We were lucky to catch up with Lena Drake recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lena, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I recently starred in an independent feature film, The Send-Off, available on Prime Video and AppleTV. It’s a dark comedy, and my character, Alex, drives much of the story’s darkness. Alex embodies the cultural shifts in the wake of the #MeToo movement: she’s a broken woman healed, a damsel empowered, a survivor who thrived. She’s also the exact opposite, at the exact same time.

To better understand Alex’s emotional journey, I spoke with survivors of various forms of abuse and consulted with psychologists to gain insight into the visceral, emotional response that arises when a person confronts their abuser. The experience was eye-opening; even in the face of destruction, there can be fragments of love that remain. Allowing that connection/hope/love to exist within the animosity of Alex’s relationship with her ex became essential for this story.

My co-star, Zachary Ray Sherman, and I dedicated time to developing our characters’ relationship as something complex and multi-dimensional. We explored not only their conflict, but also their aspirations—who they believed they could become for each other. When we rolled cameras on our big confrontation scene, I blacked out a little bit. But, it’s there: Alex’s inner emotional roller-coaster on display—her lingering love, her disappointment, the fear, the lust, the anger, and, ultimately, her power. I’m proud of my work on this film because it’s messy and unpredictable, the words many women used when describing their own experiences of healing and confrontation.

This summer I made my Off-Broadway debut as Lotte in Bringer of Doom. A dark comedy layered with absurdism, this show was described as sitcom meets Greek Tragedy. Joe Thristino wrote one of the wildest protagonists I’ve ever encountered. Lotte is unhinged—filled with rage, terror, and a delightful lack of social awareness. With her low likability odds, I had my work cut out for me, though there’s nothing I love more than an “unlikable” woman.

My inspiration for Lotte’s reactivity was a faulty faucet—she had no emotional regulation; she was either completely shut off or blasting uncontrollably. Her speech emerged from years of unfinished dental work, her physicality from a cartoon villain at prom. But beneath her vengeful mask was a little girl yearning for human connection. I worked closely with the director, Mark Koenig, to balance Lotte’s physical comedy with her humanity—a real challenge for such a chaotic, sometimes hateful protagonist. Leaning into the absurdity created a much larger impact when we arrived at our final scene, a deeply tender emotional release for Lotte and for myself.

The characters I play in The Send-Off and Bringer of Doom couldn’t differ more in personality, tone, or perspective, but they are both complicated, flawed, multi-layered women.

Lena, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Have you ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding? I’m Tula. Except I fell in love with street jazz, not Ian Miller. I didn’t want to go to university, I wanted to be a back-up dancer for Britney Spears. But, try explaining that to a mother who travelled across the globe for a better education. I was going to college whether I wanted to or not. The compromise? I’d audition for theatre programs.

I studied Theatre at the University of Michigan and the August before my junior year, I landed an agent in Los Angeles. The next few years were a combination of work as an actor, dancer, and writer. I trained as an improviser at The Groundlings and studied Scriptwriting at Oxford University. Between performance jobs, I’d write screenplays and poetry, some of which has been published (shoutout Squawk Back).

Some of my onscreen work includes: The Send-Off (Prime Video, AppleTV); Showtime’s Kidding, starring Jim Carrey; Dinner in America, which premiered at Sundance; and All Happy Families, produced by Michael Shannon. My stage work includes Bringer of Doom, Meet You Downstairs, Company of Man, and character stand-up. In my most recent character show, I was a green bean on the plate of a 12 year-old on the Upper East Side.

I’m represented by Lighthouse Management, a group of incredible managers who value quality of work. They’ve helped shape my creative life while protecting my artistic integrity. I’ve learned that your “no’s” are just as important as your “yes’s”.

I am most excited about my next venture, a feature film I wrote and will star in that goes into production in 2025. The film is a satire called After After Death about a woman who wakes up in a purgatorial DMV with her husband, mother-in-law, and an old lover.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I’m a relentless existentialist—not by choice. I think about purpose, death, and existence all the time. I’m thinking about it right now. Channeling that energy into creative expression helps ground me. So do cinnamon rolls.

I’m always scheming some wild, creative plan. As a kid, I choreographed dances to Fall Out Boy, convinced the one thing their show was missing was a jazz routine. Now, I play green beans and write stylized films about the afterlife. I’m kind of obsessed with liminal space as a storytelling device because it most accurately mirrors my experience of being alive. I love to play in those in-between places—the spaces that encapsulate both beauty and chaos. Capturing that complexity creatively—that, to me, is freedom. As are cinnamon rolls.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Film financiers must champion independent artists and trust in their unique visions. In an era dominated by endless remakes, we risk losing the opportunity to empower original stories. I urge financiers to prioritize projects that are bold over those that feel safe. Instead of investing in a single, high-stakes box office hit, consider investing in ten independent films that take creative risks. The reward will be worth it.

I envision an industry where creativity drives business, not the other way around. Trust artists with something to say. Empower new voices. Make filmmaking accessible to creatives from all corners of the world. We are at a pivotal moment, one where we must advocate for the preservation of long-form storytelling—and that begins by giving filmmakers the platform to create work they’re passionate about.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lenadrake.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lena_drake
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lena_Drake_/videos
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4364969/

Image Credits

Chris Labadie, Dan Lippitt, Dan Lane Williams, Roberto Amado-Cattaneo