SXSW 2025: Why ‘F*ckUps Anonymous’ Is More Than Just a Show—Joe Tierney, Katrina Whalen, Sarah Jeffery & Andrew Michael Fama on Giving a Voice to the Voiceless and the Power of Storytelling

Television has the power to do more than entertain—it can challenge, heal, and transform. Some of the most compelling stories aren’t just imagined; they’re lived. F*ckUps Anonymous is proof of that, turning personal trauma into powerful storytelling. At the heart of this raw and unflinching pilot is writer Joe Tierney, who knows firsthand the weight of the story he’s telling. Drawing from his own experiences, he has crafted a narrative that doesn’t just expose harsh realities but honors those who endured them—some who made it out, and others who never got the chance.

Winner of the SXSW Grand Jury Award – Independent TV Pilot Competition, F*ckUps Anonymous introduces audiences to Joe (Andrew Michael Fama), a rebellious teenager whose defiance pushes his mother to a breaking point. One night, he is forcibly removed from his home and placed in a therapeutic boarding school, a facility that enforces obedience through controversial and often cruel methods. His first day is a brutal awakening, as he watches Lauren (Sarah Jeffery) endure a vicious public dressing down, orchestrated not just by the staff but by the students themselves. As Joe begins to understand why he’s been sent here and the strict rules that now govern his life, he realizes that survival means adapting to a system that believes it’s helping him, even when its methods say otherwise. Under Katrina Whalen’s sharp direction, the pilot balances the brutality of the institution with the dark humor that becomes second nature to those inside it. Andrew fully embodies Joe’s disorientation, defiance, and quiet terror, grounding his performance in raw vulnerability. Sarah delivers a visceral and deeply affecting turn as Lauren, serving as the emotional tether that draws audiences in, making them feel every moment of fear, fury, and fleeting hope.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Joe, Katrina, Andrew, and Sarah about the journey behind F*ckUps Anonymous and the responsibility of telling this story with honesty. What began as a way to process trauma evolved into an unfiltered narrative that demanded complete vulnerability from everyone involved. From the writing to the performances, every element was shaped by lived experience, deep research, and an unwavering commitment to truth. The result is a pilot that doesn’t just tell a story—it immerses audiences in it, capturing quiet resilience, dark humor, and the unspoken weight of those who have lived through it. F*ckUps Anonymous is not just something to watch—it’s something that stays with you.

PC: Joe, filmmaking has the power to heal and give a voice to the voiceless, which was a major inspiration for this project. Your journey with this script evolved—from leaning into comedy to realizing it wasn’t just your story, but one shared by many students with similar experiences. How did those perspectives shape the writing process, and how has this series helped in your path to healing?
Joe: Everything you just said is completely spot on. From the moment I left that school over twelve years ago, I knew I was going to tell this story one day. At first, I tried to mask the truth by leaning into comedy, turning it into a story about this place where crazy things happened. But as it evolved, I couldn’t escape the reality of how traumatic that experience really was for me. I told the cast and crew from the start that I was going to be completely vulnerable throughout the process because I believe so deeply in the power of storytelling.

And like you said, it became clear that this wasn’t just my story. When we were filming the pilot, I watched Sarah perform a scene, and it made me so uncomfortable—I still get chills thinking about it. I always joke with Katrina that she was so brilliant, it felt too real. I kept wanting to yell, “Cut! Please cut!” But that moment reminded me that this isn’t just about me; it’s about so many other students who lived through similar experiences.

From the very beginning, I committed to being an open book. I told everyone, “Let’s talk about it—nothing is off-limits.” Because I truly believe that seeing yourself reflected on screen is powerful. And more than anything, this project is for the students who never had the chance to tell their stories—or who didn’t make it out alive. Growing up is hard, and I think a lot of people will see themselves in these characters. Whether you went to public school, private school, reform school, or all of the above, there’s something here that will hopefully resonate.

PC: Katrina, you and Joe have collaborated before, but this was a story of his that you hadn’t heard. He trusted you to help bring it to life. After reading the initial script, you had a call together—what were some of those early conversations about his experiences? How did those discussions influence the direction you wanted to take this series?
Katrina: Joe and I have worked together for four seasons on a TV show, traveled the world, and built a really strong relationship before he brought this project to me. But before reading the script, I had no idea what he had lived through—what he had experienced and carried with him. That speaks to who Joe is and how he interacts with everyone on set.

