Pop Culturalist Chats with Hana Mae Lee

Hana Mae Lee is a lot of things—actress, model, and fashion designer, to name a few—but you probably know her from the smash hit Pitch Perfect (and their sequels). Needless to say, she is no stranger to singing and dancing on screen. That experience comes in handy for one of her newest projects: a musical web-series called Haunters.

Haunters, featuring 14 original songs, is a comedy about what happens to jerks when they die; they have to haunt the jerks still living. Hana Mae Lee shared with us a little bit about her involvement with the project, her character Anna, and who she’d haunt if she had to.

PC: What drew you to Haunters?
Hana Mae Lee: [Co-writer and director of the show] J. Adam Brown!

PC: Can you describe your character in five words?
Hana Mae Lee: Flashy, dashing, punchy, fierce, living.

PC: You’ve done a fair amount of comic roles in projects that also include musical numbers. What is your favorite part of a project like that? What is the biggest challenge?
Hana Mae Lee: Comedy is great when you have funny, giving actors. [It’s] not so fun when everyone is trying to one-up each other.

PC: If you personally had to haunt a jerk in real life, what type of jerk would you haunt?
Hana Mae Lee: The manipulative jerks that act like they’re doing you a favor, but, in reality, they are just taking and stealing from you; [they’re] making you do something you don’t want to do. Those jerks.

Hana Mae Lee in Haunters. Photo Credit: Brendan Adam-Zwelling

PC: Aside from acting, you have done a whole lot of other things (dancing, fashion design to name a few). Is there anything you haven’t done that you would still like to do?
Hana Mae Lee: Produce films, TV shows, and have my own beauty line. Other than that, I’m still contemplating on what else I’d like to do with my time.

POPCULTURALIST SPEED ROUND

Guilty Pleasure TV Show
Ink Master with Dave Navarro

Favorite Movie
Good Time by the Safdie Brothers

Favorite Book
In Harm’s Way by David Lafaille

Artist/Musician/Band You Could Have on Repeat
Michael Dorman for the Patriot soundtrack

Favorite Place You’ve Been
Prague and New Orleans

Place You Most Want to Go
Italy

Make sure to follow Hana Mae Lee on Twitter and Instagram! Check out the rest of the episodes for Haunters here.

Photo Credit: Stephen C. Whitehead