The Young Wife - Photography by Douglas Hunter
Lee Lawson is an actress, known for It’s Within (2017), Tacet (2017) and Forgotten Corpses (2017). We had the wonderful opportunity to speak with her about her latest projects. Check it out below.
Hi, Lee! Thank you for granting the interview. We’re excited to chat about your body of work! Tell us about your latest production.
Hi! So happy to be chatting with you! I just wrapped a short I’m very excited about. Split Decision is a film written and produced by Scott and Becca Riopelle who work at Mr.X; the VFX house that does effects for Vikings and Bate’s Motel. You can feel the expertise they bring in every facet of production. The story is so well crafted and punctuated by these incredibly striking images. I really don’t want to give anything away as it’s a thriller, but I feel like my fellow cast mates and I rose to the occasion. I can’t wait for festival audiences to enjoy it.
You play Brooke in A Safe Place. According to IMDB, a Canadian Muslim poet is caught between communities when her creative idol violently targets her in a racial attack. We know you may not be able to say much, but could you discuss your role?
Brooke is a fascinating character, not the protagonist, but nevertheless a sort of surrogate for the audience. While I was working on a A Safe Space I was acutely aware that the characters were engaged not only in their own narrative but symbolically within our larger cultural narrative regarding racial tension and Islamophobia. Brooke’s not a bad person but at times her ambition and values are at odds with each other. It was a little bit scary portraying a character who in many ways represents white privilege, but It’s my hope that people will be able to see themselves in Brooke and gain insight through her mistakes.
You have starred in several short films. How has the appearance shaped your career?
Working on shorts is very similar to working on features just . . . shorter. Jokes aside, it’s largely the same skill set and very reminiscent of doing a single episode of tv. What is different is the level of specificity necessary; every single word, breath, beat counts. Short form content has to establish so much with so little. I’d like to think it’s enhanced my attention to detail and given me a better understanding of how film narratives are pieced together. It’s also been a valuable primer in being a lead before taking on the marathon event of carrying a feature. I’ve forged so many meaningful relationships within my creative community and had the opportunity to jump from genre to genre discovering the sort of material I like to work on along the way.
Your career is soaring. Are you happy with the direction it’s going in, thus far?
These past two years have been an incredible roller coaster. Barely a week has gone by when I haven’t been on set. It’s exciting, challenging and gives me a sense of purpose and fulfillment I’ve been chasing my entire life. I feel though, that I’m ready to take on larger projects with longer periods of development. Increasingly I’ve accepted roles in feature films and given myself more time to explore, discover and let the text deeply affect me. It’s a different sort of experience to give everything of yourself to just one project. The stakes are much higher but I feel like I’m getting closer to something true. My role in my latest feature, Overtime, is probably the work I’m proudest of to date.
Is there a particular role you would love to play in a production?
I imagine you’re asking for my ideal acting role, but at this moment I think moving behind the camera excites me the most. I’m increasingly interested in writing and recently got to work as a staff writer on The Dead North penning two episodes. It was an incredible experience getting to break a story for a series I’m acting in; to participate in building my character from the ground up. Working with a team of writers under a showrunner kind of makes you feel like you’re one collective brain. The process moves incredibly fast and offers a wonderful mix of collaboration and competition. I’m definitely hungry to get back into the writers’ room.
Thus far, what has been the best experience working in the entertainment industry?
I know the industry maxim that you should never work with kids or animals, but my favorite acting experiences bar none have been working with child actors. I don’t know if I’ve just been incredibly lucky, but I feel like children bring something really special to set. I had the privilege of acting in the coming of age film Hue’s Theatre with a cast almost entirely made up of children and it was the most joyful filmmaking experience I’ve ever had. Their sense of play and possibility reminds me that at the end of the day acting is just a big game of pretending. Also, there tends to be juice boxes and gummies in the craft when kids are around.
Do you have any upcoming projects that we haven’t mentioned?
There are a few really exciting projects on the horizon. Cleo Brown’s directorial debut, The Young Wife is in its final stages and the anticipation is driving me nuts. There’s so much talent involved with this film it’s insane. It was shot on location at Lake Wahwashkesh in an authentic pioneer cabin using gorgeous anamorphic lenses. The initial images are stunning. I’m also beginning prep on James Salmon and Rochelle Bechard’s Hunted. It’ll go to the camera this fall but just a little teaser to give a sense of the tone; the audition was 8 minutes long without dialogue using only visceral, gut-wrenching physical performance.
Complete this sentence, if I had an opportunity to do anything I want, I would do ___________.
Exactly what I’m doing. I love this job 🙂
Connect with Lee:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Lee_C_Lawson
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/w1nt3rly/
Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm7548573/?ref_=nv_sr_1
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