He sent me this script, and it’s heartbreaking and horrifying. I had heard about therapeutic boarding schools before, but I had never fully grasped the extent of what went on inside them—until I started reading. Even just diving into the initial script and doing my own research, I realized how much more there was to understand. After I finished reading, I texted Joe and said, “Let me know when you’re ready to talk.”

In our conversation, I wanted to know about his experience, what brought him to this point of wanting to tell it, and then we discussed the characters of Joe, Lauren, and the staff, and what’s essentially a fourteen-page scene that really sets the tone. We wanted to look at these characters and create a really human story of people thrown together in this incredibly strange pressure cooker of a school. We also bonded over the weird humor that bubbles through. It’s great that Joe has come so full circle—from initially making it very comedic to mask the theme, to now telling it as a drama with dark comedic elements. Because at the end of the day, it’s a bunch of kids in this situation, which naturally leads to humor. We bonded over that, even though it’s not a funny situation.

PC: Andrew, much like the audience, your character doesn’t initially grasp the full weight of the situation. There’s a distinct tonal shift in your performance as his naivety fades after witnessing what Sarah’s character endures, making the reality of the situation hit in a gut-wrenching way. As an actor, how did you navigate that emotional shift—both individually and through your collaboration with Joe, whose story this is based on?
Andrew: Joe was an incredible resource throughout the entire process. At any moment, I could turn to him and ask, “What were you feeling in this moment?” It was really a balancing act. When I got the role, I dove deep into the history of the school. I spent hours talking to Joe, trying to understand his experience and what he went through. But as you said, I also had to approach this role from the perspective of someone who has no idea what the hell is going on. A lot of it was about reacting—watching Sarah’s character endure what she does and letting that shape my performance in real time.

I will say, there were a lot of moments that felt almost like method acting because we were shooting in the actual place where Joe had been taken. I even met people from his life before filming those scenes, which added another layer of emotional weight. It made everything feel that much more real.

PC: Sarah, there’s always such an empathetic quality you bring to every character you play. In contrast to Andrew’s character, Lauren has lived this experience, and your performance reflects that from the very beginning—she’s the emotional tether that draws audiences in. Was the real-life story this series is based on your initial gateway into understanding and embodying Lauren? And how did that influence the depth you brought to her? Were there other aspects of your artistry that shaped your interpretation of this character?
Sarah: Great questions. I would definitely say that the real-life circumstances of the kids who were at this school, particularly Joe, were my emotional tether. I knew I would have to hold onto that throughout this process because of the nature of the performance and the writing. It required tapping into such deep emotional trauma.

I also watched a couple of documentaries and read articles that were available. I talked to Joe. I talked to Katrina. I actually kept a diary from Lauren’s perspective, which I’ve never done before, but I felt this preciousness—this deep need to honor the kids who have gone through this. I experimented with playlists, playing indulgent, sad music, and really letting myself sit in that space. That really helped me.

The actress who plays Jessica (Lexi Simonsen) is actually my best friend in real life, so she was another emotional tether. We’ve done deeply emotional work together on another project, and having her there really grounded me. I felt like everyone had my back.

PC: Joe, it was also really important to you and Katrina that the staff members were three-dimensional. During the writing process, were you able to connect with former staff members who worked at these schools, or did you rely more heavily on research? Why was it important for their experiences to be reflected as well?
Joe: That’s a great question. Since I lived it and got to know them firsthand, I was able to tap back into those memories on a deeper level. Yes, they treated me the same way they did Sarah’s character, but I also got to talk to them afterward and see more of who they were beneath that. They’re conflicted, complex people—whether I agree with them or not, they believed in what they were doing.

Now, don’t get me wrong—there were definitely some horrible people there, and that’s still coming out in news reports today. But there were also certain staff members who genuinely cared about me. They cared so much that they didn’t want to see me go back out into the world and ruin my life. In their minds, this was what needed to be done to prevent that. Was it the right method? Probably not. But they weren’t one-dimensional villains. I knew them as real people, and I know for a fact that some of them truly cared about all of us.

