SUSAN CHAMBERS

Congratulations on the recent screening of “New Wisdom” at New York CineFest! Can you share with us a bit about the film and your experience working on it?

I worked with my wonderful friend, Brittany Benjamin. It was such a delight to work with her on this short comedy. It’s so funny. Brittany is a great writer and actor. “New Wisdom” is about how crazy social media can be. In it, the roles are switched between the mother and the daughter. The film was well received in New York. It was so much fun to hear people still laughing minutes after the film was over.

Your portfolio boasts a diverse range of roles, from TV series like “Chicago Fire” to stage productions such as “Oklahoma.” What draws you to each medium, and how do you approach preparing for different types of roles?

I approach each situation by finding, breaking down, and dissecting that character. I try to discover similarities and differences between me and my character. I start by using my imagination. My teacher, Joseph Pearlman, really helps with his technique of becoming that character with the process that he has. Another great teacher is Larry Moss. Reacting to your fellow actors in the scene is very important as well as how you perceive that character. Everything on stage or in the room should have some kind of meaning to you. It’s like being a psychologist. Finding the relationship between all the characters is especially important, too.

In comedy, it’s a little different. You still try to find the character but then there’s also finding the funny or opposite reaction, so to speak. In stage, you’re using your whole self. And your breath and your voice are very important since the people in the back row need to hear you.

“V.I.P.” received acclaim, winning the Bill Murray Short Comedy Award at the Twin Cities Film Fest. What was it like working on this project, and how does it feel to have your work recognized in such a manner?

I felt extremely fortunate to be able to work with Marisa Coughlan. She wrote it. She is a great actress but she’s also a really good writer. It was very, very cold that day and we were not dressed for it. I think Marissa’s lips were turning blue. It was really fun to work with her. She’s a very kind person. I remember being in shock when we won the Bill Murray comedy award. We were up against some good competition.

In “New Wisdom,” the theme of “wisdom in the age of social media” is explored. What message or takeaway do you hope viewers gain from the film?

Brittany wrote that based on all the things that were happening in the world at that time. It was just after Covid and social media became crazy with TikTok in terms of riots and defunding the police. So, a lot of our humor was about that. I loved how she could take things like that and turn them into something humorous. She has a great mind. I would hope that people would get a message about how sometimes social media can sway people the wrong way. I hope people use their own wisdom instead of listening to others.

You have upcoming projects like “My 7 Grandmas,” “Cruel Summer Weekend,” and “For All Eternity.” Can you tell us a bit about these projects and the roles you’ll be taking on?

“My 7 Grandmas” is a family type movie with good messages. I play the crabby lady who’s in charge of other ladies who volunteer for the library. We are kind of a wacky combination of personalities, which is comical. This young gal wants to join our group of older ladies, and I don’t trust her. Turns out she has her own agenda. It’s a dramedy, which is one of my favorite genres.

“For All Eternity” is a short film. I helped produce it in order to help a writer move forward with her writing for TV and film. And I had a small part in it as an art gallery owner. I cast Brittany Benjamin as the main actress. She was fantastic. It was emotional and I knew Brittany could handle that. I am hoping that it will be shown at the Twin City Film Fest this fall.

In “Cruel Summer Weekend,” I play the reporter who interviews the main character when she is an adult. As we start start to tell the story, we go back in time to the time of the event. There are a lot of twists and turns. It’s a thriller. I also helped produce, hire crew, and cast this film. Tati Elsher was the Director.  She was fantastic and had great artistic ideas. Michael Campion plays a completely different character than what he’s normally known for, which is “Fuller House,” the sequel to “Full House.” It was so fun having him on set.

In “For All Eternity,” you’re not only acting but also overseeing production, casting, and script supervision. How do you balance these different aspects of filmmaking, and what challenges do you encounter in wearing multiple hats on set?

Balancing all the hats behind the camera wasn’t so bad. Balancing my acting while having to think of all the other things was the tough part. What I learned was not to be a script supervisor and an actress on the same day [laughs]. When you’re acting, you really need to focus on who you are as the character. It was hard to have my brain go from organizing everything, which is the left side of your brain, to the right side of your brain, which is the creative part. PS. I’m helping produce a pilot now!

Throughout your career, you’ve navigated both stage and screen. What unique challenges and rewards does each medium present for you as an actress?

Funny, you say that. When you’re working on the stage, your breath and voice are very important to project so that the audience can hear you. You need to know when you’re going to breathe so you don’t lose the strength of your voice. On stage there are instant rewards from the audience. There’s a closeness you create with your fellow actors on stage. You become family.

Challenges of working in front of the camera? I think the main one is that the camera picks up everything. You have to remember that. It’s very intimate. Sometimes speaking too loudly can ruin your performance. You really need to feel what that character is feeling in that moment. You really need to listen to your fellow actor and connect to them. And you really have to know your relationship with each character you are in a scene with. Another challenge is that things change. Sometimes you get the script changed just before shooting. Sometimes you’re hired to replace somebody at the last minute and you stay up till two in the morning the night before just to read the script. There are so many challenges!

Could you share a memorable or challenging experience from your time working on stage productions?

I did a production called “Grand Opening,” my favorite play. I played the lonely town drunk. I had this rubber cookie that was supposed to fall off my plate, and I had to go on my hands and knees to chase after it. But that cookie had a mind of its own. It was always doing something unusual. Then, I had to switch to a real cookie so that my co-actor could pick it up and take a bite. We were always laughing at what happened with it. Normally, it didn’t roll far, which was frustrating for me because it needed to roll! But one night it decided to roll all the way across the stage. I was crawling after that for a very long time and had to resort to a bit of improv. It’s the crazy things that are fun to remember.

As an actress, how do you approach character development, especially when tackling roles that may be emotionally or psychologically demanding?

In my older age, I’ve had a lot of tragedy that I can use in my acting. My home burning down, the death of parents, loss of my sister, loss of pets. I have certain music that I use that I played at my mother’s funeral that triggers me. I often take my grief and flip it midway into what the character is feeling. It’s usually something to get me started. And since I’ve done my homework on the character, I flip it into what I have discovered about that person in my research or in my imagination.

Looking to the future, what are your aspirations and goals within the entertainment industry, and are there any particular types of roles or projects you’re eager to explore?

I like working on stories that are based on a true story and that have a good message. I like a character that has depth—something hidden or a past that may affect them, twists and turns. I also love period films and would love to work on those types of films. One of my favorite films is “Pride and Prejudice.” My grandmother was from England and her father was on the parliament. Sr. Francis Osborne. I think that is why I love all the English period films so much. Also, when I was a child, our bedtime stories that my mother would read to us were about how Germans would help the Jews by hiding them in the walls. So, I have a tender heart towards stories like “Schindler’s List”. I hope to produce more and it would be a dream to work on one of Steven Spielberg’s films.