Ask the Actor – Kaleigh Macchio

Today we are speaking with Kaleigh Macchio, one of the leads in Somewhere in Montana to be released by Nova Vento in 2023. Having a significant role in the film, we decided to ask her a few questions about herself and her experience on the film.

What kind of roles do you prefer to play?

That’s the hardest question to answer. It all comes down to the writing. All of the externalizations of a character aside, is she layered and complex, does she have a secret? I look for that more than specific types. Though I can say I’d really love to explore more period pieces and fantasy.

What is your approach as an actor? How do you prepare for a role?

I think each role necessitates a different approach…I’m never in the same mental and emotional space as I was for a prior role, and so I let myself feel out what each character asks of me. For Laney, having lots of talks with Brandon was very important for setting the tone, since she’s very close to his heart. That’s one consistent aspect of approaching character development for me: making sure you’re on the same page with the writer/director. Learning how flexible everyone is in their idea of the character, knowing how much you can take the baseline idea of the character and build, or how much you need to interpret within a defined structure. Specifically for Laney, I got to reconnect a lot with a different side of myself (I spent half of my childhood on a ranch).

Can you highlight some of the projects that you have worked on in the past?

Past projects are always like looking at an old yearbook. There is a really fantastic pilot for a series coming out soon that I shot before “Somewhere in Montana” that I’m unbelievably excited about called, “The Wayfarer” from Stormforged Studios. It’s a really beautifully written fantasy series. I’ve also got a feature coming out next year that takes place over the course of a single evening in a town being terrorized by a murderer. That’ll be a fun ride. Currently co-writing a vampire ensemble film with a dear friend of mine as well that goes into production in 2023!

You play John’s daughter (Graham McTavish) in the film, Somewhere in Montana. What was your experience like working with Graham?

Working with Graham was a blast. He’s hilarious and sweet, and so full of stories that he’s always happy to share. He’s so gentle and then the cameras roll and he suddenly snaps into such intensity. It was wonderful to get to share scenes with him and I learned a lot in observing how he stood in his power. He showed me that it’s not only acceptable, but really helpful to keep asking questions if something isn’t sitting well with you. I felt empowered to trust my knowledge of my character more after seeing him do so. And man, I thought I loved lattes but he takes the crown.

Were there any scenes in particular that you enjoyed shooting in the film?

Oh, I loved so many of the scenes we shot! My first scene we shot is the first time we see Laney and what a way to blast onto the scene with the crew. You’ll see why. That was really freeing. I really loved shooting the ceremony, too. There was such a charged energy in the room that night and we were all feeding off of eachother in a really beautiful way. I think my favorite day, though, was the scene with Laney and Rebecca in the truck bed. We had to shoot that scene much earlier than anticipated due to weather, but it kind of felt nice jumping into such an emotionally intense scene without getting to overthink it. Tashia (Rebecca) and I had such a wonderful day together. We just gave to each other freely. That’s probably my favorite day on set.

Photo credits: Eden Bryant, Joe Borden, Matt Drago, Kaleigh Macchio, Michael Ruebusch