We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chloe Lenihan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chloe below.
Chloe, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.
SMILE…the Worst is Yet to Come is a dramatic comedy about infertility, expectations, and the many ways life challenges our definition of success. The project actually began when my friend and longtime collaborator, Joseph Mancuso, approached me with an early version of the script and invited me to help develop it with him. SMILE…the Worst is Yet to Come is my feature directorial debut, and will make its West Coast premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre as part of the Dances With Films: LA festival.
Joe and I spent countless hours refining the story, deepening the characters, and shaping the film into something that felt relatable, funny, and emotionally honest. Then came the bigger challenge: figuring out how to actually make a feature film with limited resources.
We built a team, raised funds, searched for locations, assembled a cast and crew, and problem solved our way through a wack-a-mole maze of two industry strikes, dubious funding, day jobs, and personal pressures. Making the film became this meta experience that paralleled the characters journeys, and informed a lot of script changes throughout pre-production.
I’m most proud of how collaborative the whole experience was. Independent filmmaking is rarely due to one person. Cast, crew, friends, family, local businesses, and the community galvanized in support of the film. People opened their homes/ businesses as filming locations, crew members wore multiple hats on set, people generously donated resources, and everyone showed up with enthusiasm. Everyone involved believed in the project and was willing to go the extra mile to help bring it to life.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m a writer, director, producer, and actor who has spent most of my life telling stories. Like many independent filmmakers, I developed my craft through a combination of formal training, long-standing collaborations, and relentless determination. I started as an actor, joining SAG in 1989, and over the years, I’ve worked various roles of production and currently operate a vintage & costume store alongside my mom, all while continuing to create my own projects.
I’m drawn to character-driven stories that defy traditional genre labels, balancing humor, heart, tears, and laughter in worlds that feel authentic and grounded while still embracing the absurd. More than anything, my goal when directing actors or writing a screenplay is to create honest characters that elicit laughter, tears, conversations, and make audiences feel seen,
Independent filmmaking requires years of dedicated effort and a willingness to keep grinding even when rejection starts to feel routine. I’m most proud of my persistence and resilience. SMILE…the Worst is Yet to Come is the result of that perseverance and the incredible community that helped bring it to life.
How’d you meet your business partner?
I met Joseph Mancuso, my co-writer and all-around collaborator on SMILE…the Worst is Yet to Come, about 17 years ago when we were both working at Brother Jimmy’s, a Southern-style ACC sports bar and BBQ joint in New York City. Joe was building his career as an actor in television and theater while bartending, and I was acting, producing theater, and making short films while balancing my waitressing job.
After I graduated from Columbia University’s MFA program, we teamed up on a short film called Life, Coached. The experience was so much fun, and together we made a film that was both sweet and funny. More importantly, it marked the beginning of a creative partnership that has lasted a decade.
Joe and I share the same “work-hard, play-hard” mentality, and a similar sense of dark humor. We push each other creatively, laugh a lot, and somehow manage to find solutions when things get tough.
What started as co-workers has evolved into a trusted creative partnership. Today, Joe is closer to a big brother. If I ever have to jump into the literal or proverbial frozen trenches, Joe’s the guy I want jumping next to me.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke has profoundly influenced my thinking and philosophy. I first read it 20 years years ago, but it continues to be a source of guidance whenever I’m struggling or feeling stuck.
The collection of letters is so personal and timeless that it feels like Rilke wrote them specifically for me. His advice to look inward, embrace uncertainty, and go deeper into the work rather than searching for external validation resonates with every re-read.
It’s the book that permanently lives on my nightstand. Every so often, I’ll pick it up, flip to a random page, and inevitably find exactly what I need in that moment. Rilke is the literary equivalent of my Magic 8 Ball!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ChloeLenihan.com
- Instagram: @ChloeLenihan
