Exclusive Interview: Leah Pipes on Living Her Characters’ Stories, the Creative Journey, and the Impact of ‘The Originals’

Leah Pipes is an award-winning actress renowned for her extraordinary ability to fully inhabit her roles, breathing life into each character with a rare blend of authenticity and nuance. Her impressive career spans an array of genres and platforms, with standout performances in projects like The Originals, where she brought depth and vulnerability to Cami O’Connell, and Sorority Row, a cult-favorite thriller that showcased her versatility. From her early work in Angel to her heartfelt turn in Her Best Move, Leah continues to captivate audiences with her dedication to storytelling and her knack for creating unforgettable on-screen moments.

We recently caught up with Leah Pipes to dive into her creative process, her approach to fully living in the experiences of the characters she plays, and the delicate balance between meticulous preparation and responding intuitively to her scene partners. She also reflected on her incredible tenure on The Originals and the lasting impact of bringing Cami O’Connell to life.

PC: You got your start in this industry by auditioning for a talent agency and didn’t expect much to come from it. What was it about that first on-set experience that sparked your passion and made you realize this was the path for you?
Leah: I was twelve years old, and I showed up to set. I didn’t have to go to school, so it felt like a field trip. They let me eat as many donuts as I possibly could. [laughs] I was like, “Are you kidding me? This is amazing.” I got to play dress-up. One of the first things I worked on was Angel. I had an eye on the back of my head—they fitted me for it. I was on set with all these fancy actors, and they were doing my hair and makeup. I thought, “This is the job for me.” I loved it. That led to a commercial deal and a promo for Warner Brothers where I interacted with cartoon characters against a green screen. Each experience was so unique and different. It was so much fun that I felt like I was getting away with something, like this couldn’t be a real job. Honestly, I still feel that way today.

PC: That’s incredible to hear, especially with the diverse career you’ve had that you still bring that childlike wonder from when you started. Throughout your journey, there’s been so much versatility in the work you’ve done. Is it more or less challenging when you’re playing someone similar to yourself, and why?
Leah: That depends. It’s more fun to play characters who are different from me—unless they’re smarter than me. [laughs] Learning all of that legal jargon is difficult. When I have an audition to play a doctor or someone with a heightened level of intelligence, I’m like, “I’ve got to learn the words. This is hard.” Playing characters that are a bit meaner is very freeing.

That said, playing characters close to home has its own merits because there’s something grounded in the experience of portraying them. Beyond the characters being diverse, the genre and tone usually are too. An over-the-top horror movie is very different from a grounded, slice-of-life drama. There’s no denying that the over-the-top horror movie is more fun, but the slice-of-life drama is more enriching and challenging in its own way.

PC: I loved hearing about your creative process, where it’s about preparation but also being open to discoveries in the moment. Has there been a time in your career when that approach led to an unexpected breakthrough or pivotal moment in your work?
Leah: The more prepared you are—knowing the lines backward and forward—the more you can let go in the moment and allow something new to happen. It lets you fully immerse yourself in the experience of the character. The more preparation and understanding you have of the character’s psyche—not just what they’re saying, but why they’re saying it and the layers behind it—the more freedom you have to let it all unfold naturally. Oftentimes, you discover something new with each take, and that’s a lot of fun.

PC: The Originals was such a pivotal moment in your career. That fanbase has continued to support you long after the show. When you look back at that experience, what do you remember most? When you signed on, did you ever imagine it would have the lasting impact that it’s had?
Leah: I had no idea what I was signing up for. I got lucky in that way. Pilot season looks very different now, but back then, you’d try to book a pilot, and whatever you landed, that’s what you worked on. I got lucky with this one. I knew of The Vampire Diaries, but I hadn’t watched it.

Once I became part of that world, I immediately noticed the fans’ passion. They’d be waiting outside after filming, wanting to take pictures with us. That’s when I started to understand how dedicated the fandom was.

The fact that the support has not only lasted but grown over the years is incredibly heartwarming. It makes the work we did on that show feel meaningful. It’s a reminder that we created something that resonated with people, and that’s not lost on me. It’s truly touching.

PC: You took audiences on such an emotional journey through your tenure on that show, especially toward the end. As an actress, how did you create the space to tackle the vulnerability needed, especially in a medium where you’re getting episodes one by one and don’t know what the future holds for your character?
Leah: I trusted the writers. You don’t really have a say in what’s going to happen to the character, but you have to put complete faith in the writers, their process, and the story they’re crafting for your character. You get snippets and tidbits of where it’s going, so you don’t veer too far in one direction. They hinted that this would just be the tip of the iceberg for her and that it was only going to get worse and worse. [laughs]

You also start to anticipate what they’re going to do. When everything is fine and it looks like two people might fall in love and possibly live happily ever after, you just know you’re about to die on these shows. [laughs] The writers really know how to make their audiences cry. You can feel that setup coming.

PC: What’s so exciting about television as a medium is that as the seasons progress, the writers get to know their ensemble and can write with them in mind. Having played this character for so many seasons, was there an aspect of her that you brought to the role that wasn’t on the page? How did your collaboration with the writers’ room evolve over that tenure?
Leah: That’s an interesting question. I think that’s probably more for the writers to answer. I don’t know to what extent they pulled from me personally. Cami really took on a life of her own. She would have been a completely different character with a different actor playing her.

It’s hard to say because you can’t have that level of awareness—like, who would Cami have been if someone else had played her? She definitely got a little sassier as the seasons went on, so I don’t know what that says. [laughs]

PC: This industry has changed so much. Artists and storytellers like yourself often create in silos, but with social media and fan conventions, you get to see the impact of your work firsthand. How did being a part of The Originals and living with this character for such an extended period shape the way you approach future projects and roles?
Leah: I feel so grateful to have had the experience of living with and getting to know a character and this world for so many years. We created a family on that set—with the writers’ room, producers, and crew. Moving forward, I’m grateful for every role and project I get to be part of, but there’s a craving for that familial feeling again and having those long-term relationships.

I know that’s very rare in this industry, but it’s something I’m always chasing. Having that closeness and continuity is so special, and it really shapes how I view what I want to do next.

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