We recently connected with Holly Lorge and have shared our conversation below.

Holly, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I was always interested in TV and Movies, as a young child. I was one of 4 kids in our family and we grew up around movies my dad played on the Film Projector at our house. He showed us the Three Stooges, Little Rascals, Shirley Temple, Judy Garland musicals and lots of John Wayne movies. I was also hooked on TV shows in the 70s and 80s: Little House on the Prairie, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Mork and Mindy, The Love Boat to name a few. I loved the magic of big characters, big punch lines, big reactions and a new story each week. I wanted to be part of it! My parents put me and my sister in Tap dancing, Jazz, doing shows at County Fairs and for anyone who came over. I also played piano, so any chance to gain an audience I was right there. When I graduated high school in Carson City, NV I moved right away to Hollywood, CA. Jumped in to any acting class I could pay for: Improv at The Groundlings, Cold Reading Classes, On-Camera Technique classes, and some live theater., as well as a 3-woman comedy team. I was always good at meeting people, not shy at all and could network and grow my circle to try new classes, see new shows and figure out what was next to ‘up my game’. I am still friends with soooo many people I met back then almost 40s years ago, and we still cheer each other on. What skills were most essential? Walking through fear would be one of them. My folks taught us to dust yourself off and keep trying what you love. Failure? That’s temporary. Keep growing and showing up for yourself, and pay attention to the theater of life around you. I tell my students to ‘observe and absorb’, participate in life and watch what is unfolding in front of you, and use it on stage and in your writing and in your craft, gold nuggets are everywhere!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m kind of old school with my acting: print out the script, (not reading it on my cell phone or a Tablet), and my Actor’s tool box is a yellow highlighter and a pencil! Your script should be written on and marked up with your notes, slash marks, underline, circle certain words, emphasis – Actors are not Readers, we are Storytellers. I’ve been a paid Actor since 1986, I treat a lead role and an under-5 role the same, equally vital to the storyline. I tell my Acting students the same thing, read, read, read the ENTIRE script, not just your part or your lines, you need to know what is going on from beginning to end, how you fit in, what is the flavor or mood of the moments before and after. I’ve been cast in a role, showed up for the role, and then on set they’ve changed my role to another character in the script, you need to know what’s going on! Being a lazy actor will kill your career and opportunities. I don’t care if your one moment is to sneeze or raise an eyebrow, or pick up a pencil, make the moment count – make it interesting. I love to watch films and see the ‘little moments’ an Actor will reveal, that have nothing to do with dialogue, it’s brilliant and exciting to watch movements and human reactions, great Actors show you how to be grounded and realistic, Actors should never be caught ‘Acting’. I have learned so much when I was doing Improvisation at The Groundlings, stage plays at Theater West, learning from my Acting Coaches, or how to create characters, physicality, writing, and how to be a great scene partner. The thrill is still alive and well for almost 40 years.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect for me is that I am still as energized and hungry to be on stage or in front of the camera or teach a class as I was decades ago. The opportunity to ‘be someone else’ or absorb an emotion thru a character I think has kept me young at heart. My first goal in the business was to do Television, Commercials, Films, then it evolved into Improvisation/flying by the seat of your pants/unrehearsed type of joy on stage, and now as I’ve gotten older I’m hungry for my next Stage role in front of a live audience, with the cast becoming part of your family. So, many ways to be creative in this industry. One gig leads to the next, networking is crucial. I live in Reno, NV and it has become in the last 10 years a hot bed of Film, Theater, Commercials, all paid, legitimate work! An unbelievable amount of talent in this town, from writers, directors, producers, crew and of course Actors, all supporting each other on set and on stage, there is room for everyone.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

When I started in 1986 in Hollywood, it seemed like I was told over and over again: you need to choose, be the Hot girl or be the Funny, Fat girl, that’s all there is for you. Or, I was told by one coach over and over again “you could be the next Lea Thompson if you’d lose 15 pounds”. Now this was in the 80s and things were very cookie-cutter, not much room for individuality or uniqueness or anything not ‘vanilla’. I hated that. I didn’t want to change to become someone else who was already famous, or I didn’t want to morph my body into some weird chart that ticked all the boxes of someone else’s ridiculous standard. I just knew I had to stick to being me, good or bad, because I knew I had talent that could deserve an audience, and I would find my ‘tribe’ of other creatives that wanted to be true to themselves. I didn’t mind being told I was weird, or loud, or odd,I knew my sense of humor and mildly twisted view on life would serve me well, and it has! I am glad I didn’t carve myself up for other people, I am inspired by other creatives strength and life stories.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: Holly Clark Lorge
• Other: imdb/hollylorge’

Image Credits
‘Twisted’ photo by Dana Nollsch.(where I am in my green bathrobe, kind of crying) the one Headshot photo (me in my denim jacket) photo by Erica Blaine