Where I came from: I wasn’t actually in “the biz” all that time; I took a break in 1998 to complete my long awaited Bachelor’s degree (in Criminal Justice) and another “sabbatical” when both SAG & AFTRA were striking in 2000 & 2001. With a mortgage & a child, a paycheck was a necessity, so I accepted full time employment as a business administrator in of all places, an office environment! All things happen for a reason, however, and it was during that time I met my husband and found the strongest supporter of my dreams & ambitions! I’ve always enjoyed this business, it was not only my financial support, but also provided my social network. As a single parent, you don’t just go out at the drop of a hat, so to work in an environment with fun people who enjoy their jobs was an additional perk. Also, when my son was little, the inevitable unemployed days enabled me to chaperone field trips with my son’s class, or volunteer. I loved that I could make decent money for a few days work & then not worry about the mortgage. That was reason enough to be in this business. 
Where I’m going: One of those nasty roles was as a mother dealing with her daughter’s interracial marriage in The Bell Tolls. My character had preconceptions that came with her prejudices, and finally realizing those notions were false. I had a similar role in a web series, Take This Job, with similar prejudices. These are real issues that must be dealt with & film is the perfect medium. I get to take a deeper step into darkness in The Discarded, due out in 2010 (I hope!). My character is the quintessential evil step-mother in a dark noir fairy tale reminiscent of Hansel & Gretel. She is pure evil, completely self absorbed & controlling but the bottom line is that the audience knows she is bad, her character is not glorified which is the case so often in film these days. My motivation:I went out to LA for the 168 Film Project this past spring and had such a positive experience. The 168 is a Christian based film festival with international groups participating. Each group is assigned a bible verse and they then have a week to make a 10 minute short using that verse. The quality of films that come out of this competition is amazing! The entire experience was uplifting, awakened my sprit of adventure and opened my eyes to the network of people working to improve the quality of films coming out of Hollywood. I had a principal role in Stealing Home, and out of 85 films entered, our film received 12 nominations, and I was nominated Best Supporting Actress, quite an honor! I worked alongside Frank Ashmore (V, The Practice, West Wing), who was also nominated for Best Actor. Our director was Benjamin Lobato, I see great things are in his future! All in all, I find myself at a wonderful starting place for a well grounded, re-focused career! Learn more about me & what’s happening at my blog at: www.francinelocke.blogspot.com |