Dana Davis – Suburban Swingers Club

By starrymag | March 9, 2019

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

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

 

A) The fourth and final season of “Star vs The Forces of Evil” starts airing March 10th on the Disney Channel and I just wrapped post on that. I’m gonna miss working with Daron Nefcy who has pretty much proved, without a doubt, that you can be fierce, feminine, strong, destroy aliens and still wear glitter in your hair! I’m also finishing up post on the second season of “She-Ra” on Netflix which will be released this year. I’m clearly all about girl power. And I’m recording another season of “Craig of the Creek.” This season I play Kit and Big Red. I also am a young adult author and have a new book coming out May 28^th called The Voice In My Head though Inkyard Press, which is an imprint of Harper Collins, and I’ll be gearing up for a regional tour and also making stops in New York and DC.

 

Q) Please tell us the premise for Suburban Swingers Club.

 

A) It sounds scandalous, huh? Well…it kind of is. So, basically you have this married couple who recently lost a child. This loss has, understandably, put a strain on the marriage. They get invited to participate in a swingers club in their new neighborhood. Their rationale is, “Hey maybe THIS can fix our marriage.” They accept the invitation. I don’t wanna say too much more because that’s the fun of watching the movie, but let’s just say that things get really tough to manage after that.

 

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

 

A) As many people know, I had taken some time away from the camera to tend to my daughter who is high functioning autistic. And she was and is doing much better, so joining the cast of this movie seemed like the perfect opportunity to get back in front of the camera. Also, I am so passionate about normalizing things that have seemed sort of “taboo for TV” … like interracial marriage or yes… people who have an open marriage. Neither has to be as scandalous as it sounds.

 

Q) Talk about working with costar Jesse Ruda.

 

A) It’s hard to have on screen intimacy with a complete stranger. Jesse and I met one day and literally the next day were a married couple who had just lost a baby. However, we had the rare and awesome experience of becoming easy, fast friends. Our mutual respect for one another helped us to form a genuine friendship. He’s just that rare breed of Hollywood actor who has no pretense, is humble and giving and just an all-around great guy. I loved working with him.

 

Q) What advice did the director offer that you took to heart while shooting?

 

A) Jessica Janos is just so fantastic. I rarely get to work with women directors, so I was in such awe watching her work and manage a crew of men. I mostly just took from her that women are amazing, and we should celebrate their genius more often. I hope I get to work with her more in the future and also… more women directors please!

 

Q) What were some of your most memorable or intense scenes from filming the movie?

 

A) Probably laughing with James O’Halloran through our scene at the swingers party. He’s such a funny guy and we pretty much only stopped laughing when the cameras were rolling.

 

Also, my scene with Jesse when he presented my character with the idea of a swingers party. The scene could have been played out as a husband who is trying to manipulate his wife into doing something she doesn’t want to do, but Jesse turned it into this beautiful conversation. It became more of an “I would do anything to save us” type moment and it felt so authentic and real. I felt really comfortable with him in that setting.

 

Q) How did you shake off a long day of filming?

 

A) I was pretty much in every scene, so after a 13-hour day I would just head back to the hotel and sleep. I stayed in a hotel near the set during production and pretty much only worked and slept for the three straight weeks we were shooting.

 

Q) What makes Lifetime the perfect fit for Suburban Swingers Club?

 

A) Suburban Swingers Club sounds scandalous…and it is! But at the heart of it are people who are willing to step outside of the norm in an effort to find their normal and their form of happiness. I think Lifetime is about taking chances and seeing what happens. Playing it safe in life can be boring. Playing with fire can be exciting! But… you might get burned. Which do you choose? Come on! That’s so Lifetime!

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Are you looking forward to the instant fan feedback you’ll receive to the movie?

 

A) Yes! Bring it on. I love interacting with fans on social media and always try to take time to comment and interact with positivity.

 

Q) What advice would you give up and coming actors and actresses?

 

A) Choose projects that inspire you! Who cares what anybody else says or thinks? It’s how a project makes you feel. And take the time to truly connect with your co-stars and crew. I met some lifelong friends while shooting this movie. So often we get on a project and we get caught up in what our job is, which is important! But remember that everyone there is doing an important job as well. Check in with them. Let them know how important they are. Treat your crew like the superstars they are. An actor might come on set and shoot one or two scenes and be on set for four to eight hours, but crew members are there every single day from start to finish. We’re talking 12-14 hours days. Sometimes more! They spend most of their lives away from their family and friends and so it’s important to remember and recognize how valuable they are.