Laurie Love Pulls Double Duty in Brian Skiba’s PURSUIT Playing “Nikki Styles” and Collaborating as Filmmaker

indieactivity: Hey Laurie! It is great to meet you! So, tell us about yourself?
Laurie Love (LL): It is nice to be with you.

I wanted to be an actress in television and film for as long as I can remember. I used to beg my parents to get me into acting and I mean beg like down on my knees with prayer hands pleading. They always said, “no”. I used to daydream about working with actors I watched on TV or film that I have had the pleasure of working with to this day.

I tried out for every school play and talent show that I could take every acting and drama class available to me and continued into college and community theatre which was what helped lead me down my path to acting for the screen where I started to compete in film competitions. Funny enough my first paid acting role happened before college. I was in a Peter Piper Pizza commercial.

Watch Trailer for PURSUIT starring Emile Hirsch, John Cusack, Jake Manley and Laurie Love

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I had been cast because I was an employee, a 17-year-old birthday manager at the time, and came with my own wardrobe. When I showed up at the studio we were filming at and worked in front of the camera for the first time I was hooked. I was in awe, not only in awe of working in front of the camera but what was going on behind the camera to bring the production together.

I knew then that I wanted to pursue not only acting but also filmmaking as a career it just clicked for me. Today, I am a filmmaker. I am the co-Founder of a production and post-production company, Skibavision, LLC. I am an Actress, Producer, Writer, Author, and Stunt Woman.

What acting technique do you use?
Laurie Love (LL): Although I got my start with classical acting, I studied Modern acting such as the Stanislavski technique which pulls upon your own life experiences to bring about authentic emotions. I believe I pull from multiple acting techniques however tend to resonate with the method/modern style of acting.

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How did you get connected to the project?
Laurie Love (LL): I was a part of the project since pre-production. I came on assisting in the duties of getting the production up and running alongside my director husband Brian Skiba and producer Andrew Stevens. I pulled double duty as “production coordinator” and was cast in the role of Nikki Styles. In trying to keep our footprint small and have a small crew during uncertain times during a pandemic, many of us doubled up our duties as an impressive multi-talented crew and cast.

Let’s take this project you did; how did you prepare for such a role: the cast, the physicality the terrain, the climate, the weather, and the demands of the project?
Laurie Love (LL): Memorization of my lines is always #1 (backward and forwards). I was as prepared as I could be for the role physically, I am in great shape currently. However, I thought I was prepared for a movie at the height of the hottest Arkansas summer.

I learned very quickly; I was not prepared for the level of hot the south was offering up. I thought growing up in Arizona would help me be prepared. Nope! But on a serious note, I have been blessed to previously play in roles as a woman of the law. In fact, when I was in high school and college people would always ask me if I was an undercover cop at parties and I thought it was hilarious. I guess I tend to naturally carry myself this way.

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This character was able to handle a gun, smart, funny, and a total badass. I enjoyed the opportunity to play her. I am not new to stunts, gun handling, or squibs so being Nikki was right up my alley. One fun aspect of preparing for my character was that I was able to drive around several police vehicles and visit police stations, and interact with law enforcement, fire and paramedics while filming.

I enjoyed being immersed in that environment furthermore helping me build upon my character.

How do you create the character from a script into a person?
Laurie Love (LL): I like to figure out where my character fits into the world the story lives in. Their backstory is their driving motivational force to do what they do and be who they are. I like to pull in mannerisms and pieces of my own personality and yet also adopt the mannerisms of others.

The director told me to, “be yourself” so that takes some of the pressure off. Becoming a character from the written word to creating a physical manifestation of them is a lovely transformative process and one that I do enjoy on the actor’s journey.

So many elements go into this. From the words to wardrobe, to makeup, to props, to hairstyle, to setting and time period and when all of the elements come together, and you present it to the camera, and you first hear the director call “action” that’s the true moment the character finally arrives and there you are.

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What drove you to get on the project?
Laurie Love (LL): I love action movies. I have watched them since I was a little girl. Some of my fondest childhood memories were renting blockbuster movies with my father on Friday nights. This film had an old action movie spin in the new age with a good story and some incredible actors attached. The character I was able to play was a strong female character and I couldn’t be happier to have been cast as an undercover policewoman, Nikki Styles.

Explain one creative choice you took on this production?
Laurie Love (LL): During the filming of one of the surveillance van scenes, Brian Skiba wanted Nikki to always be eating so my six-year-old son who was on set that day had some lollipops one red and one blue (like the MATRIX) and that is what I used in the scene. He thought it was hilarious and we could hear him cracking up from video village.

You’re not new to indie films. What do you enjoy about the work that keeps you working?
Laurie Love (LL): I LOVE Independent films. It is where I have spent my career thus far. I enjoy the creativity, the challenges, I enjoy working in front of and behind the camera creating art and entertainment. It fills up my soul to do what I love and capture my dreams along the way.

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Give an example of a direction you received from the director during the production?
LL: (Speaking about Nikki’s motivations towards Breslin’s character played by Jake Manley in a specific scene) “You kind of have a low-key crush on him.”

How did you collaborate with your cast members from scene to scene?
LL: I had met David Irving previously to him joining the cast of PURSUIT and we got along instantly like we have known each other for years. The chemistry between actors in my opinion is important. Jake Manley and I had a chance to bond as a team playing pool one night with some of the crew and cast. We were partners and we won so that was a great foray into building a layer of friendship within our characters for our upcoming scenes.

As main cast in the film, describe the feeling of responsibility that you shouldered?
LL: I welcome pressure and work better under pressure. Nothing like being fired up by working on an intense action movie and bringing to life what I hope to be a memorable character. I felt the most personal responsibility with my stunt scenes as I only had one take each time. That was pressure x 10 not to screw anything up.

What did you take away from the film production?
LL: I was able to work with incredibly talented actors, stunt, and SFX people that I admire and respect. I was also able to work alongside civil servants who also inspire me and met some wonderful people along the way. There are memories I will cherish however making a movie during a pandemic in the top covid hot spot in the United States and all the cast and crew making it through filming was nothing short of a miracle and the experience was unforgettable. I took home many newfound friendships and multiple mosquito bites.

What do you like most about the director and his/her collaboration with his/her team?
LL: I love the director. He is my husband and business partner. He is an incredibly talented director with a strong vision, insane work ethic, and is incredibly multi-talented which lends to his style of directing seeing and obtaining his vision of his projects from start to finish.

What is next for you?
LL: A television film I stunt doubled for the lead will be releasing this year, FLOWERS & HONEY I am in post-production on a film I co-produced titled, THE OTHER HAND where I also stunt doubled for two actresses and cameoed as the DA. I recently finished filming on another Television film titled, KILLER RIVALRY where I play the role of Lauren Sanford. I currently have several projects in different stages of development across television and film platforms and have started to pen a tell-all book about my journey with invisible illness concerning fibromyalgia and heavy metal toxicity and how I found my way back to health.

What advice do you give actors regarding what you learned on the project?
LL: Always. Be. Prepared. There is no way of getting away from the mosquitos during the summer in Arkansas. Magic hour in Arkansas is Mosquito hour. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

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