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Lisa Mason Lee Interview - The fact that I can say I worked on a Star Wars series, still seems surreal

Lisa Mason Lee, Actress, Writer and Filmmaker is originally from Indianapolis, Indiana. Lisa has always had an interest in arts and entertainment. Like a lot of kids, she started experimenting with a camera, then eventually started creating indie films with her colleagues whom she met whilst attending Indiana-Purdue University of Indianapolis. She now resides in Los Angeles, California working behind the scenes and in front of the camera…

- Hello Lisa and thank you for your time for the Fans.

You are welcome! I am so happy to be connecting with people from Germany. I am actually featured on a Pop song by a Berlin based artist Stephen Paul Taylor :) Yes, I make music for fun too.

- When was the time you knew you wanted to be an actress?

 

I was always living in a pretend world dressing up as characters in costumes, re-enacting roles I saw on TV and in movies… But I also had a knack for Hosting too. I loved interviewing my family at get-togethers or friends who came over, and would record us like I had my own talk show. Then in 6th grade there was an audition to become the morning announcements TV host. So I made an audition tape at my kitchen table reading made-up news stories, and I got the part along with my co-host Harlan Vondasaar! I hated school but I loved doing the morning announcements. 

Later on, I actually became a red carpet reporter in Hollywood working with E.L. Woody, Henry Trapler, Hollyscoop, Afterbuzz TV and independently. Then I worked as an Entertainment Reporter in Indianapolis for WISH-TV. I also did some local TV shows like Real Scene TV. After that I went back to L.A. to pursue Acting and work in Production, which is where I am now. Who’s to say I won’t go back into Hosting? People still say that I speak to them like a Barbara Walters interview haha. I truly am interested in life stories! And I like telling stories through film. 

- Lisa, you worked as an actress in "Dream Maker" as Jamie Johnson, what can you tell us about the series and your role?

 

At the time when I booked Dream Maker, I was making YouTube videos doing impressions and parodies, and I had just co-starred in a Black Box TV episode on YouTube with Tony Turner “Tobuscus” and Vincent “Cyr.” That collab gained some traction, and not long after, I auditioned for Dream Maker and got a starring role! “Yobi TV” was producing it and K. Asher Levin was Directing. Audrina Patridge from MTV’s show “The Hills” played the character “Tracy James,” who was the owner of a talent agency up in Detroit. My character Jamie Johnson was a garbage human who happened to be at the right place at the right time, and landed a secretary gig working for Patridge at the new talent agency. Rory Kramer who ended up also having his own show on MTV, played “Jason Smith.” Jason was Patridge’s assistant turned agent. Jason was just another victim in Jamie’s toxic game. Through classic Jamie manipulation tactics, Jason became Jamie’s secret agent and even became Jamie’s love interest. We shot the show on-location in “Greektown” Detroit. I can remember how excited I was to work with all these up and coming YouTube stars like Rory Kramer and Joshua David Evans. They put us up in this hotel in Greektown for a week, and we had the whole floor to ourselves to shoot on. It was such a wonderful opportunity and experience. I will never forget everyone’s excitement to be apart of such a cool project!

- Is there a role or series you would love to work on in the future or an actor/actress you would want to work with?

 

Firstly, it’s the Visionaries who fuel my fire. Like Terrence Malick, Baz Luherman, more Robert Rodriguez, Tyler Perry, Sophia Coppolla, Quinton Tarantino, Jordan Peele, Guillermo Del Toro, more David Lynch, Martin Scorcese, Chris Nolan, Steven Spielberg, Safdie Bros., Adam McKay, Larry David, Greta Gerwig… as for the shows and actors, I think I would be right at home on Ozark, Euphoria, Righteous Gemstones, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Westworld. As for Actors who I would like to work with… Jessica Chastain, Adam Sandler, Danny Trejo, Eric Roberts, Johnny Depp, Steve Bucshemi, Danny McBride, Shiloh Fernandez, Zendaya, Jennifer Coolidge (she’s so rad), Pedro Pascal, Sydney Sweeney, Denzel… the list goes on.

- You work in Star Wars in "The Book of Boba Fett" What can you share with us about? 

 

The fact that I can say I worked on a Star Wars series, still seems surreal. When the opportunity came my way I immediately said YES. There were some nerve-racking schedule flips with the pandemic and the process was over a span of 6 months from when I got the gig, to when we actually shot the show. I had 2 fittings, and my costumes were designed onto my body. The Costume Designer Shawna Trpcic and her team pulled out all these shiny and lacey fabrics, jewelry and headpieces and we tried them on. They designed multiple looks for me on the show. Special FX Makeup Head Brian Sipe tested some prosthetics on me, and then it was time to wait again for the shoot.

So, at the end of March 2021, I FINALLY get a call that we are on to shoot our scenes in April.

April comes. Star Wars week arrives. I am ready to go. 

It’s 5am, I am in the makeup chair with Cale Thomas, and in an hour and a half, he transforms me into this incredible character from Mos Espa, Tatooine. Hair wigs me up. Then I get my costume on and we have a little breakfast and then go to set.

