10 Things about Lauren Buglioli
“Bad Monkey” is highly anticipated, especially with a star like Vince Vaughn leading the cast. Can you tell us what drew you to the role of Heather and what you enjoyed most about bringing her to life?
Absolutely! The incredible creative team and cast drew me to Bad Monkey! It was surreal to get to work with Bill Lawrence and the entire team at Doozer Productions. I am a huge fan of Vince Vaughn’s work along with the rest of this ensemble!
I was drawn to playing Heather With the Weather because her on camera persona is quite different to who she is when she’s off air. I’m a human Care-Bear (hug, anyone?!) so it’s honestly a lot of fun to play someone as… let’s say… “complicated” as Heather. I loved getting to play with that duality!
What can you tell us about your character, Heather and how she interacts with the rest of the cast?
Without giving anything away, she is not someone I’d want to cross paths with! She is a meteorologist in Miami with a very inflated sense of self. Sorry in advance for who she is as a person! While Heather can be a fictional monster, I’m thrilled to report this set was full of the kindest, most generous creatives, cast and crew, so I’m very thankful that any drama was purely fictional! This team was an absolute joy to work with.
You’ve had an impressive run with roles in shows like “Florida Man,” “Queens,” and “Dynasty.” How did your experience on “Bad Monkey” compare, and what did you find most challenging or rewarding about this particular project?
Thank you so much! Every project is different and meaningful in unique ways. What I found particularly rewarding about this project was getting to work with people I’d idolized since I was a kid and to see what incredible human beings they are. I grew up watching Scrubs and Spin City so to be a part of a Bill Lawrence production (a dream!!) and get to tell Zach Braff and others how much I admire them and their work… those are moments I’ll never take for granted. This is all I wanted to do as a kid. I try to stop and take moments like this in, because my younger self would be over the moon.
Your character Kaitlin Fox in “Florida Man” became a fan favorite. What do you think resonated most with audiences about Kaitlin, and how does Heather differ from your previous roles?
Thank you! It’s so interesting that you say that because I play a lot of unlikeable women. When I was in drama school I was conditioned to think about making characters likable or appealing and I’ve found it’s… a lie. I think we like watching unapologetically tricky people! So I will credit the incredible show-runner, Donald Todd and the entire writing team behind Florida Man for giving me the gift of playing tricky tricky Kaitlin! Heather differs from previous roles because she does not care about being liked. She likes herself enough for all of us. Typically I play women who try to put on a show… Heather thinks she IS the show and you’re just lucky to witness it. Yikes! A real gem! But she’s FUN to play!! She also has a lot of confidence to be as bad as she is at her job.
You’re known for your incredible range as an actress. How do you prepare for such diverse roles, and is there a particular process you follow when approaching a new character?
That is so kind! I LOVE to think about who I know in the world who is remotely like the characters I play. If I can find the smallest similarity as a hook into the character, it helps me build a complete human that’s not a caricature. I also love doing research. For Bad Monkey I interviewed two incredible meteorologists, Taylor Wirtz and Ryan Gold, who gave me the inside scoop about the life of a meteorologist. It can be surprisingly cutthroat, competitive, and drama-filled so that knowledge helped me create Heather and in a way, explain how she might have become who she is.
Apart from acting, you’re passionate about self-care and mental health, especially within the entertainment industry. Can you share some of your go-to self-care rituals or practices that help you maintain balance?
Absolutely! I love meditation, journaling, breath work (and I highly recommend Stevie Wright’s Breath Channel membership), walking my dogs (I highly recommend adopting dogs! Shoutout and thank you to Lifeline Animal Project!), reading, working out, and spending time with friends & family. I think when it comes to balance, learning to say no is a self-care practice in and of itself. I make sure to schedule time off so I can avoid burnout. I try to remind myself and others that we’re always in process and self-care can look different day to day, but I think the most important thing is listening to ourselves and what we need at a given moment. I’m not going to lie to you, sometimes that “need” is a little guilty pleasure reality TV. Whatever works!
