Your new movie Menopause
- in a few words, what is it about, and what can you tell us about your
character in it?
Menopause
is a mix of horror, thriller, and comedy portraying the
effects of the moon on women. Ultimately, the women are empowered to
seek revenge on the men in their lives. My character, Amelia, is a
disappointed, disillusioned wife who can only get the attention of her
husband by beating him to death.
What did you draw upon to bring your
character to life, and how much Laurie Tieman can we actually find in Amelia?
Although my life is a lot different than Amelia's, I can still relate to
having moments of frustration or disappointment in a relationship. In
real life, those moments lead to a conversation, but who hasn't
whispered under their breath "I wanna kill you"? It was
fun unleashing that dark, violent fantasy! Now how did you get involved with the project in
the first place, and what were your first thoughts when you heard what the
movie was about?
I got involved in this project because I have been working with director
Joshua Nelson [Joshua
Nelson interview - click here] for years. When I first heard what the movie was about, I thought it was
a creative and unique approach to portray women's empowerment. I
was excited to be able to show Amelia's growth from being a victim to
owning her power.
To what extent could you identify with Menopause's
approach to both horror and comedy?
I felt the use of comedy in a horror film was a great balance.
Do talk about Menopause's
director Joshua Nelson, and what was your collaboration
like?
Joshua has talked about the idea of Menopause
for a while; he was
excited to present this point of view and to show his female characters
as they became powerfully in charge of their situations. Joshua is a
very supportive director and really helped me find the emotions and
feelings I needed to become Amelia. As a director, he is very good at
sharing his vision for the scenes and getting the actors' heads in the
right place so that everyone is on the same page while shooting.
Menopause
isn't the first time you've worked with Joshua Nelson - so what can you
tell us about your previous collaborations, and how did the two of you
first meet even?
Before working with Joshua on Menopause, I worked with him on several
short films including Chaos in Tranquility, Crazy
Talk and How Can I Help You?. We initially met in
2017 when I started taking classes at LaGuardia Acting School.
Back to Menopause:
What can you tell us about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?
We shot Menopause with a small crew in a house. We were all a
collaborative team with a story to tell. I filmed everything in one
day and we were able to take our time with each scene to get it
right. Although we were serious about our work, the on-set atmosphere
was supportive, relaxed, and fun! Any
future projects you'd like to share?
Yes! I just started working with Joshua on another horror feature called
The Things We Cannot Change. It is a symbolic story related
to addiction. I play a mother who risks and loses it all because I need
my fix.
What got you into
acting in the first place, and did you receive any formal training on the
subject?
I started dabbling in acting around 2015, I didn't have any
formal training, I was just interested. I booked a few national
commercials over a couple of years and I realized I wanted to dive in!
At that point, I started taking classes and have been ever since. What can you tell us about your filmwork prior
to Menopause?
Prior to Menopause, I've worked on several independent films. My most
recent other work was a role in a very creative and meaningful
short called Matthew. It was filmed on a hand-held
camera in black and white. How
would you describe yourself as an actress, and some of your techniques to
bring your characters to life?
My technique for bringing characters to life is to find my reality in
their situation. The key is for me to find something in my life that
conjures up the emotion and feelings my character is experiencing. So
although I would never kill my husband for blowing me off for a sporting
event, I can understand the disappointment and neglect I would
feel and bring it to life in my scenes. Actresses (and indeed
actors) who inspire you?
I am inspired by many actresses and actors, but when I think of the whole
picture, Reese Witherspoon stands out to me. She is a great actress and
has had an extensive career in so many stand-out roles from Legally
Blond (and even before that role) all the way to Big Little Lies, with
so many incredible performances in between. But I am also drawn to her
for how she managed her career and altered the big picture in terms of
women's roles. She pushed for strong female roles and when they didn't
exist, she took control and created them. At one point she was
considered washed up and she was underestimated. In this business
rejection is everpresent, so to see how she handled those critiques and
her rough patches to inspire her really inspires me. Your favourite movies?
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I still love all the teenage classic movies of the '80s! I can't resist
a good laugh like We are the Millers, and on a serious
note, Green Book has left its mark on me. Some of my
independent favorites are The Fundamentals of Caring, Shiva Baby and
The Other Half of It. ...
and of course, films you really deplore?
I was so disappointed with Wonder Woman 84. Don't laugh, but I grew
up being the biggest
Wonder Woman fan ever!
I was excited to see
the movie but it was such a letdown! Your website,
social media, whatever else?
My website is https://www.laurietieman.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurie.dubintieman/
Instagram: @LaurieTieman_actor
IMDb: imbd.me/LaurieTieman
Anything else you're dying
to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?
In addition to acting, I have been writing my own material. I am
currently working on a short film and a short series that I plan to
start filming by spring 2022! Thanks
for the interview!
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