Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Trisha LaFache Is Helping To Shake Up The Entertainment Industry

An Interview With Elana Cohen

One thing I realized recently is that in the past couple of years, I stopped exercising outdoors as much and I made a commitment to get back to hiking outside. But I do yoga sculpt classes which is hot yoga with weights and cardio and I love how it makes me feel SO much that sometimes I drop off exercising outside and I want to do both. Although it’s been raining a lot!

As a part of our series about Inspirational Women In Hollywood, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Trisha LaFache.

Trisha LaFache was born in Utica, New York. After a knee injury ended her ballet career with the Boston Ballet Theater, She attended and graduated from Brooklyn Law School. Although hired by the Brooklyn’s District Attorneys office; she pursued a career as a federal criminal defense attorney while simultaneously pursuing her career in the entertainment industry. Within the industry she has worked as an actor, writer, director, producer, legal technical adviser and acting coach.

In the Spring 2023, Trisha will premiere as a series regular, playing anattorney on a “Jury Dury” new series for Amazon Studios/Amazon FreeVee produced by Lee Eisenberg (“Little America”/ “We Crashed) David Benard (“White Lotus”) and Todd Schulman (“Borat Subsequent Movie Film”). In addition to starring in the series; Trisha prepared the case for the series from the ground up with the executive producers Cody Heller, Jake Syzmanski, and Andrew Weinberg. She wrote all of the material that she performs on the series. Opening and closing statements; all of her witness direct examination and cross examination as well as prepared all of the exhibits to be used on the series.

Trisha is the co-writer and co-host of the true crime podcasts “Heeled: The Curious Case of Marla Trumps Shoes.” “Heeled” is a podcast that tells the bizarre true-crime story of the arrest, investigation, prosecution and trial of Marla Maples’ former publicist, Chuck Jones, who was accused of stealing and having “relations” with her high heels. “Heeled” is co-hosted by Kevin J. Hynes, Executive Producer of: “Dirty John”; “Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story;” “Perry Mason” and the upcoming “Fatal Attraction.” “

Trisha was the legal technical adviser for HBO’s “Perry Mason”; Season 1. As well as Episodes of CBS’s “Clarice.”

Trisha is currently in the writer’s room for an upcoming Onyx/Hulu show executive produced by Todd Harthan (“The Resident”/“Rosewood”).

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up? Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I’m currently playing an attorney on Amazon’s Jury Duty. And I also AM an attorney. I think a lot of people think that I’m a lawyer who left practicing law to pursue acting. But that’s not actually the case. My dad is an attorney and we’re super close and I knew he really wanted me to go. So — I went to law school, right out of college, which I loved mind you. But I was a double major in theater and political science in college and I always wanted to act, write, and direct. So I did both! At the same time, for a while.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

This is a GREAT question. Unfortunately, I can not spill any real tea. But I would say my current role on Jury Duty was the most interesting thing. We auditioned for a loosely scripted, improv show. I can’t speak for anyone else but I personally did not know the actual concept until about 4 days before our first rehearsal. Twelve jurors, eleven of them are actors — one of them does not know the trial isn’t real. Everything from building the case to preparing the witnesses and putting them on the stand was like theater on methamphetamine. When I walked in the courtroom with my briefcase, I was my character — there was no action or cut and I had to play it straight regardless of the hilarious things that were going on around me. I loved the adrenaline of it though. It was the most fun type of pressure.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. 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?

Well, this isn’t funny, it’s just dumb but I’d say thinking 25 is old. Youth is wasted on the young is that what they say?

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 about that?

I have a lot of mentors who gave me great advice and I’m grateful for all of them. But right now I would honestly say I am grateful to myself. Because I’m the one who has worked this hard.

You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?

If you decide to pursue a career in entertainment you have to make sure that your sense of self is not provided by whether or not you are being rewarded the way that you would like to be. It has to come from a completely different place. And also — know who you are.

Every industry iterates and seeks improvement. What changes would you like to see in the industry going forward?

I would like to see all Screen Actors Guild members have health insurance, and not have to worry every year if they are going to make enough money to qualify for health insurance.

You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?

I just directed a pilot that I love called “Ex Weeks Out.” I co-directed a video with one of my best friends in the whole world, India de Beaufort for her song “Karma” and I can’t wait for it to be out. I’m directing a play this summer. That’s a lot of directing. I’m also writing a ton. But I would love to be back on tv and honestly, I’d be happy to play an attorney on tv for a really long time. I would love that.

We are very interested in looking at diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture and our youth growing up today?

Representation matters. Period. End of story. In ALL industries. If a young person sees someone who looks like them in a space that they might be interested in but is traditionally not shown to be particularly diverse, they can see themselves in the shoes of that person. It opens up their mind to life’s possibilities to see people who look like them. So that’s one reason. But I think that more diverse stories just deserve to be told.

There are so many experiences other than just the white, mostly male experience. And I know that I want to hear those stories.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

There’s nothing that I was not told that I wish I knew. I just wish I listened!

Can you share with our readers any self-care routines, practices or treatments that you do to help your body, mind or heart to thrive? Please share a story for each one if you can.

One thing I realized recently is that in the past couple of years, I stopped exercising outdoors as much and I made a commitment to get back to hiking outside. But I do yoga sculpt classes which is hot yoga with weights and cardio and I love how it makes me feel SO much that sometimes I drop off exercising outside and I want to do both. Although it’s been raining a lot!

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I think its what I said before, “Know Who You Are” — I was once talking with a buddy who was also a coworker and I lamented to him that people always say they assumed I was intimidating or tough but once you get to know me I’m not. Well, first of all, I’m from New York, welcome to how we are. But what he said to me was “Look around you, people think you are intimidating because you know exactly who you are and most people don’t” I never thought about it before he said it but now I’ll never forget it. I think that my strength of character, who I was raised around, by who, the life that I’ve lived, the values that I think are important, in particular my strong sense of respect for all people, I’m good with all of that.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

If I could inspire a movement it would center around compassion for others and understanding those who are different from you. Now that’s general. What I would love to really see changed and improved is the racist inequality of the criminal justice system, And I would love, love, love to be involved in really reexamining and revamping the foster care system. Foster care and prisons are where my heart is and the two are more connected than you might think at first glance. I’m speaking from a conclusion I drew from my own experience as a criminal defense attorney, I don’t want to upset anyone who feels differently on that.

Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!

I would love to have lunch with Stacey Abrams. Speaking of inspirational! I think we would end up being best friends. In the entertainment world, I would love to sit down with Sera Gamble, I think she’s the coolest.

Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?

Yes, my IG and Twitter are @trishalafache

This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!