Written By: Jayme Face
Brooke Lewis Bellas is well-known for being a “Scream Queen” and her character Ms. Vampy, but we caught up with this East Coast native on her latest projects that show her in a different light!
Photo Credits: Photographer: Birdie Thompson @birds_eye_photo Hair & Makeup: Allison Noelle @allisonnoellemakeup
upfrontNY: Can you tell us about ½ New Year and your character Pam?
Brooke Lewis Bellas: Yes, ½ New Year is a film that I am so proud of! Let me tell you and all your New York readers, Go New York! It’s a film that is so near and dear to my heart because I came up in the industry starting out on off-Broadway and then Indie films. I started out in those little Indie low-budget gems that were hitting Sundance and Tribeca. So, for me to have an opportunity to actually act in a film like that again all these years later was such a gift. It is a film created by Drew McAnany, he’s the writer, lead actor, and one of the producers. He wrote it with Georgia Menides who’s the other writer and producer. They wrote the role of Pam Deluca special for me; that makes it extra special. It has heart. It has purpose. Although it is a Dramedy, it is so sweet. It is about a group of friends. I am playing Pam Deluca the, older sister to Reed, but it’s about a group of friends that could be anywhere. Yes, they are in Los Angeles, but you could take them and put them in Nebraska if you wanted. It’s about how friends are the family we get to choose and that’s the tagline. It makes sense. We grow up, we leave our homes in our twenties and thirties and we are transplanted into a new family. You go through triumphs and tribulations and that’s what this young group of friends does. I play the older sister and it is hilarious. We’re from South Philly originally which is where Drew and I are originally from. It couldn’t have been more perfect. When you have a role that is written for you, that the writers know who you are, they know your quirks. They know your nuances so it was so incredible to have this opportunity. We did years of table reads for this indie gem. Then Georgia financed it and produced it and Tom Morash came in and directed it. Zachary Block produced it and here we are! Pam Deluca is hilarious, but she’s got a lot of heart. She’s got a lot of Brook Lewis Bellas in there, except I would say she is more over the top than I am. In fact, I would say she’s that silly Philly/Jersey/ New York girl that I was back in the day, in high school and college. We all had the big hair, drove the Camaros, that was my jam and that’s Pam Deluca.
upfrontNY: Being that New York/New Jersey/Philly area girl how is it being in the LA world, how are you received?
Brooke Lewis Bellas: That is a great question. It is incredibly challenging. I love that you asked that because I have been here now for many years after making a living being in New York as an actress. I came here and I had a lot of theatre credits, Indie film credits, not enough television credentials to explode on the scene instantaneously. So, it really took me starting over to have to prove myself. For all the New York readers, out there and people really wanting to know about making this transition, (and I have no regrets) but definitely harder because I am such an East Coast type. You hit the nail on the head with that question. I am ethnic. I am shorter. I’m curvy. I’m quirky and sassy. Sometimes in Hollywood they do not know how to receive people like us- more of the sexy and sassy. I pride myself now that I’m older. I understand character work and industry stuff especially from being on the other side as a producer. What I’ve learned is that I’m a sexy, sassy character actress. Sometimes they don’t know what to do with us in Hollywood so we get very pigeonholed in that. “Oh she’s a mobster mob wife.” Which I love to play or you know “She’s that funny hooker chick or My Cousin Vinny Mona type.” Again, all my favorite roles, but I know as a trained actress from New York I’m capable of doing much more.
upfrontNY: You are a producer and an actress. Is there a hat you like wearing more?