Of course, there were those who had an inherently cruel nature, but there were also good people who got caught up in a broken system. That’s why we knew we had to make these characters layered and complex. And we can’t wait to tell the bigger story because as it unfolds, they become even more nuanced. They’re not your typical bad guys, even if they seem like it at first. I can’t say I agree with them, but I can see them for who they are—their complexities, their contradictions.

Katrina: In one of our initial conversations, we talked about exploring how good intentions can go terribly wrong. I remember that being a big focus—how something that starts from a well-meaning place can become distorted and abused. That idea really fueled our discussions, especially with Debbie [Campbell], who plays Peggy, and Bob [Gallagher], who plays Mickey, our staff members. I kept asking, “Where does it go wrong? At what point does that trajectory shift from nurturing and loving to something overpowering and abusive?”

PC: Katrina, I’d also love to hear about your collaboration with Andrew and Sarah, as their characters enter the story with vastly different perspectives. How did you work with them to shape those dynamics and ensure their performances complemented and informed one another?
Katrina: It’s interesting because everything came together so quickly. We shot it in essentially two and a half, maybe three days, so we had to move fast. Thank God we had such a fantastic production team—our cinematographer Andrew Trost and his team were on fire. We had such a well-thought-out plan that it allowed me, as a director, to really focus on working with Sarah, Andrew, and the rest of our cast.

For Andrew, it was about mapping out that wide-eyed arc—his character, Joe, moving from skepticism to bewilderment to utter panic. With Sarah, it was so important to create a safe space for her because she had done so much emotional prep work. I wanted to give her an environment where she could not only fully embody Lauren but also experience her suffering. It was fascinating working with Sarah after that first take, figuring out where to modulate Lauren’s responses—where she would push back and where she would fully break.

Sarah: Yeah, absolutely.

Andrew: Katrina was amazing at creating such a natural environment for us. She would, for example, secretly tell an extra or a cast member to throw in a line that we weren’t expecting. It would catch us off guard, throw me for a loop, or even instill a real, instinctive anger in my character. It created this raw, improv-driven frustration.

Katrina: It was fun finding ways for the staff to needle you and catch you off guard.

Andrew: Yes!

Sarah: It definitely had that effect on me too. Joe actually asked me beforehand if I’d be okay with receiving some unscripted insults. I don’t even think they made the final cut because they were so horrific. But I was like, “Bring it on. Whatever you got, I’ll take it.” And to your point, Kat, that first take—I just let myself go 100%, completely opened the faucet. Then Katrina helped dial in where Lauren would push back, where she would completely break, and where she would show restraint.

Katrina: And also where she would still be a teenager—rebelling even in that moment. Sarah captured that so beautifully.

Sarah: Thank you. Lauren is in such a deep psychological knot that even I was confused at times. I wanted the audience to question whether they should believe what she’s saying.

PC: Andrew and Sarah, you’ve worked on projects of all sizes. What is it about independent filmmaking that excites you as storytellers, and how does it fuel your artistic soul? Given how quickly you shot this, did the lack of time force you to trust your instincts more?
Andrew: With independent filmmaking, there’s a level of freedom I’ve never felt before—especially on this project, which was so intimate. I feel like I’m family now because I can talk to everyone about the deepest stuff, and they’re so honest. That honesty is what creates such a strong story.

Sarah: I second that. I’ve been lucky enough to work on both large-scale productions and very small ones, and this was truly a passion project. I’m so grateful that Nicole [Kay Payson], our producer, asked me to come on board from the very beginning. I knew that everyone involved would be excited to be there and committed to championing Joe and his story. That’s what it’s about. You can do that on a macro or micro level, but there’s something special about telling a story this way—on such a personal, independent scale. Being here, seeing all these indie films having their premieres, it energizes me. It makes me even more excited to seek out stories and tell them.

Joe: If I may—just think about how lucky I am. I’m making an independent project, and I somehow got this level of talent with these three. You only get one shot at telling a story like this. I have chills just saying it, but I truly feel like the luckiest guy in the room.

Make sure to follow Katrina (Instagram), Andrew (Instagram), and Sarah (Instagram).