Pop-Culturalist.com

Eva Gutowski is a rare talent in Hollywood: actress, author, content creator, correspondent, and fashion icon. She’s a real-life superwoman who can do it all while remaining humble and grounded despite all of her success. And with each new project, she’s spreading her positivity and inspiring message to millions of fans around the world. She’s currently starring in the Hulu and AwesomenessTV collaboration, All Night (out now), playing Lyssee, a character whose story will resonate with just about everyone. Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Eva about the role, how she prepared to step into Lyssee’s shoes, and the many lessons the show is teaching.

PC: Tell us about All Night, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Eva: All Night revolves around a group of high school seniors who just graduated and are preparing to move on to the next chapter in their lives. Before they do, they’re taking part in a school tradition called “Grad Night”. It’s a party thrown by the school where all the students are locked in overnight. It’s meant to be quality, bonding time and one last chance for everyone to get together.

I went to a normal high school which is really different from the ones that actors who I’ve met attended. I feel really fortunate to have had a long public school experience. But I never got to take part in something like Grad Night. So when this opportunity came along, I said “Heck yeah” because I was excited to re-live my high school experience and get the chance to take part in this tradition. I also love being a part of a show that can help other kids who may be feeling nervous or scared about high school or just want to re-experience that feeling of nostalgia.

As far as my character goes, I play Lyssee. She’s crazy. She’s definitely the craziest one in the entire cast, but everyone looks at her and they can’t help smile. I’m really glad I got the chance to play her because she’s a lot like me.

PC: How did you prepare to step into her shoes?
Eva: To step into Lyssee’s shoes, I had to find all the layers inside of her. As the season progresses, you’ll see that she’s not just the comedic relief; she has a large story in the series. You get to see a part of Lyssee that a lot of people don’t. What I liked about her arc is that you get to see everything that Lyssee is going through, including her personality and her friendships. You get to see a part of her that’s in everyone. She wants to feel wanted and that she belongs.


For this role, I had to dive into the weirder side of me to get all the comedic timing perfect. It’s all about the physical comedy and facial expressions when it comes to Lyssee. As an actor, it was a huge challenge. When I look back at my high school experience, I relate a lot to Lyssee. I was friends with everyone but I never had a group. I got along with everyone. I could hang with the popular kids and the band geeks, but when it came to being invited to a movie, everyone else had other friends they were closer with. I had to channel that into Lyssee.

Photo Credit: Rachael Thompson

PC: The graduates take part in a lot of activities throughout the series. Which was your favorite and why?
Eva: The school has a lot of bonding activities and challenges throughout the night, and it makes my character super competitive. She’s fixated on winning which is funny because Lyssee isn’t the character in the show who is competitive. That’s not her personality. But when it comes to these games, she’s so into them. My character wants to win. If anything, that’s why she’s at Grad Night, so you can expect a lot of funny scenes. [laughs]

PC: If you had to give your character a high school superlative, what would it be?
Eva: Hmmm…probably like “Most Uncomfortable to be Around”. [laughs]

PC: What are you the most excited for your fans to see?
Eva: I’m really excited for them to see me step into this character. While we’re similar in a lot of ways, we’re also very different. I really dove into her, and suddenly I wasn’t Eva anymore; I was Lyssee. I’m excited for them to see a familiar face that they know playing someone they’ve never heard of, and hopefully, they’ll be invested in her story. Also, I’m psyched for the show to inspire the kids that watch it. Every character has a message to share and you’ll walk away with a lot of lessons learned.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Eva: Property Brothers

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Eva: The Trolls. It’s so good!

PC: Favorite book?
Eva: The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Eva: Mary Poppins

PC: Favorite social media platform?
Eva: YouTube

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn on your playlist?
Eva: Anything punk-emo from the early 2000s.

PC: Last show you binge-watched?
Eva: HGTV’s House Hunters International

PC: Hidden talent?
Eva: I like to run track. I was a State track runner in high school.

Keep up with Eva by following her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and subscribe to her YouTube channel.

The complete first season of All Night is available to binge-watch on Hulu today!

Photo Credit: Jake Thomas