Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Lox.
Hi Lauren, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve always been interested in acting since I attended my first workshop at seven. From there, I tried to find every theater production possible until I could take classes starting in middle school. I actually played the role of Sir Gawain in sixth grade at Main Street Theater in Houston, and by eighth grade, secured the role of Sandy in our school’s production of Grease. I continued on my theater journey throughout high school. I had been cleared to skip ahead of a class, so I was in the Senior level class as a junior. When I graduated, my parents wanted me to get a different degree to fall back on. I knew acting was in my bones, so it took me a while to figure out a different degree plan, but I ended up getting a Public Relations degree from the University of Houston. It was fun and insightful, but after I graduated from college, I knew I wanted to go back to my first love. I found an acting class and began to work, but this time in the film side of things. It was a pretty scary leap of faith at the time, but one I’m forever grateful for. Jumping into the film world was a new challenge for me– there are so many differences and subtle nuances to a performance that I had to learn.
One of the funniest but most embarrassing part of my journey was right at the beginning: I decided to just put myself out there and audition for an open casting call. At the time, I was living in Houston, so I drove up to Austin, signed in, and felt really nervous when they called my name. I walked in, did the scene, and then they asked me to try it again and slate to the camera. I had no idea at the time what “slate” meant, so I just turned toward the camera and delivered my whole performance straight to the camera. I could tell by the look on their faces that I had failed horribly somehow, but they thanked me and I left. On the drive home, even though I had just failed miserably, I had this exhilarating feeling and I knew I could never go back to doing anything else. Little by little, I had to break free of trying to be perfect and learn how to be vulnerable, living in someone else’s shoes. It can be cathartic to express those parts of you as a character if you let yourself surrender to it. Over time, I read every article, interview and watched every podcast or video I could find to learn as much as I could about the industry. I started booking roles and even wrote and produced three films as time went on. I eventually made a move to Austin and have never been happier. This city is so full of artistry and acceptance, and it feels right to be here.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s definitely been a bumpy road. Back when I first mentioned getting back into acting, I didn’t have a ton of support from those closest to me. Sometimes there are moments in your life when you have to realize you may be the only person believing in yourself, but with that comes a hunger that grows and spreads to the people around you. Luckily, I did have some friends who were super supportive, but my partner at the time wasn’t a fan of the idea, and it was one of the many things that led to the demise of our marriage. This was the moment I decided to move to Austin. I took $200 from my last acting gig, opened my own bank account, moved to Austin, and just hoped it would work out. Luckily, it has. Another bump in the road was trying to figure out how to balance motherhood with my career. Moving here introduced me to amazing people, and one of them is my current partner. We welcomed our little boy in August 2018, and he’s been such a joy and taught me so much about life, but with that came an ugly bout of postpartum depression. I was struggling to figure out how to be the best mother, be satisfied with how my body had changed, and still find time to follow my dreams. The first year was tough because it’s a whole new journey, with not much sleep. And I like my sleep! I was fortunate enough to have very understanding agents, and my first role, “back” that I booked, was playing a mother in Allergies by Ali Alkhafaji. This was the one audition I couldn’t find a babysitter for, so I walked in with my son (who was about nine months old at the time) in his carrier and asked if he could be there with me while I auditioned. Luckily, he was pretty content, and the audition went well. Along the journey of making this film, I also met the wonderful Sheilava who has become my film partner-in-crime. We’ve made two films together since one of them has gone on to win quite a few awards and are currently working on a third. I’m forever grateful that life led me down this path, or I would have never met all of these stellar people. The most important lesson I’ve learned with any struggles I’ve encountered is to remember that you can’t have good days without experiencing bad ones, and sometimes you have to ride the waves.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Acting is and will always be my first love, although sometimes I dabble on the other side of the lens. I’ve written and directed three films of my own. Each one has taught me something different that I always bring back to my acting, and each time I learn more and more about the film industry. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop wanting to learn more, and that will keep the fire burning within me forever. Call it the Sagittarius in me, but I’m always looking for the next adventure, and every film is a new one to enjoy. Writing is a huge passion of mine, and I love the idea of world-building. I love to get into the tiny details of how this world I’m creating works. Every script I write usually has easter eggs hidden in them. For instance, when I was working on Fate with Kristin Cochell, the story intertwines the world of vampires and Fates from Greek mythology, but a TON of Greek mythology is hidden in so many places, names, and details of the film.
We planned to make it into a series, but I think we may revisit it as a feature film at some point. I’ve already written the outline, so I would love to make the full film in the future. As for my more recent films, Positive and Dawn, these were both born out of more personal experiences but trying to ground them in a universal view. Recently, I’ve been putting my focus back on acting. I just completed a course at Stella Adler and it was phenomenal. There’s something so refreshing about going back to the basics and redeveloping the foundation of your technique. I get to cast a lot as the girl-next-door type, so I’m trying to challenge myself in different roles. It’s so much fun to create fleshed-out, well-developed characters. You have to keep it fun!
What’s next?
I’ve been asked to direct a really emotional and vulnerable short film here in the next month, but other than that I’m keeping acting as my top priority. I do have the itch to make another film of my own. I have two films going through the festival circuit currently, so that might be later next year. I’d love to make something in the fantasy genre again. Are vampires cool again yet? I plan to take a more advanced course through Stella Adler in the Spring. I know going through this pandemic has really slowed down our industry, but I feel incredibly grateful that I’m able to take classes online at such a prestigious academy when I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to so easily. My next focus is to hopefully do more television and feature film roles. The indie short film scene is booming here, and I’d love it if Texas could get on board with better incentives like New Mexico, Georgia and Louisiana. I always planned to move to LA after Austin; we’ll see if that happens in the future. I’m just happy to bring alive characters that are exciting, inspiring, and meaningful to not only the writers but for everyone who watches them. I did get some good news back about a really exciting role, but you know the drill: can’t talk about it until everything is finalized.
Contact Info:
- Website: laurenlox.com
- Instagram: @laurenroselox
- Facebook: facebook.com/laurenloxofficial
- Twitter: @laurenroselox
Image Credits
Main picture & Headshots: Photos by Kristine Canterbury
“Dawn” BTS Images: Photos by Christopher De La Rosa and Sarah Michelle Wright
Waterfall Shot: Photo by Alex Leybovich
