What a wonderful and unforgettable experience I had alongside an A-List ensemble cast, which includes Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Matt Damon, Ray Liotta, Jon Hamm, Kieran Culkin, Julia Fox, David Harbour, Bill Duke, Frankie Shaw, Amy Seimetz, Noah Jupe and Brendan Fraser in NO SUDDEN MOVE. The Steven Soderbergh film shot in Detroit, Michigan and was set in 1954 Detroit, Michigan.
I, Lauren LaStrada, a 20 year actress of stage and film, was just coming off my 6th Best Actress win for Professional Actors Equity Stage in the famous Broadway Musical "Ain't Misbehavin" (yes, im my own publicist cause I cant afford one yet lol), when my agent called me with this mind-blowing opportunity. Having booked the role of "Clarisse", I , Lauren LaStrada, had the honor to play opposite Actor/Philanthropist/Activist and Academy Award Nominee Don Cheadle, who plays the lead character Curt Goynes.
Our scene was only 5 minutes, yet some critics and fans agree that it was one of the most intriguing scene in the entire film. One Critic was quoted saying that "In one scene, [she was] able to experience their entire history". NO SUDDEN MOVE would also mark the second time Ive worked in the same film as Emmy and Golden Globe Nominee, the late great Ray Liotta.
I starred alongside Mr Liotta in the gritty crime sequel STREET KINGS 2 MOTOR CITY, as the angry landlady. Liotta, was another actor I've looked up to for many years. I was very honored to be part of a leading ensemble cast starring two of my actor heroes, Liotta and Cheadle. When auditioning for the role of "Clarisse", I was uninformed about who was starring in the film. When the Casting Director, Janet Pound of Pound Mooney Casting, offered to reveal the star packed cast list, I shunned the reveal and told her "Id rather stay focused on the work".
This process has been my "Lauren LaStrada Mantra" and approach to most of the projects Ive been a part of. If I get star struck before the audition, it might jinx the performance! My most recent role, now airing on Paramount Plus, is a gritty, crime drama called "Mayor Of Kingstown" which stars Jeremy Renner. I play "Lina", a women's correctional facility nurse, who doesn't play around when it comes down to getting the job done.
In a sometimes very high paced and dangerous environment "Lina" is meticulous about her duties, unafraid of her patients and very supportive of the work of her colleague "Tracy", the lead nurse played by actor Nishi Munshi. Casting Directors say I'm known for my ability to play character actors in a dramatic role that embody a certain empathy, while exuding the toughness of an individual who's no stranger to conflict. Lol. I guess (shoulder hunch).
MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN stars Jeremy Renner (also Executive Producer) is Written and Produced by Taylor Sheridan, Hugh Dillon and Award Winning Director Antoine Fuqua. It is now streaming on Paramount Plus. The roles of "Clarisse" and "Lina" are strikingly different in the sense that "Clarisse" is the very opposite of how Hollywood typically will cast a Black Actress. The ongoing trope of "Sassy, No-Nonsense, Independent, Masculine or Downtrodden" is far removed from my portrayal of "Clarisse". In NO SUDDEN MOVE, I was allowed to portray "Clarisse" as gentle, submissive, domesticated and compassionate.
What a relief! Oftentimes im auditioned for the standard urban stereotype of what is assumed to be the character of black women in America. For years some Hollywood's Casting departments have suffered from a slight case of colorism in their idea of what black women should represent on screen. Oftentimes, throughout cinematic history, the black Actress would be forced to identify with behavior assumed by their complexion. If you are fair skinned, Casting perceives you as the damsel in distress, romantically desired, needing to be protected, non confrontational, educated, submissive and most of all...effeminate.
If you are darker skinned, Casting will often perceive you as the perfect fit for loud-mouthed, masculine, unattractive and/or undesirable, angry, bitter, living in the hood, uneducated, uncouth, a struggling single parent and unable to wear her real hair. While Ive had the honor of portraying both of these character breakdowns, the one time a trope slipped through the cracks and missed targeting her to enforce the stereotype, was as "Clarisse" in NO SUDDEN MOVE.
A portrayal not often seen in black female characters on TV and/or Film. When reading the script, this is partly what drew my interest to play the role. Thank you to writer Ed Solomon, for not drinking the "Kool Aid" on stereotypes. No pun intended. Being directed by Academy Award winning Director Steven Soderbergh helped as well, of course. To work alongside my acting heroes was one thing. To be cast and directed by a whole entire Master Class, that is Steven Soderbergh, was another.
Coming onto Soderbergh's set, fresh out of makeup and wardrobe was an experience I'll never forget. Everybody was at peace, diligently setting up for the scene and casually conversing in preparation. It was so calming, especially when we shot this film smack in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020. For more information, read the full articles on NO SUDDEN MOVE in the Los Angeles Times website, Time Magazine, NPR, The Root, Hollywood Reporter, Deadline and Variety.
NO SUDDEN MOVE was directed by Steven Soderbergh, written by Ed Solomon and produced by Julie Anderson. Casting by Carmen Cuba and Pound Mooney Casting. The film is now streaming on HBO Max.
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