Your new movie The
Things We Cannot Change - in a few words, what is it about, and
what can you tell us about your character in it?
The
Things We Cannot Change
is about a circle of vampires who struggle
with their addiction to blood, and (spoiler alert) each of the
characters’ vampirism represents real life addictions. I play Veronica,
a strong-willed vixen who wants to overrule Dr. Abraham’s (Richard
Rampolla) clan of poor unfortunate souls who are thus loathing vampires.
By the last scene we see Veronica but instead of being addicted to blood
and having the thirst to rule over other bloodsuckers, she is a meth
addict craving to go sober. What
did you draw upon to bring your character to life, and how much Laura
Lemire can we find in Veronica? Two of my
favorite film/TV characters are Tyler Durden, who is played by Brad Pitt in
Fight Club, and Fiona Goode, who is played by Jessica Lange in American
Horror Story: Coven. Tyler, who is the imaginary-friend of Edward
Norton’s character, has a brilliant cockiness about himself. I wanted
Veronica to be fiercely arrogant and have a similar plan to overrule
social order. Later in the film Fight Club, we find out that Tyler is the
alter ego of Edward Norton’s character. I wanted Veronica to be the
living, breathing version of my alter ego. Someone with no insecurities,
and reeks of confidence. Fiona Goode, in American
Horror Story: Coven, is tough and
deliciously witty, yet she is also very dainty and stylish. I didn’t want
Veronica’s appearance to be harsh or for her to look like she was
planning on taking over the world. I wanted her to look like someone you
may see shopping on Fifth Avenue but secretly wants to devour you for
brunch. How did you get involved
with the project in the first place? Joshua Nelson [Joshua
Nelson interview - click here], the film’s writer and director, is one of my acting
coaches. To what extent
could you identify with The
Things We Cannot Change's take on vampirism? I don’t have many vices. I don’t smoke, I
rarely ever drink and I eat healthy for the most part.. But when I was 19
my Mother was diagnosed with ALS and then had passed when I was 23. During
that time I took a few years off from college to work full time because I
needed to make money. So I hate to say this but hated my home life. I
hated my work life and I would have the urge to escape my life by drinking
excessively on the weekends regardless of whether or not I had work the
next day. Fortunately this was something that I did change. There are a
few characters in The
Things We Cannot Change that the old me could
identify with. One of those characters is Victoria (Debra Holtzman) who is
human but wants to be turned into a vampire because she hates her life. Do talk
about The Things
We Cannot Change's director Joshua Nelson, and what was your collaboration
like?
I
love working with Josh. First of all, he has a fantastic sense of humor.
When I work with him, he keeps the set’s environment professional and a
safe place, but still fun.
I think our collaboration was the perfect
fit. Josh was really open to my vision for Veronica. I wanted her to be
strong, but cool, calm and collected; with a really good wardrobe.
The
Things We Cannot Change hasn't been the first time you've worked
with Joshua Nelson - so what can you tell us about your previous
collaborations, and how did you two first meet even? This is my fifth
film working with Josh. Our other collaborations were just as fun as it
was with The
Things We Cannot Change. It’s always an exciting day full
of smoke machines, fake blood or bruises when Josh is directing. I first
met Josh on set for a hospital’s industrial video that we booked. Back
to The Things We
Cannot Change - what can you tell us about the shoot as such, and
the on-set atmosphere? The on-set atmosphere is always
comfortable when working with Josh. Every cast and crew member are treated
with respect and I’m glad to say we all get along with each other. The
set looked like it was right out of a 1980s horror flick and I loved every
aspect of it. Unfortunately, I chose to wear color contacts for my vampire
character Veronica, but for some reason on day one of filming, my contact
started bothering me and by half way through the day I could barely open
my eye or see. I became a lesser fan of fog machines by the end of the day
when each blow of smoke made my eye more and more irritated. The things we
do for art! Any future projects you'd like to
share? I was cast in a
short film called Beer Goggles directed by John Kerner that will begin
filming in January 2023. I was also cast in another short film of John’s
named Hemi that will begin production shortly after Beer Goggles. What got you into acting in the first place, and
did you receive any formal training on the subject? I always loved being in school plays as a child
but as I stated before, my early twenties made me put any dreams I had on
the back burner. I started taking acting classes just a few years ago
because I wanted to revisit a dream I once had. I’ve studied acting with Joshua Nelson [Joshua
Nelson interview - click here], I’ve also
studied at MN Acting Studio, Tim Philips Studio and with Michael Kostroff
(NYC). What
can you tell us about your filmwork prior to The
Things We Cannot Change? I've been in a good amount of
thriller shorts, including a
psychological thriller named Lola that I wrote and directed.
How would you describe
yourself as an actress, and some of your techniques to bring your
characters to life? I used to take myself too seriously as a person and as
an actress. I’ve grown to just let myself go and be in the moment. I
like to use emotional memory as my acting technique. I use past
experiences that would fit with my character’s situation and use that
emotion in the scene. I occasionally use Method Acting where I wouldn’t
break character for the entire day. Actresses (and indeed actors) who
inspire you? There are so many actors and actresses who inspire me.
Christian Bale is one of my favorite actors. His dedication to his craft
is outstanding. You never see him play the same character twice, unless
it’s a sequel. He is rarely ever typecast. I would love to have a career
in acting where I am not typecast. Viola Davis is another actor who
inspires me. Everything she does, she gives 150%. I crave the devotion she
gives to a character. If she is cast in something, I will most likely
watch it because she is in it. Other actors who inspire me are Cate
Blanchett, Charlize Theron, Gary Oldman, Sam Rockwell, Nicole Kidman and
Claire Danes. I recently became a fan of Colin Farrell’s work. Your favourite movies?
My favorite movies are the ones that make me feel
something intensely whether it be happy, sad, powerful, scared or
nostalgic. I know that’s a lot. I’ll give you my top ten favorite
movies, since I have too many to list: American Psycho, Scarface,
The Dark Knight, Singing in the
Rain, About a Boy, Black
Swan, The Green Mile, As
Good As It Gets, Bridesmaids. ...
and of course, films you really deplore?
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I’m not a fan of movies where a dog dies. I will turn off an Oscar
winning film if the dog dies.
Your website,
social media, whatever else?
Website: http://LauraLemire.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura_lemire/
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8743299/
Anything else you're dying
to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? I also had the great
opportunity to do makeup for the last scene of The
Things We Cannot Change. Thanks
for the interview!
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