We sat down with actress and writer Lily Anne Harrison to talk all things acting, creating, and quarantine this summer. Her recent engagement to her fiancé, actor and director Peter Facinelli, made headlines in January of this year, and the two have been hard at work on brand new projects ever since. Let’s get to know 10 Things about Lily Anne Harrison.
By Ashley Dawson
What is it like working with your fiancé and your father on projects? How do you separate personal and professional life?
It comes super naturally to be honest. I was lucky enough to grow up in a household that supported and encouraged creativity. My parents made it a point to include their creative lives in our day-to-day reality, so I overheard a lot of creative conversation. I saw a lot of artistic efforts and was taught to consider them as normal parts of any given day. Working both with my dad and with my fiancé, Peter, has been rewarding and surprisingly easy. We all speak the same language when it comes to acting and to filmmaking. Creative differences seem like opportunities to make a performance or a piece even better when you’re with likeminded people. And I happen to love and admire them both so much as people as and artists, so that’s just a bonus.
You’ve battled Dyslexia and are open about your struggles. What was your biggest challenge as an actress with the disorder, and how have you overcome it?
Dyslexia and I have a long, sordid past. It started off as a massive challenge, and ultimately then became the roadmap for how I’d fall in love with all things literature. I had to work so hard to read a page properly, that the reward of the story itself became such a gift and I enjoyed every detail. And in that way, I just fell in love with storytelling and it became more and more apparent to me that that’s what I wanted to do for a living. My biggest challenge still to date with my dyslexia is, of course, learning lines. My brain doesn’t easily memorize, and so it takes an annoying amount of repetition and focus to retain very little. But ultimately when you get to take it off the page and perform, it’s all worth it for that feeling. Thank goodness for my fiancé, who reads lines with me over and over until I have it down. He’s very patient and supportive.
Tell us more about THE VANISHED. What was it like acting in a film written and directed by your fiancé? Can you tell us more about your role in the project and how you two work together as a team?
Ugh, I was just so proud of Peter for writing such a captivating, mind-bending film and for putting so much effort into getting it made. He’d spent nearly a decade trying to get it on its legs and watching him thrive in his creative element was just… so much fun. Peter and I work together so well in our day-to-day life and have such a huge amount of creative respect for each other that working together was a walk in the park.. The icing on the cake was my dad being in the film, of course, who is my long-time creative idol.
Describe your character in THE VANISHED; what is it like playing Janet and what do you think viewers can look forward to most about the film?
Peter had asked me to read for a small part that hadn’t been cast yet, to play the role of “Janet”, a mom in the RV Park who worries she’s also lost her young child. It was fun to play a mom for the first time. And it was easy to pull from real life experience, as I’m super close with Peter’s youngest daughter, and can imagine how terrifying it would be if she went missing, even for a moment. Makes me sick even just thinking about it, now.
You’re also a writer – can you tell our readers more about some writing projects you’re working on at the moment?
I primarily write romantic comedies, so at the moment, I have two in the works. I was at The Groundlings school of improv for years, and grew up completely obsessed with the romcoms of the 90’s and early 2000’s. That’s definitely the genre I enjoy writing most.
You’ve been cast in a number of Hallmark Channel projects and other films like “Breaking & Exiting” and “A Year of Spectacular Men.” What was it like to work on big sets like these?
It’s always so much fun to be on set. You work with the same people and see the same warm faces day in and day out, sometimes for extremely long hours, and it becomes a bit like a family. As an aspiring director, I love being on set as an actor and observing every directorial choice and asking about equipment and questioning why the director chose specific camera moves, and the likes. It’s also just really fun to be making something creative, playing a character for a while, with other actors doing the same, and telling a story you want to tell.
Do you feel like you get type-cast in roles and if so what’s your dream role that audiences may not expect to see you in?
I do feel I get typecast, unfortunately. I tend to read for either the “sweet girl-next-door” types, or the “quirky best friend”, that sort of thing. Not always, though. It’s funny, as a writer I lean toward comedy, but as an actress, I really enjoy complex characters, that you wouldn’t necessarily picture me playing. I have always really wanted to play a tortured artist, for some reason. A few years ago, I tried to find the rights to Francesca Woodman’s story, so that I could write the biopic and cast myself as Francesca. Unfortunately, I couldn’t track them down. She was an incredible photographer in the 70’s, who was wildly interesting, shockingly talented (her work still holds up today and has influenced the mainstream in countless ways) and had dealt with mental illness. These types of real people, with real flaws and real struggles that are not always pretty or palatable…these are the kinds of stories I’m dying to tell.
What are three words you’d use to describe your style and what are a few of your go-to brands to wear?
Clean. Crisp. Classic.
Diane Keaton is a fashion icon of mine. I definitely get my love of a chunky black boot from her. Oh, and Carolynn Bessette-Kennedy. She did the blue jeans and crispy white cotton button down better than anyone. I love a black trench coat, an oversized sweater, good trousers, and a clean sneaker. I also love wearing men’s clothes. I firmly believe they’re usually made better (or just last longer? Who knows?). I tend to lean toward buying vintage or resold clothing, and avoid fast fashion when I can. But I am currently obsessed with this French brand called Sezane. They have such beautiful, flattering, interesting pieces.
You’re a huge voice for women’s rights in the industry and are constantly promoting progressive change and growth in entertainment. Can you tell us more about this and share any advice you may have for women looking to break into the business?
I love that I’m living through a time when there are so many big changes happening for women in the entertainment industry. Women’s stories are being told more and more, and I’m seeing more female directors, writers and producers. Unfortunately, we’re not there yet, though. No female directors were nominated for an Oscar in 2020, and only five women have ever been nominated for best director at the Academy Awards, in history. I saw all the films that should have been nominated, and it’s just, unacceptable. Alma Ha’rel’s Honey Boy was the best movie I saw that whole year. So, we have a long way to go. But I love that we’re all supporting each other and continue the fight to be considered equal in all ways. I’d love to see a push for more complex leading roles for older women, here in the United States. We don’t see enough of them, and older women are just as interesting, and valuable. That bias has been around for far too long, in my opinion. And as far as advice to give any woman looking to get into this business, it’s a lesson I learned the hard way… the more you love yourself, and know yourself, the better off you’ll be. You don’t have to perfectly become the character breakdown and fling yourself around Hollywood begging for a job and hoping you fit into the mold. You have to show them what that character looks like on you and leave it at the door. You are more than enough. And they’d be lucky to have you. That’s my two cents.
Any upcoming projects or plans that readers should know about? What’s on the horizon for the second half of 2020?
At this point, I’m mostly focusing on writing while I’m in quarantine. As I said, I’m working on two separate scripts at the moment. I’m hoping that things open back up safely so I can get back to work. I’m dying to get in front of the camera. Hoping the backend of 2020 looks brighter than the first half.
Instagram – @LilyAnneHarrison
Twitter – @LilyAHarrison
Photos: Anna DeMarco