various projects and recent interviews, Moore continues to emphasize the radical act of honesty and the search for accountability and grace in a world that often finds such transparency uncomfortable.