Brooke Lewis Bellas: 100 percent. I’m an actress through and through and through and have been since I started doing musical theatre in high school. The reason I started producing and unbeknownst to me, funny enough, I was producing when I was young back in New York in my early twenties. I didn’t know it. I would be cast in Indie films and being who I am, having the personality that I have, being social, being a people person, and having the education that I have; I’m also a great negotiator (I had gotten into law school back in the day) brought me to producing. So, putting all those traits into the mix I didn’t realize I was producing back then. I would work for production companies. I would act in an Indie film and then they would say “I need to cast this role or I need to get this name actor or I need to raise a little money for this.” I would jump in right away and say “Oh my gosh! I party all the time with those Soap Opera stars. I can call them right now and see if we can get a meeting.” That’s how I started producing back then. Then when I moved out to LA and I started over and needed work. I said you know I’m going to start producing. I took producing classes, producing workshops, and really studied. I did my due diligence, as I always do. I always have as an actress as well because I believe in training, educating, knowledge and power. I produced a couple short films 17 years ago. I produced a few short films for friends, learned the ropes and then was able to use that as a stepping stone to produce feature films. I would partner with bigger production companies, primarily in New Jersey and New York. I would go back to New York and I would get hired to produce and star in a film. I would only produce if I could act and typically only if I’d be playing one of the lead roles. That still follows suit to this day. If I am full producing and I am busting my butt for years at a time, you better believe I will be playing one of the leading roles in the film. It is an incredible amount of work, time, effort, energy and tenacity to produce. It is equally as hard as acting. I will be honest I hate it, but I’m good at it. Look, I didn’t come from a famous family in Hollywood so I chose to leverage in any way I could. Gratefully to whatever degree it worked. I am an actress first, but I will produce if I have to.
upfrontNY: You are a life coach and an author, what made you decide to go into that direction?
Brooke Lewis Bellas: I’ll be short about that because that’s actually a little bit in my past now. I’m super laser focused on my acting and producing. Just to share with the readers, how that transpired, funny enough was through being a horror “Scream Queen”. Instead of just going with it, as most people would, I wanted to have a mission and I wanted to help others. I am such a philanthropist at heart. I created this Ms. Vampy character who is a comedic mobster in Brooklyn. Yes, I said it, Brooklyn! For all the Brooklyn readers. I chose then to take this vampire character out of the horror realm and into a coaching mode. I had an award-winning talk show for teen girls, which was then written into a narrative TV series for teen girls with all positive messages. I loved it so much that I took myself back to school, after two college degrees, and became a board-certified life coach. That’s how that transpired. I wrote books. I authored a book as Ms. Vampy for teen girls which is still out. I authored Coaching From a Professed Hot Mess.
upfrontNY: You are a “Scream Queen”, does anything actually scare you?
Brooke Lewis Bellas: You know what’s really funny, I am the worst “Scream Queen” on the planet. My friends and I always laugh because I am so easily scared. I think part of it is when you’re a good actor you’re so in the circumstances; you’re so in the moment. So, for me when I see a rat (Listen, I miss New York, but I don’t miss rats, like those sewer rats) I freak out! I am so much like a diva, “Scream Queen”, if there ever was one. Trust me. No, I am not down. I am scared to death of all of it. So, I get creeped out even now if I walk into my home and its super dark. You know when no one’s home and I’m like “Oh, maybe someone is hiding in the shower.” Too much Psycho, you know.
upfrontNY: You have been in so many things, what is your favorite type of role to play?
Brooke Lewis Bellas: Two-part answer to that. I really have done every genre at this point in my career. I am grateful to the horror fans. They are the greatest ever! I loved having the horror career that I’ve had for ten years straight. I was incredibly honored to have had what I had there. However, my favorite genre to play are the dark, dark roles. I still love the thriller genre, but the dark dramatic roles I love. So, I chose to produce and star in several short films. Two titles that people can check out streaming on Amazon Prime now are Sprinkles directed by Roger A. Scheck and the other would be Psycho Therapy which Staci Layne Wilson directed. I bring those up because what inspired to bust my butt producing those is the opportunity to play those roles. I mean Sprinkles touches on the subject of rape. I don’t want to give too many spoilers, but we’re talking heavy subject matter. Psycho Therapy touches on infidelity to the point of psychosis. Those are such relevant issues for women. I love to tap into that broken, painful, women’s revenge. I would have to say it’s the women’s revenge roles I love. I really do, but also on a fluffier note to play like Ms. Vampy again, the roles I played in Sinatra Club, the comedic mobster hooker you know is my favorite as well. If you said to me that my acting fairy godmother is coming down to me tonight and I could do a role on a series for the next five years I would choose The Sopranos. I would die a happy woman.
upfrontNY: What do you miss about New York now that you’re in LA or what is the first thing you like to do when you are back in New York?
