We recently connected with Paula Lauzon and have shared our conversation below.

Paula, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I remember when I was little, we were living outside of Boston, my parents loved watching tv shows and movies. My siblings and I spent our free time, outside playing but in the rainy weather or when the streetlights came on, we were in the house watching what they watched on the television. We didn’t have the choices that many of us have today on the multiple streaming platforms. I grew to love those shows and films. I pretended I was in them, interacting with the characters. It was incredible to me. My parents’ passion for film ranged from Spaghetti Westerns to classic horror, suspense, musicals, and iconic films like Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music, and King Kong.

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 background and context?

Absolutely! I was inspired by SO MANY classic Hollywood icons; Barbara Stanwyck, Claudette Colbert, Doris Day, Myrna Loy, Lucille Ball; I wanted to be these women; whether they were sad, funny or serious, I later learned of how strong these women were in their careers and the choices that they’d made. I wanted to be that woman, as an actress knew that I could be.

As the years went on, life took its course. I married (twice), had a son and decided that I’d cut my acting teeth in community theatre in Fall River MA where I was born. I began with ensemble roles and then had a supporting role in “Oklahoma!’. That was very challenging for me because it was in front of a live audience. I’d never memorized lines before, my anxiety level was peaked but with the help of all of my castmates, I made it through. Those individuals are family to me. I felt that I found my ‘place’, my ‘people’, my ‘community’. I miss musical theatre and hope that I can get back to it.

A short time after that, I spent my time honing my craft through Master Acting Classes with former “Days of Our Lives” star Steve Blackwood. I continued acting in local theatre and music videos. While I still resided in Boston in 2015, I decided to make the leap to commercial work in NYC and then onto LA. I quickly became recognized as a diverse character actress in both film and on many television shows.

My son gave me his blessing to leave for LA in the Spring of 2015, where I arrived with $40 in my pocket; go me. I did a little bit of research and I hit the ground running, doing background work with Central Casting (I credit CC greatly because it brought money in and I learned something on EVERY set I was on, PLUS I got to see the studios where all the old films and tv shows were filmed at!), and taking on roles in student films and short films, all of which have been submitted and won various awards at Film Festivals around the Country and at Cannes.

I did my four (4) years of acting class while I lived in LA, from 2015 to 2019, all on various sets. I didn’t attend an acting school, although when I did have the cash, I took classes at various schools in Burbank, and briefly studied with Anthony Montes and was also tutored by the well-regarded Brionne Davis-Davel.

In early 2019, the East Coast called me back and when I arrived here in July 2019, I decided to open The Durham School of Acting as well as my production company, HarLau Productions. The production company opening happened in the middle of the pandemic; I don’t know what I was thinking but it actually worked out for me. I’d spent that time reading screenplays and optioning scripts and stories from creatives in the region. My team and I are currently in pre-production of a screenplay, entitled, “Consequences”, written by Matt Higgins who is a NC local. The film will be about a former attorney who is asked to help an inner city teen facing jail time, but first he must confront his own troubled past. I have cast the two (2) main roles and am currently casting the remainder of the roles through the Actor’s Access platform. I also have more screenplays in the pipeline with development funding as it’s available. I keep busy with the advancement of screenplays and script reading to make my selections appropriately that align with my production company’s mission statement.

I’m also a Member of the Television Academy and judge for the Burbank International Film Festival, and The Annual Daytime Emmy® Awards for ©The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

If I’d come into this field well over thirty (30) years ago, I feel that I would’ve failed. I was determined that when I made the jump into this industry, that I had the tools that I needed to thrive. Being a middle-aged woman with well over three (3) decades of corporate experience under my belt, I’d worked as a legal assistant and later as an administrator and business developer. Working in the legal field taught me critical problem solving and fast paced decision making as well as the value of intensive research. This has helped me immensely in learning to navigate the film world; knowing where to look for my answers, who to talk to, what events are paramount for me to be a part of. Working in business development taught me analytics. This taught me how to observe and adapt in the field and how to gauge potential. I feel that these skills have proved invaluable in my work in the film industry.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Ensuring that the work that you do is not without purpose. So many of us go out into the world just to earn a paycheck. While I’m well-aware that we need that we also need to ensure that we’re creatively contributing to our society. “How does what I do make life better for other people?”, is what I ask myself daily.

Ensure that you’re not overloading yourself or others around you. We tend to take on more than what we’re capable of and sometimes we forget about ourselves. I’m a firm believer that if I’m not running at 100% capacity, no one and nothing else around me will either.

See if there is a way that you can ‘give to others’. This will add meaning to your career; helping them in small ways will make you feel good. The smallest act of kindness can re-energize you and help you find meaning in your work.

Exercising regularly if you can and managing your stress. This can help alleviate stress and create a sense of well-being. You can experience increased energy and productivity when you exercise regularly and it can help you get a good night’s sleep. I don’t do any sort of exercising except walking my dog every other day. As far as the stress goes, short-term stress can contribute to burnout. Keeping a diary to document what triggers you can help; deep breathing, meditation, and so many other relaxation techniques are available.

The most important one for me is managing how I think. I have been using positive affirmations for years and find it helps me immensely. It puts me in a more positive mindset and keeps me striving for the best me I can possibly be so that I can persevere and help others as well.

I’ve had my ups and downs in life and in this industry. My son would tell me, “mom, a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor”. He’s an old soul and I’ve adopted his piece of advice into part of my mission statement. As a woman, a middle-aged woman in this industry, I’m constantly refining my skills. I’m resilient AND I feel that I’m efficient as an Actor and now a Film Director. The challenges that I’ve faced have helped me evolve into a more dynamic individual and I’m able to pour myself back into my Creative Community.

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