Trish Rainone is an actress, writer and producer from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. She graduated with a degree in Psychology. She initially studied Film at Carlton University, but moved home to The Soo after some horrible roommate experiences and a bout of home-sickness. A few years later, she was craving an exciting new venture in her life, when The Trailer Park Boys cast came to town to shoot the film, Swearnet: The Movie, Directed by Emmy-nominated Director, Warren P. Sonoda (Odd Squad). Trish found her way onto set as a Sunshine Girl, landed a role in a local horror feature, and then decided to make the move to Toronto. After working on several commercials, short films, and the odd pause-or-you’ll-miss-her role in popular films, such as The Void, she decided to begin creating her own content with people she connected with and respected. Her first short film, Constance, which she produced and co-wrote, had a successful film festival run in the States and Canada. She earned a Best Actress Award for this at the Horrorizon Film Festival in 2016. Around this time, Trish met Katie Uhlmann at a mutual friend’s birthday party and they hit it off immediately. They bonded over break-ups and roommate stories. They began writing together two days later and haven’t left each other’s side since. The two share a lot of laughs together on the screen and in real-life. Trish is thrilled at how My Roommate’s an Escort came together and can’t wait to make more!
We had an opportunity to chat with Trish about her latest projects. Check the interview below.
Hello, Trish! Thank you for granting the interview. Let’s talk My Roommate’s an Escort. You play Heather. Tell us more
Heather is a small-city girl from Sault Ste. Marie. She is afraid of confrontation, and thus she tip-toes around issues with Kesha. The issues all seem to pile-up, due to her lack of confronting them. I can relate in some ways. I’ve learned to become more assertive over the years, but it wasn’t in me naturally to be this way.
You also have producer’s credits for My Roommate’s an Escort. Tell us what it’s like producing a critically-acclaimed web series.
Well, Katie and I wrote this together and we were started the team off. So we started raising money, we did an IndieGogGo campaign and just tried to get creative with the social media marketing, etc.,. Since then, we’ve been lucky to have David Carruthers come on board as the Executive Producer, as well as Stephanie Baird and Julian Adderley. (Line-Producer/Co-Producer) I’ve produced a few shorts, and then this, as well, to mainly give myself acting roles. Acting and writing are my passions.
Tell us about what inspired you to pursue a career in the film industry.
I went to film school and then switched programs and earned a degree in Psychology. The psychology peaked my interest in human-behavior, so that helps with the acting and the writing. I was a competitive dancer growing-up, and performing has always been something I have enjoyed. I feel like filmmaking combines a lot of the activities that I enjoy taking part in.
You also write. As a screenwriter, we know it’s not as straightforward as writing a literary piece. You focus on character development. Tell us which characters you developed for My Roommate’s an Escort?
Katie and I both developed them all together, as we have a creative flow together in the writing room. Most characters are a compilation of people that we have both known over the years. It was a lot of fun to create these kooky characters.
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You also worked as a production assistant. Do you believe having crew experience prepared you for producing and writing?
Absolutely. I sat in on production meetings with producers and directors, and they may not have known it, but I was definitely paying a lot of attention with the goal to be in their positions one day. I am grateful for those experiences. I learned a lot of lessons about the business side of things. I’ve always been very interested in that. Although, the creative is a lot more fun.
As a writer, you assist the film director in shaping a film’s artistic and dramatic aspects. We know this can be a challenge, when a director doesn’t see the vision. How would you overcome such a challenge?
For Katie and I, it was important to have her direct, since we both wrote this and work so closely. We wanted our vision to be carried out, not someone else’s idea of what our vision was. It was nice that we had the freedom to do that on this season with this project. That may not always be the case, but with a web-series, you have full control, which is kind of rare. We recognize that that may not always be the case in the future. This project was a good chance for us to show our vision and to own our successes and our failures. Also, once we decided Katie was director, she did a lot of decisions in that regard on her own, and Directing is definitely a strength of hers that I do not have.
Which episode of My Roommates an Escort is your favorite?
The daddy episode and the mobsters tuck-in episodes were favorites to shoot. John Jebovah was a favourite to write, as well as the Box-Lady episode.
What types of stories would you like to tell in a future project?
I would love to Produce a documentary one day to bring awareness to a cause I feel passionately about. For now, I want to continue to focus on comedy.
Thus far, what has been the best experience working in the industry?
This has been the best experience because it’s the project I have learned the most from and, ultimately, am the most proud of. We’ve put a lot of hours into this.
What do you like to do between productions?
I have a full-time job. I walk almost everywhere. I go to the gym and do classes like yoga. I ride my bicycle (the one that Heather rides in the show). I go through painting spurts. I paint on canvas with acrylics. I think I’ll do that again soon. It really is soothing. I paint a lot of hearts and peace signs, sunsets. That sort of thing. They’re all over my mother’s house. I feel kind of bad. I sure people visiting ask if her granddaughter painted them (who is four years old.) They’re pretty whimsical.
Do you have any upcoming projects that we haven’t mentioned?
I have a blink or you’ll miss me role in the popular horror feature, The Void (as a ghost mom.) I have a couple of short films that are currently being submitted to the festival circuit. One called Pass the Salt by Mad Resilience Films, and one called One Night Stand by Wojciech Zielinkski. Both shorts are very well-done, and I appreciate my roles in those. They’re both dramas. Very different from the Heather. I have to say Heather was a ton of fun to play, though. She’s so innocent. Before this, I had done a lot of drama and horror. Which is also great!
Complete this sentence, if I had an opportunity to do anything I want, I would do ___________.
I want to write. I want to act. I want to see my family more and eventually build a family of my own. And get back to that painting.
Connect with Trish:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/trishrainone
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trishr538
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5232957/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm
Web: http://www.trishrainone.com/footage.html
Connect with My Roommate’s an Escort:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/escortroommate
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roommatecomedyseries
Web: http://www.myroommatesanescort.com
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