EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Chesapeake Shores' Laci J. Mailey
Laci J. Mailey is a Canadian born actress from Fruitvale, British Columbia. In addition to starring in shows such as Supernatural, Arrow, and iZombie, she is probably best known for her role as Jeanne Weaver in TNT’s Falling Skies.
The talented actress is currently on our screens, starring as Jess O’Brien in season two of Hallmark’s Chesapeake Shores. As the youngest of the O’Brien sisters, Jess certainly had a hard time in season one, following the return of her estranged mother Megan. But what will season two have in store for her?
We recently caught up with Laci to get the lowdown on Jess and season two of Chesapeake Shores, finding real life sisters in on-screen family Emilie Ullerup and Meghan Ory, her most challenging role to date, and much more.
Chesapeake Shores is back for its second season. What can fans expect from Jess and the show this time around?
Fans can expect a much more vibrant and fun Jess this season! Season 1 was a really tough summer for Jess. She was completely knocked out of alignment having her estranged mother show up in her life again. Now, summer is over and she is getting back into her usual routine of making “Jess messes”. The BnB is up and running and everyone is getting back to their lives.
What attracted you to the role of Jess and the show in the first place, and are there any similarities between yourself and the character of Jess?
Jess is a free spirit. She is the “cool aunt”! We have a lot of similarities. I’m the cool aunt too. I have been watching the show this season and thinking “man, she’s such an idiot but I love her”… not to be harsh, but its true! Sometimes I wonder “what is she thinking?!”. Jess has a very strong and fiery side to her as well. She has a lot of deep hurt and I love figuring her out. She is very up and down.
You work closely with Emilie Ullerup and Meghan Ory as they play your on-screen sisters. Have they become like real life sisters now?
Yes!! We have become real life sisters! What a gift. It’s pretty rare for three actresses on the same show to get a long as well as we do. I think the casting process was very serendipitous. I like to think there is a lovely tie between Meghan, myself and Emilie’s look. I am sort of a morph between both of them.
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In fact, the cast in its entirety feels like one big family. What is it like to work with some iconic actors including Treat Williams and Diane Ladd?
Treat has become such an inspiration to me. He is currently on stage doing American Buffalo with Stephen Adly-Gurgis in Vermont and he was kind enough to let me run lines with him all summer during the shoot. We talk about theater and he tells me all his epic stories from his career and I just sit there gushing. Emilie and I just went to his hometown to see him on stage actually. We stayed in his cottage and he got to show us his beautiful property in Vermont. It was a dream.
Diane has such a presence, you are sort of arrested by her spirit when she is in the room. You never know what she is going to do with a scene and you really have to listen and try to give her as much of yourself as you can because you know she is giving you everything she’s got. It has been an honor to work with her.
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Season one of Chesapeake Shores was a runaway success for Hallmark – why do you think the show has been so well received?
In these changing times, I think audiences are searching for something softer. Hallmark is a network that has forever been the warm fuzzy blanket, and I think our show premiered at an interesting time. Our show has just the right amount of conflict and just the right amount of “hallmark moment” to bring in the large amount of viewers every week who really just need to escape the news for a minute. I hope everyone feels like a member of our family and can find themselves in one or all of us.
The show is loosely based on the book series. Have you read the series or have any plans to?
Yes I have read the first couple of books but I read them with caution. The character of Jess in the books is quite a nuisance and I found myself judging her. I had to put the books down gently and really focus, get to the root of why she does what she does, and really try to give her a voice that the audience can understand and have compassion for.
What first made you want to become an actress?
Kate Winslet and Leo DiCaprio in Titanic. I was so captivated by that film. Its so cheesy, I know, but it’s the truth. Those two are just such a force and I was only 7 when I saw it, so it catapulted some big dreams and desires. I am never sure how to answer the question of “why did you become an actress” without sounding like a dork but – hey. Jack and Rose baby.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given during your career so far?
Do theater.
You’re best known for playing Jeanne Weaver in Falling Skies, but what has been your most challenging role to play to date?
There is a character in the play Zastrozzi: Master of Discipline called Matilda. She is a Spanish, sword-wielding, cart-wheeling, fiery, busty, savage of a woman. She is Catherine Zeta-Jones in ‘Zorro’ meets Penelope Cruise in ‘Vicky, Christina, Barcelona’. Add a little rabid panther in there and you have Matilda. I never in my wildest dreams thought I could play such a role, but my coach worked it with me and I surprised myself. Sadly, this was only on stage. Maybe they can turn Zastrozzi into a film and I can have another go at her!
Do you have any other projects in the pipeline that you’d like to tell us about?
I have just formed a theater company in LA and we are lucky enough to have Matthew Lillard (Scream, SLC Punk, Scooby Doo) on board to direct our first play. We plan to go up in February 2018. Stay tuned!
Thank you so much to Laci for her time! You can watch Chesapeake Shores on Hallmark on Sundays at 9/8c.
Let us know your thoughts on Laci J. Mailey and Chesapeake Shores on Twitter @CelebMix
Featured Image: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ricardo Hubbs
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