Interview by Geno McGahee
“Never give up! You’re never too young or too old to pursue your dream. Don’t let negative or jealous people persuade you otherwise.” – Jaki Valensi-Lauper
Jaki Valensi-Lauper is a well schooled and talented actress currently starring in three films: THE CLEARING, THE WHISPER ON THE BRIDGE, and FAMILY SECRET. All three of these films are being shot on the East Coast, a place where Jaki has currently relocated. On the West Coast, she was in the hotbed for film production, landing roles in the popular show PORT CHARLES, SUNSET BEACH, and PAJAMA PARTY.
Jaki has also done a lot of theatre, honing her skills and doing what all of the great actors and actresses have done. She has kept busy and in rough times and a tough economy, she is finding work without much of an issue and that is due in large part to her incredible talent.
New England has come alive in recent times with filmmakers emerging and applying their craft on all different levels of the game. The most recent big thing has been the film “EDGE OF DARKNESS,” a movie by Mel Gibson, shot in Massachusetts. The streets were mobbed with hopeful actors and actresses just looking for the chance to be in the film, even if it were just as an extra. I have recently become aware of several indie filmmakers in the area that are slowly gaining momentum and notoriety. There is even talk of a large movie production studio opening shop in Connecticut in the near future, proving that this is a growing area for film and the business appreciates it.
Taking full advantage of the growing market is Jaki Valensi-Lauper, currently in three films and recently landing a television advertisement. Her dedication and talent along with her great personality are the reasons why she continues to find work and success. Working with her personally, I was not only impressed with her acting talent, but Jaki is one of the most pleasant people I have ever worked with. She also has a great business sense, marketing herself very well. She has created a very sharp website, now featuring a segment called “The Buzz,” informing her fans of the goings on in her professional life.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Scared Stiff Reviews presents Jaki Valensi-Lauper…
Questions for Jaki Valensi-Lauper
GM: What attracted you to acting? Who were your inspirations and how did your career begin in this field?
Well, I was an unhappy kid and my escape was to act and be someone else! Of course I loved the attention as well. I started acting in school plays and running around interviewing family members. When my family and I moved to L.A. I begged my mom to take me to acting classes and auditions and my Mom was always encouraging me to follow my dreams and it progressed from there! My inspiration was Merlyn Steep. She’s so talented and I was always inspired by how she could be anybody and be totally believable!
GM: You have done a lot of acting workshops and things of that nature. How important is it to attend these and could you talk a little about your experiences?
To me it was very important. I needed to feel comfortable auditioning and working in the field and these workshops helped me to gain experience and knowledge and to meet people and network.
GM: You lived in California for some time and were in the mix, landing many roles in very notable series like Port Charles and Sunset Beach. What do you consider the pros and cons of living in California and can you talk a little about your experiences on the popular series like Port Charles that you landed roles in?
I had some wonderful experiences in California. I got my start there and worked in Theatre and T.V. with some wonderful, talented people took wonderful workshops and worked in some great soap opera’s like the 2 above. I had small roles in both and loved it. The hours are short and very normal, unlike film! I had watched both shows so it was such a thrill to work with actors I had watched and admired. The cons in California are tons of traffic, lots and lots of competition for acting jobs and less and less work coming out of L.A. for people that are not established stars. A shout out to my good friends there!
GM: You have really done it all from theatre to TV to film to commercials. What do you prefer and why?
Well that’s a hard question. I have to say I’m an actor that loves it all. I started in theatre and love theatre for the live audience and the energy from the audience, how you receive instant feedback and really are in the moment. But with TV, film and commercials, it’s so wonderful to be able to see your efforts later, be a part of the whole process, to work with great crews and also to be able to fix your mistakes!
GM: Are there any variations in your acting from live theatre to film or TV? Do you have to be louder or more expressive for a live audience?
Yes, theatre is a bit different in terms of you need to be more expressive and more vocal so you can really be seen, heard and understood. Film and TV is more understated.
GM: What brought you back to New England and how are the acting opportunities here as opposed to California?
It’s funny, my main reason for moving back to New England was more personal, and I wanted to be closer to family on the east coast and to have a better way of life for my family. Also to have SEASONS again! I was blessed with moving to the right coast for my career at this stage in my life and I’m finding the opportunities to be plentiful here, especially in independent films. I’ve been blessed to in such a short time (less than a year here) to work with very talented, creative, wonderful people in some great film, T.V. and commercial projects!
