Rising Star Lanett Tachel: “Don’t look to people ahead of you to pull you up; Look to the people beside you and build with them”
Don’t look to people ahead of you to pull you up. Look to the people beside you and build with them. Together you will be the next producers, writers, actors, directors and creators and you will each employ each other for years to come.
Lanett Tachel is an actress, writer, and producer from Prince George’s County Maryland. She received her BFA from Howard University and performed lead roles on stages from DC to the Dominican Republic before moving to Los Angeles and transitioning to acting and writing for TV and film. After consulting and later landing a role on the show BELLE’s with legendary producer Ed Weinberger, Lanett found that she had a knack for creating and producing behind the camera as well as in front and she’s never looked back.
Behind the camera, Lanett started by producing an award-winning short, SISTER SISTER SISTER followed by a series of narrative-driven music videos for a Universal Recording Artist. She then went on to write and produce projects such as the Suspense/Thriller — ILLICIT (Amazon/BET 2017), I GOT THE HOOK UP 2 (2019 theatrical release) and most recently she has co-written and created the brand new sitcom, PUMP, which will release in 2020.
In front of the camera, you can see her in the leading role of KHAIA on SYFY’s Suspense Movie, SURROUNDED and in LIFETIME’S ‘PSYCHO BROTHER IN LAW’ as DETECTIVE TORRES.
Lanett’s next roles highlighted her comedic chops. She starred as the wisecracking best friend in ILLICIT alongside Vivica Fox and Dean Cain as well as the comedic character, SHENITA in ‘THE FAUX SHOW’ alongside Tiffany Haddish, Kim Coles and Erika Alexander.
Her follow-up role saw her change genres again as a lead in the James Cullen Bressack produced horror film, ‘FOR JENNIFER’. (2019)
This year, Lanett co-stars in the action film COLLISION EARTH alongside Eric Roberts as well as a Holiday film entitled THERE WILL ALWAYS BE CHRISTMAS alongside Michael Paré and Eileen Davidson. But among a slew of dramatic and comedic films that Lanett will appear in this year. she is most excited for the debut of her character, TAMIKA, in her new TV show PUMP which will release the summer of 2020. She credits this show for giving her the most creative freedom as both an actress and a writer and is excited to share it with the world.
Lanett’s love of creating, producing and performing television and film that feature layered and multi-faceted African American characters continues to drive her on and off-camera. She is ‘The Little Engine that Could’ and hopes you join along for the ride.
Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
As the oldest of four children, I inherited my love for storytelling from my mother who is a master at entertaining small children with her imaginative stories and fables that were often meant to teach us life lessons. Because of her, I thought everyone was supposed to create their own stories whether on paper or aloud, often including performance aspects. So auditioning for and booking the role of Dorothy in my elementary school play was a natural transition for me as it would be my first time to entertain hundreds. And once on that grand of a stage, I knew that there was no turning back. From elementary school through high school I performed as an actor, dancer, spoken word artist and even as a mime, taking advantage of every artistic opportunity that came my way. My love for creating and performing led me to pursue my craft on a collegiate level, graduating magna cum laude with a BFA from Howard University in Theater Arts.
Can you share your story of Grit and Success? First can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey?
When I first started my journey in Los Angeles, I was working as a restaurant manager with hopes of being able to audition on my days off. After quickly realizing that managers aren’t afforded too many “days off” I eventually quit my job and my chance at stability. I even had to remove management from my resume for future gigs because the job’s expectations would always skyrocket due to my previous experience. I decided to take bartending classes and work as an on-call bartender for parties and gigs around town. But what I didn’t account for would be the long waits in between gigs as I established my client base. There were times that I had to choose between food in the fridge or gas in the car. I’ve made gourmet meals using a George Foreman Grill and a microwave when the gas was off until my gigs picked up. But it all paid off. For the first time, I was able to make auditions and callbacks without the fear of losing a job while pursuing my dream.
Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?
I’ve always been told that whatever keeps you up at night and is on your mind first thing in the morning, is the thing you should pursue. I have pursued acting and creating relentlessly because I see the world through the eyes of a storyteller. To use my body as an instrument and my words as a vessel to provoke change and to shed light on untold stories is enough of a reason to drive through the difficult moments. When things get tough, I remind myself that anything worth having is worth fighting for and on every single occasion, the struggle was worth the outcome.
What are you currently working on?
Currently, I have a starring role in the BET Original Thriller entitled, “Don’t Talk to Strangers” which starts shooting in 2020.
In addition to this, I’m writing a feature film (drama) as well as additional episodes for the new comedic series, PUMP.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When I first started, I would boldly crash auditions by sizing up the actors who were in the lobby and identifying anyone who I thought looked like “my type.” I’d walk past them to peek at their sides and grab my own copy as though I were supposed to be there. This worked in my favor, landing me a few small parts and callbacks until one director (who I won’t name) caught on to my scheme as I walked into the room, ready to audition. She informed me loud enough for everyone in the lobby to hear, that this was a PRODUCER’S SESSION and “how dare I crash it” uninvited. She then took my headshot so she could remember who I was in the future. I’m not sure if she still has it, but I can’t wait to book a role from her in the future, only to remind her of this incident once the project is already wrapped ;)
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
The number one thing I’d recommend to my colleagues to help them thrive and not burn out is to CREATE. As an actor, many times our job from the initial audition to booking the role is to WAIT. Waiting is the most unbearable part of the process, whether you book the role or not. One thing we can do to make sure we are seen in the light we want to be seen in is to create our own content. Make yourself as valuable as possible in the industry that you are a part of by becoming an asset in more ways than one. Whether you brush up your skills in stunt work, editing, writing, sound design, color or any other industry field, you can secure more work for yourself in the field that you love while not “burning out.”
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
Fortunately, my parents never tried to talk me out of pursuing my dreams of becoming an actress. From the time I was 7 until the time I graduated college, my dreams never wavered and neither did my parents support. For that, I’m extremely grateful. After moving to LA, one of the people who directly impacted my career trajectory was a casting director named Phaedra Harris. Aside from bringing me into several auditions that would land me some of my first acting roles in LA, she’s mentored me and encouraged my growth as an actress and writer and opened the door for me to become a first-time show creator.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started and the reasons behind it:
1. Never put a timeline on RESULTS. Put a timeline on your own PLAN of ACTION and hold yourself to it.
2. Don’t compare yourself. If you are here for the long haul, you will get everything out of this industry that you put in. When you are looking at people to your left and right, you aren’t focused on the journey ahead of you.
3. Don’t be afraid to create your own lane. Branding is so so important. Figure out how you want to be seen and make sure your branding is consistent with the lane that you’re carving out for yourself.
4. Never go by what people say. This is the land of smoke and mirrors. Go by what people do.
5. Don’t look to people ahead of you to pull you up. Look to the people beside you and build with them. Together you will be the next producers, writers, actors, directors and creators and you will each employ each other for years to come.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Follow me on Instagram as @Lanett_Tachel.
