British Actress Liane Grant’s Work Celebrates Diversity and Reflects Strength in Versatility

December 17, 2019 P. L. McGroarty Leave a comment

British actress Liane Grant is a prime example of the direction the acting profession is taking in the 21st century, working effortlessly between stage and screen, taking on commercially-relevant and socially-aware roles, switching between countries, accents, eras and even genders.

Having firmly resolved to become an actress at the young age of 13, Grant’s subsequent 15-year career has seen her portraying a plethora of diverse characters such as an American police officer, the fictional British madam Mrs. Warren and even the Roman emperor, Julius Caesar.

“I’ve always prided myself on being versatile,” said Grant, reflecting on her more than 30 global credits as a thespian. “I’ve performed in classical, contemporary, all types of comedies, and drama… I’ve done theater, commercials, films… I’ve played young, old, beautiful, ugly, men, women, and I’ve used multiple accents along the way.”

Born in Gibraltar off Spain’s coast to British parents, Grant studied acting in the UK and USA, and has starred in several award-winning productions on both sides of the Atlantic such as the dystopian play “Half Me, Half You,” which ran in New York, as well as the UK, and the hit feature film “Gypo” in the UK.

Grant, a British Caucasian actress with blue eyes and blonde hair, wrote and played the starring role of Meredith in “Half Me, Half You” opposite African-American actress Jennifer Fouche, who played the role of Jess, an award-winning production that allowed Grant to not only showcase her acting range, but her writing prowess as well.

Both actresses received awards at the play’s debut at the Fresh Fruit Festival in New York in July 2018 with Grant scooping up the Outstanding Playwright Award and Fouche, who previously starred in the popular American TV series “Quantico” and “Jessica Jones,” taking home the Outstanding Featured Performer Award.

“Meredith’s complex and messy, funny and cutting, loving and cold, fierce and weak… she and I differ on a fundamental level on some of the deepest things,” said Grant. “As an actor, we crave parts that allow us to show versatility.”

Whilst her starring credits tend to focus more on the theater, Grant first came into her own as an actor with her role in the 2005 British feature film “Gypo” directed by the award-winning female British filmmaker Jann Dunn. With “Gypo” taking home the British Independent Film Award for Best Achievement in Production, as well as numerous other awards and nominations, the project, in which Grant portrayed a key role as a ruthless bully, proved to be a strong acting debut for her.

As an actress who craves versatility, the role offered unique challenges on multiple levels, especially considering her own personal experience with bullying.

“At school I was a very good student and did really well, but I was bullied mercilessly for most of my school years, so I spent a lot of my time feeling quite lonely,” said Grant, who did her formal education in the UK.

“When I was finally able to study theatre in secondary school I found an amazing theatre teacher, and being an actor himself, he really encouraged my choice of acting as a career… this certainly made all the difference, given several other teachers had laughed in my face.”

In a way, that subtle push from one of her coaches early on, was a gift that solidified the fact that Grant was on the right path; any viewer who has seen her perform since will be grateful that Grant received that early encouragement as she’s one actress we can’t help but take our eyes off every time she hits the stage or screen.

In her stage career, Grant has built up many credits in plays with all-female ensembles and productions, from playing the title role in William Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar” to “Taken in Marriage” and “Half Me, Half You.”

“Half Me, Half You director Leah Fogo explains, “Liane has a unique ability to empathize with vastly different people which makes her a great asset to any project… she has raw talent but has learned many skills to harness it and bring it to the next level. She is very dedicated in the search for her character.”

Working with an all-female cast and majority female crew, Grant not only wrote and starred in “Half Me, Half You,” but she produced the acclaimed production through her production company, RoL’n Productions, which she founded several years ago in an aim to provide opportunities to females in the performing arts.

“There is a very special energy in the room when a group of women come together to create something, and this unspoken but deep understanding of the additional hurdles we’ve all had to climb to get there,” said Grant.

“I suppose, especially in the current climate of female empowerment, the connection we have as females from all walks of life, coming together and lifting each other up, sharing our gifts with each other, is really quite special.”