GM: There has been much talk of the filming business branching out to New England. Mel Gibson recently shot a highly publicized movie here. What is your opinion of this “movie rush” to this area? Do you believe it and if you do, why do you think that filmmakers are leaving California to come to the area?
Well I don’t know about a “movie rush” but I do believe there is more and more work coming out to the area because of the film tax credit (which I’m helping to try and keep) and because of the fact that people are tired of seeing so many things shot on the west coast, also because of the pool of very talented film industry people here!
GM: On top of many other things that you are working on, you currently have roles in two movies: THE CLEARING and FAMILY SECRET. Could you talk a little about those movies, your roles, what they’re about, and what your experiences have been working on them?
THE CLEARING is a very cool Hitchcock style thriller set in the woods and I play the role of Cindy the Waitress. Waitress Cindy might not be what she seems…My character also will have connections to the directors other films, so you will see more of her in a bigger role in upcoming projects. FAMILY SECRET is a wonderful horror film, where you are shocked and intrigued at the same time and the film keeps you guessing from beginning to end. My character is Claire the older sister of Geno the lead. Claire is married to a loser, but is a very strong character. I can relate to her strength, because I believe I’m the same way. Claire will surprise you as well, she has some secrets of her own and it’s a great role! I have to say my experiences with both have been WONDERFUL! Great, cast and crew and wonderful directing and writing on both. These are actually 2 of my favorite projects that I’m currently in and I feel blessed to be a part of them.
GM: Is it ever difficult to learn two or more different roles at one time and keep everything straight when you’re going from one project to the next?
At times scheduling can be crazy and this is one of those times, where I’m working on a few projects at a time (which is wonderful!) and so I have to be very detail oriented and schedule everything ahead of time! My roles are usually so diverse, I really play such a range of characters, which is an exciting thing as an actress, so I don’t confuse the roles. With lines though it can be hectic, so I try and really work on lines only for the scenes that are shooting right now and work on lines for future scenes as they come along, which helps greatly.
GM: Both films seem to fall into the “Horror” category. Are you a horror fan, and if so, what are some of your favorite horror films and why?
Even though both films fall into the horror market, I think of them as horror/suspense/thrillers and those are my favorite! I really am not such a big fan of just the blood and guts kind of horror, but love the films that are suspenseful and really keep you guessing on the edge of your seat the whole time!
GM: Recently, horror films have seemed to be either remakes or “re-imaginings” of popular films. The result has been a weaker version of the first. Why is it that originality is gone in horror and what can be done to bring the genre back to what it once was, in your opinion?
I think that sadly this has happened because of the money the original has generated and people thinking they can run with that. But I’m really a fan of the horror/thriller/suspense films of the past, because I love originality and feel we need to bring it back. Not remaking so much, but really bringing the writer/producers own originality, creativity, experiences and depth to films.
GM: I have been very impressed with not only your acting ability but also your business sense. What have you found to be the most effective tool to market yourself?
Thank you so much! I really appreciate the compliment! I think that as a working actor, I’m not just an actor, but a PR person, businessperson, manager etc. all rolled into one, which is why I’m constantly finding different ways to market myself. We are in the computer age, so I would say right now the Internet and different actor tool websites are the most effective way to submit and market yourself. Having your own website is also very useful. I have my own at http://jaki.lauper.name/index.shtml
GM: What advice would you give the aspiring actor or actress that wants to pursue this field professionally?
Never give up! You’re never too young or too old to pursue your dream. Don’t let negative or jealous people persuade you otherwise. If this is your dream go for it, because you won’t be fulfilled without it! Be positive and creative, but also know this is a business and treat it like any other business or career. Do whatever you can to study, research, tune your business sense, network, market yourself and of course perform! I used to go to the library and check out a lot of books on biographies of actors that I admired and I really learned a lot.
GM: Is there anything that you would like to say in closing?
Thank you so much Geno for this interview and these wonderful questions. Also please try to save the Connecticut tax break for the film industry here, so you can continue to see wonderful projects come out of this state. PLEASE contact your State Rep and State Senator, voice your opinion, let them know that: INCREASING THE TAX CREDIT THRESHOLD FROM $50K TO $1M WILL HURT INDEPENDENT CT FILMMAKERS! THE REAL LONG-TERM FUTURE OF THE CT FILM INDUSTRY. PLEASE DON’T WAIT! WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT HERE. Here is a link to a website that allows you to to look up your State Rep. Connecticut General Assembly at www.cga.ct.gov
See you at the movies!