Written By: Jayme Face
You’ve spotted Lisa Linke in many of your favorite shows and you will be seeing her in another, ABC’s Bless This Mess! She also stars in Amazon Prime’s Successful People and creates/hosts her own show on Instagram!
Photo Credit: Photographer: Birdie Thompson Hair and Makeup: Anna Milhouse
upfrontNY: Can you tell us about “Successful People” and your character Kimberly Hawkes?
Lisa Linke: Hi there! Thanks for having me! Kimberly is truly the worst person in the world, and I loved playing her. I was a fan favorite in season one, and the writers and creators were kind enough to bring me back for a larger role in season two. We had so much fun – she wore the most ridiculous outfits and was absolutely inappropriate in every way. She’s the most fun to play!
upfrontNY: Can you tell us about your role on “Bless this Mess”?
Lisa Linke: Yes! Clara appeared on the first season earlier this spring as a local townsperson in the local scrapbooking group. She is a quiet talker, which is the opposite of me in real life, but I have a great time shooting and whispering everything I say. Improvising with those amazing actors and getting to hang on set with all of those fun people is truly a delight! Season two is so amazing, I can’t wait for everyone to see it!
upfrontNY: You’ve made appearances on many successful TV shows, do you have a favorite experience or one that sticks out the most?
Lisa Linke: I think being on Bless This Mess is truly the one that is stuck in my mind. I’m with some comedy legends and to be able to play with them is just a gift and a joy. I have to pinch myself to make sure this is real. There is so much laughter throughout the day, it’s so much fun.
upfrontNY:Can you tell us about your web series “Dog Moms” and what inspired you to create it?
Lisa Linke: Oh gosh, I truly hated myself for watching Dance Moms on Lifetime and as punishment, I made myself make a parody with dogs where I would have to dress and act like Abby Lee – so I became Waggy Lee and wore a huge wig and nails, and got to scream at dogs wearing outfits. It was so much fun to shoot, having all those dogs on set and shooting around them was a delight. Everyone was improvising and they are truly talented friends from Chicago and LA. I couldn’t be more grateful that we got to have fun creating that!
upfrontNY: You write, produce, and act; what came first for you and what made you get involved in the other roles?
Lisa Linke: Acting came first – but I’m a leader by nature, so producing is easy and writing fit in along the way. Sketch comedy first, then web series and shorts, and then longer forms (pilots, screenplays, etc.) but it all is basically the same: wanting to tell a good story, no matter what angle or role you’re working on.
upfrontNY: You are heavily involved in the Women’s March, can you tell us more about your involvement?
Lisa Linke: I love the Women’s March! It’s great to see an inclusive organization, and this one is constantly working to become more inclusive, which I love. I got to speak at the Power To The Polls event on the steps of the capitol here in Sacramento before the California Primary, and it was really special. I am very grateful for that experience. Anything they call and ask me to do, I’ll say yes to!
upfrontNY: What are the challenges of taking viewers suggestions for your Instagram live show?
Lisa Linke: There are a few: sometimes people are uncomfortable typing in a suggestion, or they want to think too long about it, or I don’t have any viewers right up top, and I need a suggestion to get started, or someone suggests something dirty to be funny. But I’ve been improvising for about twenty years – it’s hard to phase me when it comes to suggestions. When I have booked a special guest for the show, it’s easier to play with them on the split screen so it’s not so hard to improvise monologues.
upfrontNY: What is the best suggestion a viewer ever gave you?
Lisa Linke: Oh, gosh. I don’t know. Often people get really specific when I’m doing character monologues – they’ll type something like “a waitress who just got dumped and is waiting on someone who looks like her ex” or “a dog mom who finds out her groomer has just shaved her dog incorrectly” and it’s fun to do a monologue that is really in the vein of what that person wanted to see!
upfrontNY: You are also a writing and auditioning coach, what is one piece of advice you see yourself giving clients over and over again?
Lisa Linke: The best piece of advice I got from studying at Lesly Kahn & Co, where I still study – don’t worry about memorizing your lines. Memorizing really gets in the way of your listening.
upfrontNY: Can you tell us about some of your other upcoming projects?
Lisa Linke: Yes! I’ll be on RuPaul’s show on Netflix sometime this year, as well as one of Apple TV’s new shows! I can’t wait for those to air – I feel like I shot those ages ago!
Leave a Reply