You’re dedicated to helping other actors feel empowered and inspired, especially during challenging times like the double strikes. What motivated you to take on this role, and how has it impacted your own journey in the industry?
I have found coaching is an opportunity to be the mentor or confidant I needed when I was younger and really struggling in the industry. The truth is, the mindset challenges never stop so I love to hold space for actors to process their emotions so they feel less alone. I’ve found it incredibly healing and rewarding to work with other actors in the hopes to inspire them to believe in themselves and trust they are exactly where they need to be while continuing to work toward their goals. The trap of this industry is to let your self-worth become correlated to any external wins. I’m a firm believer that our worth is never up for debate and a large part of the job is working on our mindset to cultivate confidence and inspiration despite the ebbs and flows of the industry. That has been a daily practice for me and I hope to support other actors and remind them that they are capable of giving themselves the validation it can be so appealing to seek from an unreliable industry. If we are responsible for our own happiness and fulfillment, then acting gets to be icing on the cake.
Giving back seems to be a big part of your life, from volunteering with Heart Gallery to your work with Chastain Horse Park. How do these experiences influence your work and personal life?
Volunteering enhances my life and helps me maintain perspective. It’s very easy to get caught up in the day to day and forget what’s truly important. Supporting and spreading the word about organizations like Heart Gallery and Chastain Horse Park has always been really important to me because I was lucky enough to be impacted by volunteer organizations during a challenging time in my life. A volunteer from The Good Dog Foundation visited me with their therapy dog when I was hospitalized for an extended period of time with pneumonia and it had such a huge impact on my health and recovery that my dog and I ended up volunteering with them for 10 years. Volunteering helps me maintain perspective and selfishly makes my life much richer to feel a sense of contribution. There isn’t anything better than seeing a child’s face light up and knowing you’re having a small impact on their life. I’ve loved working with and fundraising for Heart Gallery Tampa, who place children in foster care in forever homes and Chastain Horse Park, who teach therapeutic horseback riding lessons to riders of all abilities. These incredible organizations do the work. I’m just a fangirl who loves to brag about them!
Fashion and beauty are also interests of yours. What are some of your current favorite products, and how would you describe your personal style?
I’m currently loving the Skinny Confidential’s body brush, caffeinated sunscreen, mouth tape and ice rollers as part of my self-care routine. Lauryn Bosstick never misses. When it comes to my personal style, I’m drawn to pieces that are feminine and classic. I’m really into Norma Kamali dresses lately. I recently bought a pair of Mother jeans that I’m obsessed with and love pairing them with a classic black or white tank. Lately I’ve been loving shopping on Revolve and I’m pretty passionate about finding dupes on Amazon.
Looking ahead, what are some of the projects or roles that excite you the most, and what message do you hope to convey to your fans and the broader entertainment community?
The interesting thing about looking ahead is I try to practice having the faith that things work out as they should. I try to practice detachment around what roles I want to play because at the end of the day, I never really know what’s best for me. When I get excited to see how things will unfold rather than trying to force the next thing, I enjoy the journey so much more. So I’m excited to see what’s next! I’m really loving playing the evil girlies, but if anyone wants me to play a nice, well-adjusted woman… that might make my family feel a little better! I think they’d be so thrilled if I did a wholesome holiday movie. The dream has always been to be a working actor so I’m honestly just so grateful to be in the game and looking forward to what’s to come. The message I’d love to convey to the broader entertainment community would be that the best is yet to come and anything is possible. Your credits and success (in any industry) don’t define you and I think who we are can be an act of service (on set or in the grocery store). If I can say that, it’s the ultimate measure of success for me. I like to keep my mean girl behavior strictly fictional!!
Instagram: Lauren Buglioli
Photographer: Allie Hine
Hair and Makeup: Chelsea J. Augustine
Stylist: Emily Martinez