Brooke Lewis – 1/2 New Year

By starrymag | September 16, 2019

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) What are the recent projects that you’re working on?

A) As you know, I am super excited about the upcoming release of 1/2 New Year, the indie-film dramedy where I play Pam DeLuca, one of my favorite roles ever. And alongside that will soon to be the re-release of The Mourning, directed by one my favorite directors Marc Clebanoff. This is a drama/romance with a supernatural vibe that was released a couple years back and they’re doing a huge re-release through a new distributor to get the proper distribution that we deserve and that will be all over VOD coming end of September/October, as well. And I just love this film. It is so artistic and so beautifully shot. We shot in Holland, Michigan years ago. They treated us like family and rock stars (shout out to Holland, Michigan) and it’s a film that I’m really proud of. And I’ll give one small spoiler…I can’t give the title yet, but we are about to film this fall a TV pilot/short-form TV series that is a comedy that we’ll say is “Entourage” meets The Full Monty and I play the publicist. More to come on that one.

 

Q) Please tell us the premise for the film 1/2 New Year?

A) 1/2 New Year is an indie film with heart about a typical group of young people in their 20s who come to Hollywood, not necessarily for the entertainment industry but to live the life. Live their best life. Live their dreams. Live that excitement that we all grow up watching in movies, and yet, it is not always that simple. And it’s not always that glamorous or that fun and we see how these relationships and people are glued together. The best way to sum it up is: friends are the family you choose and that is the tagline for a reason. So, it’s about a group of friends who goes through the ups and downs of young life in Hollywood and they really learn that all you really have is love and friendship. I also am Pam DeLuca… Reed DeLuca (Drew McAnany), the star’s big sister, so sometimes we have family out here that’s far away from our biological family and it’s what we go through and the support we need to get from the worst of times to the best of times. It’s very 80s throwback and I think that’s what I love so much about it.

 

Q) What made you want to be a part of the movie?

A) Well, first and foremost shout out to my little brother, in the film and truly in real life, Drew McAnany, who was looking for a vehicle years ago and I mean years ago. We first started table reads for this script like six or seven years ago and, bless his heart, he wrote himself the role as a vehicle to have his break in Hollywood. Again, back to the throwback of the whole indie film era when I was young, when we were young when you could create your own acting dreams and break and so he wrote the film for himself to star in and wrote the role of Pam DeLuca, his big sister, for me to star in since we were both from Philadelphia and have that connection and it made absolute sense that we would play brother and sister. Plus, we bicker like brother and sister in real life so that to me is the main thing that made me wanna be a part of it – because it came from Drew’s dreams and heart and soul. Plus, as an actress, to have a role that is written directly for you that when you read the script and you read the character you just know how before anything, the choices you would make in the role and what you would do as an actress is absolutely magical. And whether you’re and A-list celebrity or a C-list celebrity, to have a role written for you ever is one of the greatest gifts an actor can have. And then years later to have Georgia Menides to come produce and re-write the script with Drew, to have a director like Tom Morash, to have a cast and crew like this made it an absolute gem.

 

Q) How was your character Pam DeLuca originally described to you?

A) Pam DeLuca was described to me as ME, kind of, but a little over the top. Like a caricature of Brooke Lewis, only she is Reed DeLuca’s older sister. She is sassy, sexy, mouthy, smart, lives her best life, makes no apologies for it. She is a prime example of someone in Hollywood who doesn’t get caught up in tradition, like myself in real life, who isn’t one of those women who is like, “I need to be married by 30. I need to have two kids by 35. I need to need to need to,” and she just is living that youthful, fun, LA lifestyle. Yet, she’s really responsible with her job and so on and so forth and able to advise and guide Reed DeLuca and all the beautiful girls, younger women, that are the lead ensemble cast in this script and so she just really is great, except she is really much like Stiffler’s mom in American Pie. That’s exactly like it was described to me. I don’t want to spoil it too much, but let’s say Pam likes to flirt with the young boys. It is hilarious.

 

Q) Was there something you added to her that wasn’t in her initial breakdown?

