Tony winner Lena Hall chatted about starring in “Your Friends and Neighbors” on Apple TV+ her new EP “Songs from Your Friends & Neighbors.”
In 2014, she won the Tony Award for “Best Featured Actress in a Musical” for her acting work in “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” and she earned a Grammy nomination for “Best Musical Theater Album.”
The synopsis is: “He lost his job, his family, and his money. What else is there to lose?”
How was your experience in “Your Friends and Neighbors”?
Phenomenal. Top tier people, awesome vibe on set, a safe place to do a good job. We were all feeling like we had something special on our hands.
It’s great to be a part of something where everyone loves what they do and enjoys the process. 10 out of 10, would recommend.
What do you like most about your character?
I love her freedom to simply be who she is unapologetically. She says what’s on her mind. It’s almost as if getting a diagnosis allowed her to accept herself and her own limitations and just live free with it.
I love her dedication to her brother. And I love her wackiness. She is ultimately just as damaged as the next person and she is trying to make sense of her life in any way she can.
I also love that she is a creative and a performer. I relate to her so much.
What’s it like playing Jon Hamm’s sister?
It’s really fun to have that kind of relationship and chemistry with Jon. Different than what others experience when they have to have sexual chemistry.
When you have to seem like you’ve grown up together and have that kind of complex history, there’s a certain kind of fun you can have that you wouldn’t get if say you were playing an ex-wife or a lover or even a best friend.
What inspired your new EP?
The songs that I get to play/sing in “Your Friends And Neighbors” as Ali. Since I knew the show was gonna come out and people were going to see the musician side of me, I figured I could at least have the songs recorded and at the ready in case people wanted to hear the full versions.
What is your personal favorite song on there and why?
“Doll Parts” is my favorite because I was and am and always will be a 90s grunge fan. It’s my genre. This song just speaks to my soul. It’s such a simple song but the complexities lie in the lyrics and the poetic nature of the song.
Sometimes simplicity is all you need to express your inner emotional angst. And I love that they allowed me to cover it in the show.
It truly was a highlight for me filming Season 1. I hope I do Courtney proud.
How does it feel to be an actor in the digital age? (Now with streaming, technology and social media being so prevalent)
I think streaming did some good with giving voice to more writers and talent than ever before but that came with a price. Technology is exciting but sometimes what makes something faster and cheaper and more efficient can destroy an art form.
Social media is a whole other discussion. But sometimes I feel that I am deemed hirable or un-hirable based on my social media following as opposed to how good I am at my craft.
I won’t get a job sometimes based on my social media numbers. I am told all the time that I need to do more social media and get my numbers up cause it’ll be good for my career.
That would be fine except that the way these platforms are designed they are made to keep your attention and get you addicted to the platform, spending endless hours scrolling and scrolling. It’s mindless and distracting and at the end of the day I am totally susceptible to its trappings.
It’s not real or organic growth anymore. It’s all deemed worthy by an algorithm that someone else designed. So, you have to learn how to hack this made-up algorithm. I miss the days when growth could be done organically.
Now, you are fighting with millions of people trying to get this god like algorithm to boost your post so you can go viral so you can feel like people see you and notice you so you can get a job? It’s madness.
When I am not on social media for months at a time, I notice a huge difference in the quality of my life. I am happier, more calm, I am more social, I am more focused, my concentration is better and my craft is better. Social media is an addiction. It’s dangerous.
What is your advice for young and aspiring actors?
Start working on a social media following now, ha! The biggest thing I learned about this business is that you need to have something else in your life that fulfills you. Something that you love and can focus on that is totally yours. Can be anything.
This industry is so difficult and you will be rejected a lot. The one thing you need to be able to do is to keep going.
Never give up. If you have other things going on, it makes it so much easier to keep moving forward.
What would you like to say to your fans?
Thank you for your support and for always being there. My fans have always been die hards and I absolutely love them for that. It keeps me going!
So, thank you for your constant love and always believing in me. I hope I make you proud. You all make everything worth it… including posting on social media.
“Songs from Your Friends & Neighbors” by Lena Hall is available on digital service providers by clicking here.
To learn more about actress and singer Lena Hall, follow her on Instagram.