Brooke Lewis Bellas: Absolutely. Three things I miss. I miss Broadway shows to pieces. I am just such an old school musical theatre girl and I miss Broadway. Yes, there are wonderful shows out here, but there’s nothing like going to a Broadway show. I grew up out there. Two the people. I should say the people number one really. I miss my people. I miss going back, the energy, the ways, how warm we are and the hugs. It’s like more European than California. California is a little chill for my personality. That would be number one, the people. Number two the Broadway shows. Number three, the food girl! We went back for a movie premiere of mine a year and half ago and I took my husband. He had never been to Little Italy so I was like “Oh, you have no idea!” I started my career in Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, Off- Broadway in New York. We were rock stars, every Saturday night we’d go down to Little Italy. We’d have scotch, cigars and pig out on the best Italian food ever. I miss it so much. I took my husband to La Mela. My pictures are still on the wall at La Mela. It’s just my favorite ever. My family and I we would go for Sunday dinner. We went there and it happened to be, unbeknownst to me, we stumbled upon it, was the greatest gift ever, that we were there that week was San Gennaro feast. There is nothing like little Italy, New York, San Gennaro festival. It’s just great. So, we pigged out. The food is what I missed.
upfrontNY: Like you mentioned earlier, you are a philanthropist; can you tell us about some of the organizations you are involved with?
Brooke Lewis Bellas: Absolutely. First and foremost, we should shout out to Breaking the Chains Foundation that Debra Hopkins runs. I have now been a part of this for many years now. Breaking the Chains Foundation deals with eating disorders, body shaming, body image issues and healing most importantly. There are several organizations out there with that mission, but this is unique because it deals with issues through art. Whether that be painting, dance (they have a dance trip involved), acting, writing, musicians, you name it. It teaches especially young women, which I am a big proponent of helping young women and a supporter of helping young women cultivate and heal their inner strength. It’s not all about what we look like on the outside. From an actress who is ethnic, short, curvy, who has battled weight issues since childhood, it’s something that I feel so strongly about. We need to know that you can be beautiful inside and out in any way and that you don’t need to suffer. There are organizations and foundations that can help you and support you.
Other organizations that I have been very active over the years is breast cancer charities. I support most breast cancer charities. I was the co-captain for the Busted Foundation—Bowling for Boobies. I was on the horror starlets team with the horror actresses. I did that for eight years and that ended when the foundation closed. I really stand behind the empowerment of women. I’ve lost quite a few friends young to breast cancer so it’s something that I feel so strongly about supporting.
When I was doing Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding I used to get together with the Hard Rock café in NYC. We would help feeding AIDs patients. We would do the food donations and drop off. It’s something that really spoke to me and touched my heart and something I want to do more of. Feeding the homeless with the LA mission is something I typically do. The mission is something that is near and dear to my heart. We have such an incredible homeless problem especially here in LA. It is just tragic. Whatever we could do to help and give back to help feed the homeless is huge and house the homeless as well. I give back as much as I can and I think if the readers get inspired you can do the simplest little thing, a day of volunteering, running organizations, give back because the more we do the more people give back in the masses.
upfrontNY: Is there anything you would like to let our readers know?
Brooke Lewis Bellas: I want to shout out to a couple of my latest projects that I just wrapped. One is my Psycho Therapy director wrote a film with Darren Gordon Smith. Those two are so crazy talented. It is another little fun indie gem. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but it’s The Second Age of Aquarius. It is a comedy with a little bit of a Sci-Fi twist and a lot of music. It’s really sweet and really cute. I’m an executive producer on that and I act in it; I play Tawny Stevens. She’s a young mom, like 40 young mom, and she is stuck in the eighties as an eighties, Jersey, rocker mom. So, for all the Jersey readers out there, yes, go Jersey! Wait until you see my hair, my make-up and my leopard pants. It’s so much fun. I did the Jersey accent. I can’t wait for the film to come out. It’s really clever.
Number two, we just wrapped a TV spec pilot titled Stripped. It is a Comedy/Drama. It is a TV pilot that is written and directed by Marc Clebanoff who also directed The Mourning,which I should shout out as well because it is re-releasing too. It is really a cool Sci-Fi love story. Stripped was a passion project. I was also one of the producers. I was the female lead; her name is Jules. She’s the publicist to the star whose name is Chris Cameron played by Casper Van Dien. It was written with Mark Clebanoff with the late actor Kristoff St. John, the famous actor and Soap Star. He had written this before he passed on which is a sad situation, but Marc wanted to carry the legacy on and he did and we did. It’s just such a great cast. Check it out! It is in post-production right now. We are working diligently and I think good things are in store.
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