From the classic plays of William Shakespeare and George Bernard Shaw to those she’s written herself, acting is Grant’s life’s work and passion, and it’s one that she is clearly dedicated to for the long-term with her performing prowess leading her to follow in the footsteps of British acting luminaries like Dame Judi Dench and Dame Emma Thompson.

Emergency LA — Poster for the series “Emergency: LA”

“Acting is not a solo support, it is without question a team effort, and the better the team, the better your performance, and the end product as a whole,” said Grant, who’s next role will be in the US TV series “Emergency: LA,” which will begin shooting next year.

“The range of parts I’ve been fortunate enough to play has been enormously helpful, because it has made me capable of accessing whatever part of my skill set I need to, to play any type of character that might come my way.”

Actress, Film, Television, Uncategorized

Charismatic Actress Scherrikar Bell Goes Viral

December 9, 2019 Lorraine Wilder Leave a comment

BELL-1

British actress Scherrikar Bell’s combination of natural talent, technical skill and intuitive gift for manifesting an emotional reality qualifies her as an extraordinary force. From her 2011 start on stage in London’s West End to her extensive film and television work (credits include roles on BBC’s “EastEnders,” “Famalam,” “Doctors”), Bell unfailingly radiates an engaging quality that profoundly enhances every portrayal.

Her memorable performance as a professional assassin in masked British rapper SL’s “FWA-Boss” music video is a prime example of the inescapable Bell charisma.

With over 100 million streams of his music to date, the enigmatic, teenaged SL is one of UK hip hop’s most important and fastest rising artists, and landing her role in the video (SL’s first single of 2019) was a plum assignment for Bell.

Helmed by the award winning director Myles Whittingham, the deeply cinematic film short showcases the masked rapper’s downbeat, almost nonchalant UK drill sound—a smooth, minimalist mid-tempo style—and Bell’s lead character anchors the video from it’s opening through to its final shot.

As SL’s low key rhymes roll above the track’s glimmering, almost meditative beats, we see Bell donning a nun’s habit, then cut away to an exterior where the Mother Superior calmly approaches an automobile, produces a wicked looking automatic handgun and shoots the vehicle’s occupant at point blank range.

BELL-NUN-GUN

It’s downright startling moment—made all the more so by Bell’s serene demeanor and measured pace—and she draws the viewer in close as we witness a series of similarly deadly encounters.

A subsequent sequence find her clad head to toe in black leather (an updated Emma Peel comes delightfully to mind) and wielding a high powered sniper’s rifle which she uses to coolly dispatch a trio of obvious ne’er do wells before breaking into a lethal Mona Lisa smile and slowly sauntering over to retrieve chrome-plated brief case from one of her victims.

The unforgettable instant when she cracks that malevolent grin is so subtly evil and cold-blooded that it qualifies as an absolutely masterly piece of acting, one that Bell makes look so easy but is, in truth, an example of deep stagecraft.

It’s the ideal set up for the next murderous tableau, a scene straight out of Hitchcock—Bell strolls wordlessly up to an approaching woman, suddenly produces a nasty looking shank from within her sleeve to adroitly deliver a swift shocking stab, another deadly encounter stunning in its almost mechanical precision.

Bell’s comprehensive involvement with the role allows her to inhabit this icy-hearted murderer so convincingly that it made the video a fan favorite, with almost 4.5 million views since its March 2019 release. Intriguingly, the video ends with her appearing in SL’s living room then fades to black with a lingering “To be continued” screen title and an open-ended question as to what she was doing there—reporting to her employer or preparing to dispatch him?

The mood and mystery of the video inspired multiple fan-made reaction videos and cemented SL’s reputation as one of the UK’s fastest rising stars, and there’s no question that Bell (currently featured on the BBC “Teach The Victorians”) and her blood curdling contributions to the video played a significant part in making it such a sensational, feverishly viral internet and commercial success.

