Pop-Culturalist.com

Actress-producer extraordinaire Leanne Noelle Smith is creating magic in front of and behind the screen. Her latest project, FAK YAASS, finds all of her talents on full display. Based on creator Vasilios Filippakis’ personal experience, FAK YAASS tells the story of Nico Nicolakis’s big Greek family and their journey of accepting Nico regardless of his sexuality. Pop Culturalist caught up with Leanne to chat about her career and FAK YAASS.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Leanne: It may sound a bit cliché, but I had a passion for the performing arts ever since I was five years old. I started in RAD Ballet and began branching off into other dance styles throughout my childhood. By age sixteen, I started getting into modeling and exploring acting. Once I found my way into the film industry after university, my heart was set on becoming a filmmaker and collaborating as much as possible.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Leanne: It would be impossible for me to narrow it down to just one thing or person. I really believe that it has been a compilation of people and events that have happened in my life to bring me here, whether it was supportive friends, family pushing my ambition, coaches helping hone my on-camera performances, being inspired by other actors’ work, or the communities I’ve been blessed to be a part of. All these have worked together to influence where I want to continue growing as an artist. As you can see from the list above, they all come from being supported, loved, and inspired.

PC: How has your work behind the scenes made you a stronger actress and vice versa?
Leanne: Working in front and behind the camera was the best decision I could have made. As an actress, learning the ropes behind the camera gives you a whole new perspective. I now have a much better understanding and appreciation for every role it takes to make the magic happen on screen.

I also now feel a lot more relaxed when in front of the camera because I understand what’s happening behind the scenes. By working alongside so many other roles you get to learn little secrets in how a performance can help make everyone’s job easier on set and after filming. With FAK YAASS, I was blessed enough to see every aspect of production, from development to pre-production, casting, being on set, post, and then even filing for tax credits. The whole process was a huge learning curve that was sometimes incredibly challenging, but definitely worth it.

PC: Tell us about FAK YAASS, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Leanne: I always like to tell people that FAK YAASS is kind of like if My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Queer as Folk had a baby and the mistress was Girls. The reactions are amazing. In all seriousness though, FAK YAASS is also a heartfelt story that really connects to a lot of people. No matter your gender, race, background, or beliefs the story of love and acceptance is universal and relatable on a number of levels. Toss in the comedy aspect and everyone finds themselves laughing and crying at the same time.

The character I played, Torri, was a lot of fun. Having come from a smaller city, I really felt like I was going back to my roots with this role. She’s quirky, fun, and a little naïve all while having her own underlying problems. On the surface, she brings a supportive role to the lead, Nico, played by Vasilios Filippakis, and represents that confidant that many of us had growing up. On a deeper level, her character represents that first person someone comes out to. I know quite a few people who have been this for someone, myself included, when perhaps their family or other friends didn’t accept them. I felt incredibly honored that it was my job to embody this and represent all the support that Vasilios personally had from his girlfriends growing up.

I was drawn to this project because when Vasilios approached me about it, we had already known each other from smaller projects. We were tired of waiting for someone else to offer us the right opportunity and decided to create it on our own. After that, the rest was history. Bulldog Productions brought on an amazing crew and our main team, Vasilios Filippakis (Creator), Anthony Filangeri (Writer), Matthew McLaughlin (Director), and I (Actress/Producer), all banded together to get it done no matter what. The beautiful thing about it was the amount of support we received because everyone really believed in the story, not just having a big name attached.

PC: Who were the people who supported you during your journey as an artist and as a person?
Leanne: Wow, that’s a tough one with a lot of amazing people behind it. As a person, first and foremost, my dad has to be one of my biggest heroes. He supported me all the time even if it meant being hard on me to give me a thick skin. He probably recognized, as most parents do, that their kids will have to go through hardships eventually, and I didn’t exactly pick the easiest career. His nickname in the family is Superman and there are many reasons for that.

On top of that, I’ve had some really inspirational women surround me since my siblings and I didn’t have much of a mother figure, from my dance teachers to best friends’ moms stepping up, and my childhood friendships I’ve been able to keep. Once I moved to Toronto, I made some amazing friends that are a part of the LGBTQ+ community that really lifted me up. I will always support my friends in that community because they supported me when I needed it most.

As an artist, all of my coaches—right from my early days at Saskatoon School of Dance up until now in Toronto. I have to thank women like Rae Ellen Bodie, who touched my heart while she was at Proactors Lab; Sophie Ann Rooney at RAW Studios, who helped me find my artist’s voice; and Suzanne Bastien at The Creative Space, who gave me confidence in front of a camera. I hope to meet many more inspiring people in my career as an actress, working on projects where we can support each other.

PC: Besides FAK YAASS, do you have any other upcoming projects you can chat about at this time?
Leanne: Always! In this business if you want to keep moving you have to keep creating. Even though life has come to a halt with COVID-19, now is the time to develop. So, besides trying to keep a healthy active lifestyle up, I’m buckling down to create, learn, and develop. There are some projects—sorry lips are sealed—underway with Bulldog Productions. I can tell you, though, that it may include more content supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

I was a part of another series called The Influencers, which will be released soon on another digital platform. I’ve seen the teaser and it’s absolutely hilarious. I am also helping with post-production for the launch of nine short films that were shot in nine days with the Counterbalance Collective I am a part of in Toronto. I was able to make my directorial debut with one of the shorts and will be looking into submitting that to film festivals once things are up and running again.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Leanne: So hard to choose! Well, I’ve definitely binged The Witcher and Peaky Blinders recently.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Leanne: I LOVE anything by Baz Luhrmann: Moulin Rouge, The Great Gatsby, Romeo + Juliet. Also, always down for a good chick flick with friends though: Clueless, Princess Diaries, Legally Blonde, and Mean Girls.

PC: Favorite book?
Leanne: The Alchemist

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Leanne: I’d have to say one of the first plays I tackled when I moved to Toronto was Dolores. After that, Sleep No More was my favorite Broadway experience. For musical, I saw Wicked in London on Broadway years ago I was blown away.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Leanne: Oh goodness. I listen to so many different artists. I’d say the most surprising would be between Enya or the rapper NF since I’m usually a Beyonce, Camilla, or Todrick Hall kind of gal. [laughs]

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Leanne: Tough one. I’d want to ask an actress that is strong, no BS, and a straight shooter since I had a lot of that in my upbringing coming from the Prairies. I would be incredibly honored if I had an actress like Tatiana Maslany tell my story. She’s Canadian, a badass, and did some incredible work in Orphan Black playing multiple characters. Her range is remarkable so I think she could really do a great job.

To keep up with Leanne, follow her on Twitter and Instagram.