I go back & forth with entry-level jobs in the service industry, pursuing my love of acting for Film (You Kill Me,) Television (Cashing In), Commercials (With Child, Without Alcohol) and Theatre (Sarasvati Productions, Fantasy Theatre for Children, Winnipeg/Vancouver Fringe Festival, Vancouver Theatre Sports League, Vancouver Playhouse, Theatre in the Raw and Walterdale Playhouse).
- Real Name: Lorraine Veronica James
- Stage Name: Lorraine James
- Birthdate/Birthplace: March 15th, 1968; Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- “Raised up” Where: Winnipeg, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Vancouver then back to Winnipeg
- Education: Citadel Theatre School, Prairie Theatre Exchange, Vancouver Theatre Sports League, High School, Gastown Actors Studio.
- Honours & Awards: 2nd place in the 1997 “Just for Laughs” Improv tournament.
- Influences/Mentors/Heroes: James Dean, Angela Bassett, Whoopi Goldberg, Ted Kozma, All my drama teachers from school, John Laroquette from Night Court, Anthony Hopkins, Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Kate Moennig, every member of the Vancouver Theatre Sports League, Will Smith, Saana Lane, Nia Long, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin,
- Places Performed: Sarasvatí Productions, Gastown Theatre, UBC’s Frederick Wood Theatre, Back Alley Theatre, The Vancouver Playhouse, Walterdale Playhouse, Winnipeg & Vancouver Fringe Festival, Townhouse 9, Fantasy Theatre for Children, as a background player in many Vancouver & Winnipeg productions.
- Pivotal Performance: Told by a seasoned actress during the run of “The Crucible” that I was good, then given a big hug.
- Favourite Performance: Portraying a Jamaican nurse for “Cashing In”.
- Most Terrifying Performance Experience: Performing with “Sleeping Beauty Cabaret” in ’92 & forgetting my lines for what seemed like a lifetime.
- Favourite prop/costume: Anytime I wear a cop uniform on set, back when my dreads were short.
- Hobbies: Jewelry-making, greeting card-making, wire crafts,
- Reading List: The Biography of Malcolm X, A Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myths & Secrets, Impro, Beware The Naked Man Who Offers You His Shirt, Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive, Oh Say Can You Say, The Paper Bag princess, The “N” Word, All About Me, Writing Down The Bones: Freeing The Writer Within,
- Favourite music: Old timey Jamaican tunes, torch songs, mostly ’70′s, ’80′s & ’90′s music, but there’s too long a list to whittle them down to a mere few.
- Favourite quote: “I want to go to there”. Tina Fey
Inspired by the book, “Out of Character”.
Top 5 Networking Questions.
- How did you get involved in your line of work?
Junior High was where I discovered my love for acting, but high school was where I realized that I was more serious about it. After graduation, I discovered the Walterdale Playhouse. - What does the perfect client, customer or contact look like to you?
I’ve always wanted to work with a group that feels like a family; I’m looking for a compatible film-maker, a compatible Artistic Director or someone who I click with on similar projects. I believe the term is “Relationship over Resumé”; the people I work with know of my work and we understand what we need from each other. - How would you want me to describe you to one of my contacts?Easy-going, mistaken for being younger, resembles a cross between Whoopi Goldberg & Debra Wilson from “MadTV“.
- What are your goals within your line of work?
Started off in theatre to advance to film/TV, but my love of theatre was equaled. I’d love to do a television series, a few comedies, cover every aspect of live theatre (Shakespeare, puppetry, improv, fringe, children’s and to possibly travel) & perform outside of Canada. Basically, to live off of acting and depend on nothing else. Also to perform a one-woman show. - What accomplishment are you most proud of?
- Travelling to Vancouver to pursue acting
- Performing in the Vancouver Theatre Sports Rookie League
- Performing in”The Crucible” at the Vancouver Playhouse in 1996
- Coming in 2nd place at the 1997 Improv Tournament at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal
- Meeting Sir Ben Kingsley while doing “You Kill Me” in 2007.