Producer, Television

Britain’s Ron Carroll on passion for television and advice for newcomers

December 2, 2019 Lorraine Wilder Leave a comment

It seems Britain’s Ron Carroll has always known what he was destined to do in life. As a child in Liverpool, he used to play newsrooms in his bedroom, obsessed with typewriters and tape recorders. Even at that young age, the idea of being a journalist and creating compelling stories for the world excited him. When he finished university, he never felt lost the way so many do, wondering what their next move was. He knew he was going to be a writer, and quickly got his first job working for a newspaper.

Now, as a showrunner and development producer, Ron’s passion for detailed and accurate storytelling is seen on a grand scale. He traded in a pen and notebook for scripts and sets and has never looked back. Once his career in print journalism had taken off, he began wondering what else he could sink his teeth into. Television became the obvious next step.

The transition started when Ron was working as a senior producer on US talk shows. He went back to work in Britain for a while and got a really interesting opportunity, which came to him the moment he stepped off the plane. Sky TV, one of the UK’s largest networks, was launching a new daytime television show. It was live with phone-ins. They asked Ron to develop the format for the show and produce it, and that really put him on the career path he is on today, an industry leader in his country, developing new formats and launching new TV and Digital projects.

“It may not be everyone’s dream job, but it was one of mine. I loved producing talk shows. I still do, if I get the opportunity. Nothing is better than writing a funny line for the host or having a guest share a story and getting an immediate reaction from a live audience,” said Ron. “I get to meet all kinds of people. I have interviewed A-list celebrities, got to produce shows that make life-changing dreams come true for people, and in some small ways made a difference.”

Audiences all around the world have enjoyed Ron’s shows, whether binge-watching Blown Away on Netflix or waiting each week for the newest episode of Canada’s Next Top Model or Game of Homes. Ron knows how to tell a good story, and his roots in journalism only fuel his passion for reality television.

“When I am developing a new show, whether it’s my own idea or it belongs to a production company that hires me to help bring it to life, I am very guttural about it. Over-thinking can be the curse of death. I have witnessed great show ideas get grinded to a pulp because producers over-think. I always say know what you like and make the shows you love. I like to produce shows that have heart, humor and hope. Shows that genuinely make a difference to people’s lives, which is why producing Undercover Boss was so rewarding. At the end of the day, I am a viewer first and a producer second,” he said.

Ron has developed a “3-H formula” based on his success: Heart, Humor and Hope. These characteristics are always at the forefront of whatever he produces. When he looks back on his career, he has had many highlights, but it is making a real difference through his work that fuels him.

“I was the lead story producer on an ITV show that aired live across Britain on Christmas Day, and I had people in tears on both sides of the camera because of surprise reunions, uniting families across the globe. Well-crafted shows should connect with viewers in real and tangible ways,” he said.

So what’s next for this industry titan? Ron has several new shows that are at various stages of development, including the community-uniting format “The Tree” that he is very excited about. He also has several other shows in the works, in conjunction with collaborators, which include an exciting new design competition format, a reno series, and a fun food competition show. In addition, he has a strong and growing reputation as a content consultant. He is in increasing demand, working with production companies in the US, Canada and the UK, helping trouble-shoot their shows and help devise formats, pilots and presentations for both TV and Digital platforms. For those looking to follow in his footsteps, he offers some wise words:

“It worries me that so many people seem to leave media courses and not know how to apply for a job. That’s a problem and they are being disserviced by colleges and universities. Know what you want and network. That’s code for pick up the phone and write emails to heads of departments. CC-in Human Resources if they have them but don’t rely on HR. Reach out and ask for meetings directly with frontline creatives. You have to be bold and tenacious. It’s a tough business and breaking into it is more competitive than ever. Some people will love you and some people won’t, because they don’t get you. There will be times when doors won’t open and you’ll get career-blocked. But, generally, if you don’t have too big an ego and you are willing to listen and learn and work hard, you will be welcomed with open arms, across all departments. And when you finally get to break into the industry, don’t work for free or at a reduced rate. Know your worth. Every time someone works for free or at a reduced rate, they devalue the industry they want to be part of,” he advised.