By: Belle Doyle
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 05/04/23 – Alexa Speyer has come full circle from her musical theater background in Toronto, Canada to starring in a musical in the heart of Los Angeles. The Toronto native had a strong devotion for dancing and singing since childhood, her experiences led her to exploring a career in acting where she studied in New York and LA in theater and film.
“I started singing at a super young age,” says actress, Alexa Speyer. “My parents put me in dance classes and from there, they could tell I had a really strong passion for singing so they put me in professional singing lessons at age 10. The singing and dance
classes led to acting and musical theater. From there, I started doing films which I loved, then I got into a performing arts high school. That was a really great experience, I loved it and I started doing musical theater really intensely, but I wanted to explore other forms of performing arts, so I decided to get my BFA in acting and I spent years in New York and LA; that led me here to live in LA as a working actress.”
Is there a project you’re working on that you’re most excited to share?
“I just finished a musical. It’s called Authenticity, it was written by Johnny Cassidy and the direction was by Kaylee Mattoon.” says Speyer. “The show is about anti-bullying, social media. It started in the Hollywood Fringe last year and it got really positive
reception and it won an Encore award, from there, Johnny decided to put it back up again because in the Fringe festival you can only do half of a musical so this was the first full production of it. It was very successful, I met a lot of great creators. It was a very positive experience and I’m very grateful I was able to do it. It was really fun performing on stage again and getting back to my roots in musical theater.”
The musical, Authenticity, centers around a social media star, Aurora who struggles to search for a genuine friendship, she creates a fake profile to connect with Hudson who she has bullied for being too sensitive.
Describe the process you go through when you’re studying and getting into character.
“Studying a character can be different for each one. I try as best as I can to make each character feel like their own, the best part about acting is that you can bring your own point of view and perspective into it; that’s why there are characters that can be done over and over again, like Hamlet for example, and each time would be different because your bring your own point of view into the character. I like that with each character I play, my point of view is still reminiscent between the lines.” says Speyer. “When I’m preparing for a character, I look at the genre but do not ever want to play the genre, I just want to play the character authentically and hopefully that will bring the story to life.
I always start by going through the script and analyzing it completely, once that’s done, I get it up on my feet and memorize. Once that’s done, it’s easier to play. I often go to
coaches for big roles and spend time on each scene and each beat to develop a fully rounded character and bring a unique perspective to each one I do. The best part is going onto set or stage and getting to let everything go and just be in the moment.”
Who is someone that you’ve worked with who has helped evolve your creative process.
“One of the first films I ever worked on was F the Prom by the Fine Brothers.” says Speyer. “When I went onto that set I was definitely a junior actor. It was my very first set,
I was super excited but also a little bit nervous. The second I stepped onto the set the directors made me feel so comfortable and it was such a great working environment, all of the other actors were very welcoming and inviting. It was a very positive first set experience and it was my first time seeing how films and sets worked; it was very eye opening and I’m grateful that I had that as my first experience.” F the Prom, starring Danielle Campbell and Madelaine Petsch, follows two former best friends in high school reconnecting and scheming to sabotage the prom. Alexa’s credits include the film Survival Guide and several popular musicals in local Toronto theaters like Mamma Mia, Grease, Cabaret, and Hairspray.
What do you look for when you’re reading a script?
“I want to bring a unique diverse story to life. There’s such a wide range of scripts that I feel like I’m truly open to anything. When I’m reading a script I’m looking for a character that I don’t necessarily personally connect with but I am passionate about their story.” says Speyer. “It’s acting, the point is to not change yourself but to reinvent yourself with each character even if they’re completely opposite of me, that can be a really great
challenge for me to take on. I look for a unique story or a story that needs to be told.
Even the cliques need to be told, they’re cliques but they stick around for a reason. There’s a reason we still see the same love story over and over again; people connect with it. I would love to bring a story like that to life. There’s a lot to be inspired by.”
Do you feel a responsibility to influence the industry to grow?
“Yes, I feel as a community of the new generation coming into the industry, the responsibility falls on all of us. More diverse stories are being brought to the table, roles are being open to everyone which is a blessing. There are a lot of opportunities coming
up which is amazing to see, obviously there’s a lot of work that needs to be done but it’s nice to see that we’re progressing upwards. I think the new generation in the entertainment industry has a lot more diverse stories to bring to the table that will create more opportunities.” says Speyer.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to pursue a career in the industry.
“Understand how much work and self-discipline it takes. You are the CEO of your own company; your company being you. On top of the creative side to acting, there is a business side to it so you need to be able to navigate both.” says Speyer. “You need the self-discipline to get yourself started but it’s a really rewarding field when you get to do projects that you love to keep going. Do not stop until you get where you want to be because that’s what I’m doing.”