I remember walking onto set and was overwhelmed with the eye candy. There are droids rolling around on set and dealing cards in the Cantina. The actors are looking insanely phenomenal in makeup and costume. Garsa Fwip, The Twi'leks, Creatures, Aliens… everybody blew my mind. John Favreau and Dave Filoni are there. Robert Rodriguez was strumming his guitar and simultaneously Directing the show. We all just kept staring at each other in amazement of how cool we looked, but also the fact that we finally made it onto the set and were in the Star Wars family.

If you saw the series, you know what goes down in the Cantina. I won’t spoil it here. There were some tender behind the scenes moments that I really hope make it onto a “Behind The Scenes TBOBF” Disney Plus special. 

 

I am actually up for an award for “Best Time Period Look” in this series. Again, I was nothing without the genius artists who designed the costumes, hair and makeup!

- You worked in series like "Twin Peaks,” “Dirty John,” "Mom" and many more. What is your personal highlight so far and why?

As for one of my favorite highlights, I would say it’s hard to compete with working on David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks: The Return.” I mean, it wasn’t even “work” okay. My friend Ashley Siloac got me on the roster to be a Stand-In/Body Double on the show. 

 

What Artist doesn’t want to work with David? It’s just a part of your DNA to fulfill that bucket list. Well, lucky me, David was set to direct the ENTIRE 18 episodes of Twin Peaks, so he was there all the time like the rest of the crew. There were crew who even came out of retirement just to re-up Twin Peaks 20 years later with David. Original cast members were there like Kyle MacLachlan, Laura Dern, and Sherlyn Finn. Amanda Seyfried and even the late Robert Forster joined the cast… Robert was everything.

I saw Eddie Vedder and Trent Reznor perform in spitting distance. I sat in the Red Room with checkered floors and walked backwards in rewind which was beyond confusing. A fun tidbit about that show is that sooo many of the crew members are playing parts in the show. I even had a part in an elevator scene with Kyle. He was playing his alter ego character Dougie. He was in character that whole time, and we were all having a ball playing with him in that scene. 

 

Everyone was like family on that show. At the end of the season, we spent the last couple days shooting at Morongo Casino and we got put up in the hotel. The show was shot over a span of a year, and this was the end. I remember us just staring at David in his Director’s chair. We were all welling up at the very last scene of the night. David finally said, “That’s a wrap!” and we were cheering and crying. This photo is the moment right after David called wrap:

 

 


 

- What do you remember most of your work ? Is there a special or funny moment you can share with us?

 

I wrote my film Angry Baker based off of real people who I used to work with at a bakery in West Hollywood. One character in the film, Tom Rosa, was my actual boss from the bakery where the movie takes place. Me and my friend/co-worker and Assistant Director of the film Kody Christiansen, really enjoyed bringing Tom’s character to life. We got our real-life serious boss Tom into this sinister, yet fun alter ego that I wrote him as. We had him creepily sniffing a stack of Benjamins, cracking a whip on his own butt and dancing around the bakery to Broadway music with a chiffon scarf. He was out of his serious bossman shell and loving every second of it! The film was inspired by real people and some events, so that was great to see pop off the paper.  When YOU actually write a screenplay and see it come to life, now that is a very satisfactory achievement to feel. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Are you currently working on any interesting movie or series that you can reveal to us? 

 

I wrapped a few projects recently and you will see me in them sometime this year. A Comedy-Drama series Written and Directed by Marc Cayce called “Halfway House.” A Drama called, “Pieces We Leave Behind,” Written and Directed by Jesse Hughes. “Tiny Cinema,” a Horror series Directed by Tyler Cornack. We just got news that Tiny Cinema will be premiering at Fright Fest London in August this year 2022! Then, a short Drama film Directed by the up and coming Ky Baldwin with Actor Devin Reeve and myself. And of course my comedy shorts I make are ongoing. I love indie films. It’s really the place where you can flex your art and express yourself and not have to worry much about politics.

Also, I am working with my friend and Writer Andy Murphy on a few future projects :) Stay tuned.

 

 

- You also work as Director and Producer, is that right? 

I do Direct. I Direct mostly comedy shorties, some music videos, did a Documentary and Directed my own long form short film “Angry Baker.”

Angry Baker had a year run on Amazon Prime, and now you can see it here on YouTube for free: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBOoL9LvqLo

 

I just started Producing, and I am definitely interested in producing more indie films. I would also like to tap back into documentaries. Check out this doc me and my Dad created about an Indiana Cemetery that got lost and built over: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lipLaXIDRUw&t=20s

 

- In closing, some words to your fans?

 

Thank you for chatting Bernd!

If you guys want to keep in touch and connect. Here are my handles and links:

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisamasonlee/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Lisaleetv

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LisaMasonLeeFanPage/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Sj1jXA6nswwUQwIGVj4vz?si=8JmFrXWpQGa0hcv3EDw9YA

IMDB: imdb.me/LisaMasonLee

 

Buy my Dad’s Rock N Roll record “The Ice Age” at: https://www.ridingeasyrecs.com/product/ice-the-ice-age/

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