A) That’s a great question. So, honestly, for me as an actress…And I know a lot of actors who, yes, we are trained to make a character our own and I always believe in bringing our own essence, our own nuances, our own sides to a character as well; however, I wanna say that I’m a firm believer, with conviction, that character and everything starts with the writing and the script. So, I would be remiss to not give all the credit to Drew McAnany and Georgia Menides who wrote the script and created these fun, layered, meaty characters that you don’t always find in indie film. So, did I bring a lot of me into Pam? Probably a bit of my hairstyles. I mean, here’s what I brought: rewind a “few” years ago, Pam DeLuca is Brooke Lewis and all of her Italian girlfriends in South Philly when we were seventeen years old with big hair and big earrings and just the wild child. That’s what I brought from myself to the character.

 

Q) Were you familiar with working with any of your co-stars before the movie?

A) Yes, because again, with this little film-that-could we have amazing young seasoned actors like miss Shanley Caswell. I mean, again, being a proud scream queen and horror star just seeing Shanley when she was a young girl in The Conjuring was a major deal for someone like me coming up in the horror genre. Also, I love my soap operas. So, I’ve seen Rome Flynn, that little cutie pie, on soap operas and I love the Tyler Perry movies and he was just in a Tyler Perry movie. And I love comedy as well so I was very familiar with Jeff Dye’s work on TV. And equally important is the fact that I did the table reads with Drew and his friends like John Ierardi, Matt Shulte and Ashley Platz – wonderful actors who I’ve known now for several years because of Drew. And in the end, when they saw a lot of wonderful working young actors and they allowed me to sit behind the scenes at the director/producer sessions for the auditions for the film, they chose a lot of people who Drew had previously known because they were amazing and sometimes when your friends deliver brilliance as actors, like they did. That’s as important as the friendship and the trust and when you’re bringing your baby to someone to do these actors are able to deliver. We know that they’re going to show up on set. We know that they’re going to deliver something consistently. So, there’s so much beauty in that and I know a lot of those guys personally and I was so fortunate to get to meet all these other beautiful actresses like Bo Youngblood and Rebecca Vinagro in the lead roles and actors on this film and to get to work with little Jermaine Alvarez Martin. He’s amazing and I got to develop a real movie family.

 

Q) Marty makes a move on Pam at the 1/2 New Year What is it about her that attracts him?

A) Well, first and foremost, an absolute cutie and sweetheart. I want all the ladies to know, both on and off screen, Jermaine Alvarez Martin is an absolute wonderful young actor. He is respectful. He and I worked so well together. We could not have found a better Marty, so let me just say that, in all honesty. And Drew had actually met him before the auditions and had brought him in and he nailed it. So, I want to give major props to him because I truly believe that my performance is only as good as the people who surround me. When he makes a move on Pam she is attracted to his boyish innocence. Pam wants to control. Pam wants to run the show. Again, Stiffler’s mom, Pam wants to hold onto her youth as long as she can. Pam wants to party with her brother and his friends. She wants to hook up with the cutie little boys because she can and for her age, she is still rocking it.

 

Q) Is Pam into Marty or is it only about what he can give her?

A) Pam, I think, is initially only into Marty for, again, for his youth and his obedience. He worships the ground she walks on. He brings her flowers. He’s her “beck and call boy” and, listen, we have seen this so many times in the reverse. I think that was a great point that Drew and Georgia wanted to make is that how many times have older men, especially in Hollywood here, gotten the younger chick? Well, why can’t an empowered female, adult woman in her mid-thirties, get the younger guy who’s going to worship the ground she walks on? I think we really made something for women out there to look at where there’s really no age where you’re too old to find fun and love in whatever fashion it looks like for you. I think she’s really only looking to hookup at first, but then he emotionally wins her over and it’s very cute in the end.

 

Q) What advice did director Tom Morash offer that you took to heart while filming?

A) Tom is one of my favorite directors for so many reasons and one is that he is so chill and he really trusts the actor. He really takes his time to listen and really takes the time to work with you in specific areas where you feel like you may be challenged. He also, and especially on a film like this, where you have very few takes…I am very self-critical, like my fans know, and I always want to be able to pull my director to the side and ask “Could I have delivered that better?” “Was I in the moment in that scene?” “Did it look real?” I think for me with Pam too, especially since she’s a caricature, I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t so over the top that it wouldn’t be believable or likable for the audience. And so Tom knew exactly where to reel me in and where to keep me consistent with Pam DeLuca in my performances and I am very grateful.

