PicoBlog

Welcome to Renegades, a series spotlighting Asian Pacific leaders and creatives who are carving their own paths and defying stereotypes along the way. 

This week, we sat down with rising actress Lisa Yamada. Best known for her work on Cruel Summer and All American, Lisa talks about her experience working on diverse projects, received wisdom throughout her career, and her love for the Twilight Saga. Be on the lookout for her latest project, I Wish You All The Best, based on the novel by Mason Deaver, which premiered at this year’s SXSW. And catch her on The Bold and The Beautiful, weekdays at 1:30pm ET on CBS. 

Your upcoming film I Wish You All The Best presents a new opportunity for you to explore a different narrative and character dynamic. What excites you the most about this project, and how does it differ from your previous work?

I'm so excited for the world to see I Wish You All The Best! This film does a beautiful and thoughtful job of shedding light on LGBTQ+ youth. What excites me the most is being part of a vessel that gives representation to people struggling with their sexuality or identity and potentially saves their lives. Acting in a movie and fulfilling my creativity is fun, but having a role in something that can truly impact an audience is the biggest honor an actor can have. I feel extremely lucky to be included in this film. 

I've worked on lots of different sets but the set environment that Tommy Dorfman (Director, Writer, Producer) created is one that I don't see often. With her being an actress as well, she understood how actors operate and gave us a TON of creative freedom. I got to bring a lot of my own quirks and personality to my character and Tommy encouraged us to do so. This film differs from my previous work because I received the creative liberty that is usually rare on sets.

As an actor, you've worked in television and film. Currently, you are playing the role of 'Luna' on The Bold and The Beautiful. What is it like working on a soap opera? How does it differ? What have you learned?

Being on The Bold and The Beautiful has been the experience of a lifetime. Working on a soap opera is like being in the best acting boot camp. I memorize and film 20-30 pages of dialogue each day. Everything is so fast-paced — we shoot 8-10 episodes PER WEEK! For context, most primetime TV shows usually shoot 8-10 episodes in 4-6 months. I can confidently say that my acting skills have upgraded astronomically thanks to all the hours and intricate storylines that The Bold and The Beautiful has given me. I've been working on this show for the past 8 months and I truly believe that soap actors do not get enough recognition. It's been such a privilege to get the chance to perfect my craft alongside some of the most talented, hard-working people in this industry.

Given your experiences in previous roles, such as All American and Little Fires Everywhere, what aspects of your past characters do you find most resonate with Parker's journey in Cruel Summer?

In Little Fires Everywhere, I played Serena Wong, a typical small-town popular girl. Similarly in Cruel Summer, I played Parker Tanaka, who paralleled some of Serena's characteristics. She's also a small-town popular girl but with a bit more edge than Serena. Playing Serena in the past helped me tap into portraying Parker and gave me a good starting point for her journey. With Parker being a series regular role, I got to spend more time with her and see her grow from the drama that she experiences throughout the season.

With a diverse range of projects in your filmography, from television series to feature films, how do you prioritize and select projects that align with your artistic vision? What would your dream project look like?

The coolest feeling an actor can have is to be in a project that you would watch and be a fan of as a viewer. But with that being said, I'm a cinephile to the core and love all different types of genres so I'm always over the moon with whatever projects I'm blessed to be a part of! I truly feel the most euphoric when I'm acting so there isn't any role or project that I wouldn't want to do at this point in my life. 

My dream project is anything that will fulfill my inner fangirl. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm insufferable when it comes to the Twilight Saga. I grew up obsessed with the films and it's basically my entire personality. I would die to be a part of anything remotely related to Twilight. I'm also the biggest fan of Tim Burton and Quentin Tarantino. It would be the honor of a lifetime to be directed by one of them. Another dream of mine is to be part of the Saw franchise. I would love to face a gruesome death in a trap set up by Jigsaw. Questionable, I know.

What is a piece of advice shared to you by a friend, mentor, or coworker that has made a positive impact on your life so far?

In this industry, so many things are out of your control and it can make you feel helpless at times, but a quote that has made a positive impact on my life is:

“What's meant for you will never pass you by".

It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the what-ifs of this career path, but knowing that you're right where you're supposed to be brings me some comfort. 

What aspect of working alongside veteran actors such as Alexandra Daddario, and Cole Sprouse surprised you? Can you share a special moment you experienced with a costar on set?

All of the successful actors that I've worked with have one thing in common — kindness. You would assume that an A-list actor might be "stuck up" or a "diva" but I've been extremely lucky to have worked alongside the most generous, warm people. It really surprised me how much these veteran actors went out of their way to be kind to not only the cast but also to the crew. We're in a cutthroat industry with so much competition but kindness is the thing that gets you far in the long run.

A special moment I experienced on set was when I got to talk about Friends with Matt Leblanc while filming Man With A Plan. He shared some stories about his Friends days and that was very special to me because I've watched every episode of Friends countless times. He's a great example of a successful actor that goes out of their way to be kind. 

I've been blessed with the best costars in every project that I've been in. Some of my best friends are my co-stars from previous projects. The friendships you make while filming are by far the most special thing to me. Working on set can sometimes be grueling with long hours and extreme temperatures but having good people around you makes everything worthwhile.

Morning Routine: NYT Games!!! I love Wordle, Connections, and Minis. My day can't start until I've completed all of them.

Rom Com or Thriller: THRILLER!!!

Go-to karaoke song: "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen or anything Adele

Childhood Dream Job: Flight Attendant

Hidden Talent: I can recite all the dialogue of every movie from the Twilight Saga. Not much of a shocker.

Favorite Movie Snack: I'm not much of a snacker but I always need a HUGE cup of cherry Dr. Pepper.

Signature Dance Move: Any variation of the Dougie or white girl dancing.

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