This is some elaboration on my film, Tv and Stage work I've done with updates to follow.

You Kill Me

After an audition and a callback, I got the call to do my first Hollywood film (shot partially in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada). High-Point: Being on set with Sir Ben (as everyone refered to him) and having to make direct eye contact with him and Luke Wilson. Low-Point: The trailers we were given had private toilets, but they hadn't been cleaned out in a long while, so the odour whafted throughout the rooms after every flush. The whole time I'm there, I'm disbelieving my luck and ecstatic, yet making sure I don't geek-out in front of the celebrities like beg for their autograph or have my picture taken with them. The shooting of my scenes were two days, starting each in the evening and ending early in the morning when most people were just travelling to their place of work. There was a whole 11 hours before having to be on-set again for everyone there. It would've been fun to share scenes with my friends Aaron Hughes and Scott Heindl, the latter I hadn't seen since we were on set for The Dead Zone. This also got me my final credit into the actor's union, making me a full-union member, but just doing the film was the most natural high I could get. The Sweet Six were: Omar Khan, Katie Messina, Will Woytowich, Joanne Rodriguez, me and Micheline Marchildon as pictured on the right.

The Chosen Family

This girl Erica, whom I'd only met a few times, gave my phone number to Maureen Bradley one day to audition for her then-titled movie, It's Me, Margret. I had just found out about this when Maureen called me to ask if I'd audition for her film. I walked to Video In on Main street and auditioned with Maureen and Morgan Brayton, (part of one of the coolest all-girl comedy troupes 30 Helens), who was the lead and had worked with Maureen before. I only had a couple of lines that were faxed to me days before, so they were easy. It was a simple and painless process; whenever I audition for a film or stage production, I put it behind me so I don't get neurotic about it like I use to. After arriving home, my phone rang: It was Maureen telling that I'd gotten the part of girlfriend #11, that it was union and I could acquire a credit! I was delighted, for I hadn't any at this point. Usually, when I'm on a movie set, I'm a background player, so you could imagine my joy at being there as an ACTOR and being treated better. I'd stumbled upon my lines a few times but Maureen was very patient with me. After finishing my one and only scene, Maureen announces, "Everybody, that's a wrap for Lorraine James!" and the cast and crew applauded! I'd seen the final cut of the film but it was edited again and I have a copy of that which was shown at the Out On Screen Film Festival and the Vancouver International Film Festival with a bunch of other shorts.

Another Night

There was a notice in The Georgia Straight needing actors for a student film, Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design to be exact. I used a monologue and Joao Cardiero ended up casting me. I eventually met with the rest of the cast and there were several rewrites of the piece. Jennifer was the writer who attended most of the rehearsals. The one scene that I appeared in was shot on locationa in West Vancouver to shoot in this old house belonging to Jennifer's parents which no longer stands there. The shooting process was somewhat tedious, as most filming in one spot can be, but we had as much fun as we possibly could to chase away boredom. We were crammed in the dining area where our scene was shot; the jazzier scene didn't have me in it and I had no idea what it looked like. When the film premier months later, at the Pacific Cinematheque, I brought my neighbour-friend Suzanne along to see it. We waited through the other student films being shown until ours came up. That was when the magic of filmmaking really hit me. I didn't know what to expect, but I was impressed with the outcome. I have a copy of that tape too.

Natural Selection

A fellow alumni from the Gastown Actor's Studio, (Wendy Niamath), submitted my name for a film being shot. Since I don't drive, I travelled all the way to Richmond B.C. by bus and found the address without a hitch. Jason and Heather Coleman were a great couple and they simply asked if I wanted to be in their film. They put me through the audition and asked me again and of course I said yes (I was non-union at the time so I didn't know any better), arriving late to the first read-through. As difficult as it was getting there at night, I got there. I was given the role of Anita, the wife of a black politician who hired an assasin to have him killed. Later on, there were problems with the original actor playing my husband, as he had conflicts with his work schedule, so that storyline was cut and so was I. They felt bad about it and recast me in a smaller role as a mute killer. Eventually, the original scene was recast and shot with other actors. I didn't hear much of what happened to the film, but I ended up buying a copy of the VHS Cassette for 30 bucks! I had a great experience working on the film and they were a great bunch. I hope they're still going about their filmmaking.