 

Q) What were some of your favorite scenes to shoot?

A) Every single one of them. I honestly can say that…With all my scenes with Drew and playing brother and sister and really being in the moment. Drew and I, in real life, have a very clear younger brother/older sister dynamic and so it really translated on screen. Also, my scenes with Jermaine, I loved every one of them. Jermaine was such an open young actor to work with. We rehearsed a lot. He was so open to doing that, which really helps you fine tune the moments and the beats and we got to do that. We were able to have it all on lock by the time the camera shot. I do want to shout out to the readers, to make sure you do not fast-forward and make sure you see my favorite scenes which are: the bathroom scene (with Reed, Pam and Marty) and also a laundry room scene with Marty and Pam, absolutely hilarious. But I also love the moments with the girls and everyone and it was really truly one of the most memorable films I have ever worked on and may ever work on again. A true labor of love for us all!

 

Q) What do you think it is about 1/2 New Yearthat is going to make it a fast dramedy favorite?

A) For me, speaking as an adult now, my generation grew up in the era of the 80s. We grew up in the 80s and grew up in that first group of amazing 80s dramedies. Whether that be Breakfast Club, St. Elmo’s Fire, and so on and so forth, those are the films that I love and Drew and I have talked about for many years. They just have heart. Then, there’s the next generation with The Brothers McMullen and Swingers and all those other indie movies with heart. Those comedy dramas that have a little coming of age and that’s the key that 1/2 New Year holds and it just has a slice of life with heart. That’s what makes it special and that’s what’s going to make it a fan favorite and just a throwback to the 80s with heart.

 

Q) You have great comedic timing, is this something that has always been easy for you or is this something you’ve worked at? 

A) Well, first, thank you. I actually fancy myself a much better dramatic actress and I have always loved dramatic work more. So, I’ve never felt like I was such a comedic actress, but people have told me I am funny. I have to say, it took a lot of work and I also second guess myself as an actress and in comedy. Comedy is harder in acting than drama because if you don’t hit those comedic beats on the nose you can fall and flop and fail miserably. I have to attribute a lot of my comedic timing and instinct to my very first big professional break, right after college when I went to New York for Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, the mobster comedy Off-Broadway. I did the show three years, seven shows a week, and so when you are constantly using your acting chops every night you have to sharpen your improv and acting skills like nobody’s business. I am going to attribute a lot of my comedy timing, acting and skills to that. I also think that I am such a caricature in life. I’m a big personality with a big booty, mouth, big lips naturally and I’m just big so I think that naturally I’m like a life-size Betty Boop – I’m a comic.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Are you looking forward to the fan reaction to the film? 

A) I am always looking forward to fan reactions. I would not be here without a fan base. I would not have had the opportunities in indie film that I have had without hard work and a terrific fan base. Shout out to the horror and mobster movie fan bases who have been with me from the beginning, from my indie mobster movies in New York, and who have just stuck by my side through the ups and downs of the industry over the years. They have traveled with me as fans. I am forever grateful. I have learned that is a very different world with social media, that I didn’t have in the beginning, so I love to hear fan feedback and so far I have been getting nothing but positive reviews as Pam DeLuca and the film has been getting rave reviews and I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. The only flip side of that is that, sadly, it is very gut wrenching when you do read things about yourself, as an actor or a character, that are not complimentary. They can be very hurtful, but I have learned to get thicker skin the older I have gotten and the longer I have been in the film industry. You just really have to not take it personally and that is not easy. Trust me. I am going to choose to focus on the positive feedback from the fans and I’m going to embrace that because that is the stuff that feeds my soul and makes me realize why I do what I do, besides loving it so very much.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and the work you do?

A) Just a big, huge, THANK YOU. And, again, thank you for believing in me all of these years. It’s been over twenty years since I have been professionally in this business from New York to Los Angeles. So, thank you for sticking with me. Thank you for your piles of fan mail that I still get in my P.O. Box. And even at times when I feel like I’m not having success in the industry or I’m doing something wrong or I’m not as relevant as I was ten years ago, I look at my fan mail and I read it and I understand why the universe has given me this blessing and opportunity to continue to do what I love. I am the luckiest actress in the world. Thank you.