[Watch the video interview on Youtube here]
Film Courage: What patterns do you find in great movies?
Sheila Houlahan, Actor, Singer, Producer and Writer: Arguably you could say that every movie is the same story being told over and over again, that there’s really only one type of story but in terms of actual patterns I just saw a film that really stuck with me, which is I think it’s called Luckiest Girl Ever or something, it’s on Netflix?
Film Courage: With Mila Kunis? Yes, I want to see that.
Sheila: Really dark! Trigger warning! I can’t code it in enough of those. I didn’t realize that going in and I wish there had been a little bit more of Are you sure you want to watch this? because watching it was like Oh my God. It was brilliant, it was the best film that I’ve seen in a really long time. In terms of films that have stuck with me I think it’s bravery and just getting in there and really talking about (for me) it’s the stuff where it’s Wow, you really went there and you were really showing this gross, icky side of life that people are afraid to talk about and you did it in such a brave way. It doesn’t have to be gross. I think just bravery with handling your subject matter. Again, that specificity of really being I am not going to be afraid to tell the story. Even with the most innocuous story I think that people you can tell when a room filled of executives made decisions about a movie as opposed to a creative, no offense to all executives out there, no offense to you, but you can tell when a committee made a movie rather than a human because the committee is…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
BIO:
Sheila Houlahan is a Webby Award Winning Indian-American actor, singer, producer, writer and advocate. Sheila played the supporting role “Paige Callahan” opposite Denzel Washington in the Warner Bros. feature “The Little Things”, which was written and directed by John Lee Hancock. She also has a role in the Michael Bay thriller “Ambulance”. In 2021, Sheila was the executive producer for a feature film adaptation of Marsha Norman’s Pulitzer-winning play “Night, Mother” in partnership with Twitch.tv; this film was a “hybrid” film, mixing pre-recorded segments with live performance that was recorded and edited in front of a live audience. Over 8000 people watched “Night, Mother” live, and since then, the film has received critical acclaim and has been screened at 68 festivals in over 24 countries. “Night, Mother” has over 64K views on it’s flagship Twitch.tv channel and has been praised for its’ fresh, innovative approach to filmmaking winning over 60 awards including the Webby Award for Virtual and Remote Entertainment & Media. Sheila is a Celebrity Champion for Project HEAL, a nonprofit organization that helps people suffering from eating disorders source affordable treatment options and pay for treatment. She is also an ambassador for Ability Magazine’s platform AbilityE, a casting portal that seeks to increase inclusion and representation of differently-abled talent and creatives on both sides of the table in Hollywood.
WATCH ‘NIGHT, MOTHER’
CONNECT WITH SHEILA HOULAHAN
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