She played the role of Jamie in The Nanny Murders. “This felt full-circle for me because this is my third Lifetime movie. It was pretty exciting,” she said. “It deals with a lot of things when it comes to the heartbreak that happens as a woman when you feel like you are taken seriously only to find out that you are objectified.”
Topalian praised her on-screen acting partner Coby Ryan McLaughlin, who played the villainous business tycoon Walton Page. “Coby was so great,” she said. “When I got the script, I was excited to play an ambitious woman that is dealing with all of these things. I hoped my co-star would be a good guy otherwise this would have been a tricky shooting scenario. Coby was a dream scene partner, he did a lot to be a good teammate and I feel like we worked really well together. We are both creative people and we created a really safe environment for unsafe things to be happening. Coby’s a good guy.”
She also complimented Robert Palmer Watkins, Kennedy Tucker, and Arianne “Ari” Zucker. “Robert was such a pro and I feel like he’s the kind of guy that once you meet, he immediately feels like a friend. Kennedy was such a sweetheart, and Ari is so warm and playful, and it’s fun to bring that energy into the higher stake scenes. Ari is a ball of energy,” she said.
On being an actress in the digital age, she said, “The most exciting thing is how much content there is out there, and how many stories are being told that 20 or 30 years ago those stories would have seemed taboo. It is exciting as an actor to have some of those opportunities for sure.”
For young and aspiring actors, Topalian said, “It’s about hard work. I am from Detroit, and I think that there is something to be said about the Midwestern work ethic. Focus on the craft and stay motivated.”
Regarding the title of the current chapter of her life, she said, “Exploration.” “The past year has given me a lot of time for self-exploration,” she said.
Topalian defined the word success as “spending the most amount of time as possible doing the things you love.”
She concluded about The Nanny Murders, “It’s a relatable film about trying to navigate where the line is and when it’s crossed and what to do.”
The Nanny Murders garnered a favorable review from Digital Journal.
To learn more about The Nanny Murders, visit the Lifetime website.