Leading actress

by Chris Aliapoulios

Lauren Shafer has been honing her stage skills for over twenty years and is now beginning to see the rewards of her dedication.

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Her first film experience began when, at the last minute, a friend informed her that indie feature film The Stevie Wondershow was casting for the lead female role in an otherwise all male cast. She raced off to the audition only to find they were putting the cameras away. After some convincing, she was given the opportunity to audition. She got the role and was soon whisked off to Iowa for two weeks to shoot the film.

The Stevie Wondershow went on to win Best Comedy at Bare Bones Film Festival in Oklahoma. Lauren recently received the Best Actress in a Feature Film Award for her performance during the Detroit Independent Film Festival awards ceremony.

With so many opportunities in Michigan film, Lauren is taking full advantage. She earned SAG eligibility with her first paid speaking role in Meet Monica Velour. She shared the screen with Eric Roberts in Intent, and Geri Ryan in Secrets in the Walls, and was directed by C. Thomas Howell in Genesis Code. Meet Monica Velour, Lauren’s first paid film gig, stars Kim Cattrall and Brian Dennehy, and premiered at the esteemed Tribeca Film Festival.

Keep an eye out for Lauren, one of Michigan’s young emerging talents. Watch the MMM video interview with Lauren Shafer at michiganmoviemagazine.biz and check out her website at laurenmaeshafer.com.