There are so many versions of us. From the moment we wake up to the moment we fall asleep, we can wear countless masks. On set, I might talk to four different people and feel like I’ve been four completely different versions of myself. I play characters constantly. Sometimes it’s for fun, to be funny, to be serious, to blend into a group I don’t usually fit in with—or even to get what I want. But when you break it down, isn’t that why we wear masks? To get what we want?

It’s exhausting, this constant shape-shifting. Sometimes I want to just be myself—but then, which version is my true self? When I keep my energy low, I’m told I’m not acting like myself. When I bring my energy up, I’m told to tone it down. These comments turn life into a game of trial and error, a search for the version of me that works best for each situation.

Paul Schrader captured this perfectly in Taxi Driver, with the idea that “the only true version of yourself is when you’re alone.” George Carlin spoke about it too, saying he hated how humanity forms groups and conforms to influences. Carlin believed that the only time you can truly see someone, the only time you can share an intimate moment with them, is when they’re alone. Strangely, one of the most social places where people are encouraged to wear masks isn’t the theater—it’s at the felt.

Boone Breigs loves poker. He learned it all from his father, who cashed out at the World Series of Poker. I’ve played with them a few times, but I didn’t do too well. Boone’s father once gave me a piece of advice that changed the way I looked at the game: “Play a character.”

The next time I played, I did better—not amazing, but better. What struck me, though, was the realization that everyone at the table who was succeeding was playing a character, too. Poker isn’t just about winning the pot in a single game; it’s about reading people, gathering information, and positioning yourself to win future games. And at the heart of it, everyone at the table is wearing a mask to get what they want.

Boone and I created a character for poker—a persona that constantly shifts, adapting moment by moment to achieve its goals. The mask changes so quickly it feels almost alive. That’s when I started to wonder: maybe this isn’t who we are. Maybe our true selves emerge when we want nothing, when we’re at peace. A moment when the gears stop turning. Not the kind of distraction you find in TV, movies, or social media—but a genuine stillness. Maybe that’s why people say you’re most yourself when you’re alone.

Or maybe we’ve lost the ability to be ourselves entirely.

At The Felt is a film that explores these questions, telling the story of someone who weaponizes their identity crisis. Their masks become tools to manipulate, deceive, and win—not just at poker, but at life.

And in doing so, it asks: is this all of us?