Hannah Love Lanier on Lioness Season 2, Acting Career, and More

[00:00:09] Hannah, thank you for joining me today on Pop Culture Unplugged.

[00:00:12] Of course, thank you for having me.

[00:00:14] Excited times. First of all, I want to tell you congratulations. You've accomplished a lot at a young age for when I was doing some research on you.

[00:00:21] Thank you.

[00:00:23] What hit you with the acting bug? What made you get into the industry?

[00:00:28] My mom.

[00:00:31] My mom was an actress growing up, and so we sort of started together just doing commercials with the family.

[00:00:38] And the first commercial I got was with my dad and my mom, so it was a really soft leap into the industry.

[00:00:45] And then I was on set and was like, hey, I really like this. I like this.

[00:00:50] So then I sort of grew from commercials into doing more theatrical things, and now I'm here.

[00:00:57] That's awesome. I noticed you've done a little bit of everything. You've done drama, comedy, and even hosting.

[00:01:02] How did you decide you wanted to hit a little bit of everything?

[00:01:06] You know, I really like sort of being able to tap into all the different genres. There are still more things. I want to do it all. I want to tap into everything.

[00:01:16] I enjoy comedy. My mom, when she was acting a lot, she did a lot of drama and a lot of comedy as well. So I like showing those two different sides.

[00:01:23] It's sort of, you know, for myself as an artist, it gives myself different tools. And some of the things you learn while doing drama, you can utilize those things in comedy.

[00:01:33] And comedy is super specific on timing and stuff, so then that helps with things in drama. So I like being able to sort of take all of those things together.

[00:01:41] So you're trying to tell me you want to be in a sitcom someday?

[00:01:44] Yeah, I mean, hey, if the opportunity presents itself, I'm there.

[00:01:49] You sound like your parents are very role models to you. You look up to them. Is there anybody else that helped you around this journey of yours?

[00:01:58] Yeah, I mean, my mom, for sure. Without my mom, I mean, she sacrificed a lot for me to be where I am now.

[00:02:06] So my mom, for sure. She's also my acting coach. Built an acting coach. Love it.

[00:02:12] And then, I mean, working online as I'm working with Zoe Saldana, I mean, crazy.

[00:02:18] Crazy. Her as a person, such a complete role model to me. Her career, where she is now, I look up to her immensely.

[00:02:28] And I'm so grateful to be able to have the opportunity to work alongside her. It's insane.

[00:02:32] Let's jump right into the show then. Speaking of that, can you tell us, what was it like stepping into a role like this?

[00:02:37] Especially playing Kate in the series.

[00:02:40] Yeah, I think in season one, I was definitely a bit intimidated.

[00:02:47] It's season one, she was sort of a scary thing. Sort of a scary thing to portray.

[00:02:54] All of the things that she had to go through and having to sort of embody that myself and portray that on screen.

[00:03:01] I was definitely a bit nervous at first.

[00:03:04] So I found that sort of putting myself, Hannah, in Kate's shoes was the easiest way to sort of tap into what her life is like.

[00:03:16] I put myself into where would I be if my mom was on this mysterious job coming home with bruises on her face?

[00:03:23] I'm sort of on this angry hormonal teenager stage at the same time trying to figure things out.

[00:03:29] Where would I be? So really tapping into that made it easier to sort of let Kate blossom.

[00:03:37] Right. And this is a very intense and emotional show also.

[00:03:41] You know, it's like, how do you like focus?

[00:03:43] How do you make yourself like, all right, I know this part right here.

[00:03:46] You got to be all in on it.

[00:03:48] Yeah. Honestly, when you're working alongside such incredibly talented people,

[00:03:55] I mean, Dave Annabelle and Zoe, they they honestly make it easier on me because they're so generous in scenes.

[00:04:04] And it's really helpful when you have someone that is just so immensely talented to sort of play off of that.

[00:04:11] It made putting myself into Kate's shoes that much easier.

[00:04:15] So once I got on set and we're going over lines and I'm staying my lines next to Zoe,

[00:04:22] it wasn't it made it a lot easier for me to sort of get into that zone and be emotional and be vulnerable.

[00:04:29] How would you describe Kate?

[00:04:32] I would describe Kate as a very bold, very spunky, direct, strong person.

[00:04:42] I think she, especially in season one, was pretty misunderstood because people sort of saw her sort of as bratty, rude.

[00:04:53] Yeah.

[00:04:53] But she was struggling a lot.

[00:04:56] She was honing in on a lot.

[00:04:59] And the way that she was taking what's going on inside out onto other people,

[00:05:05] it was a result of her hurting and sort of getting the support of her family at a time

[00:05:10] where it was just hard for that to happen.

[00:05:13] So in season two, after everything that happened in season one,

[00:05:18] I've enjoyed sort of being able to play her.

[00:05:21] Now as she's sort of finding herself this new mature person,

[00:05:24] she's sort of blossoming into the person I think she was meant to become.

[00:05:27] So that's really nice too.

[00:05:29] How do you think she views her parents?

[00:05:32] And the choices that they make?

[00:05:36] I think at first, she obviously has a lot of resentment towards her mother.

[00:05:42] And I think it's just because she wants her around and she isn't getting that from her.

[00:05:48] And I think she takes it out as hatred and anger towards her mom.

[00:05:52] And really, she's just like, I just want my mommy.

[00:05:54] And, you know, Neil, he's a very, he's a pretty sweet dad.

[00:06:00] He's a good dad.

[00:06:01] I think, I don't think she has the same sort of outlook on her dad because he's around more.

[00:06:07] And in season two, Kate, like, grows a lot in her relationship with her mom.

[00:06:16] And it's really nice to sort of see where the relationship has come

[00:06:20] and how this resentment has sort of changed into Kate really just wanting to understand

[00:06:27] and understand what's going on.

[00:06:29] In season two, she's figuring out little things, picking up things here and there

[00:06:33] about what exactly her mom's career is.

[00:06:36] And it opens this sort of curiosity for Kate when it's like, so why are you doing this

[00:06:43] specifically instead of being here with your family?

[00:06:46] While also understanding that it's sort of an important job that her mom has.

[00:06:50] Yeah, what I was going to tell you is like, I noticed that in this season, you know,

[00:06:54] Kate has grown up and also like, you can tell, you know, the secrets and the sacrifices

[00:06:58] that are happening.

[00:06:59] Like how, like, how would you describe like her emotional journey, like from season one

[00:07:04] with everything we saw now into season two?

[00:07:06] Like, is there something that you've enjoyed most about this journey of Kate?

[00:07:11] Yeah.

[00:07:11] In season one, Kate is 14.

[00:07:14] And I was 14 too playing her and I'm 16 now.

[00:07:17] And she's, she's also 16 in season two.

[00:07:20] So there's, you know, a good chunk of time that has passed between how her relationship,

[00:07:26] how she's grown from her experiences in season one.

[00:07:29] And I mean, season one was pretty traumatic for her.

[00:07:32] And it was sort of a wake up call where even though she has this resentment, she still has

[00:07:37] her parents at the end of the day.

[00:07:39] Like they're still here for her.

[00:07:40] And I think she saw that a lot in season one with those scenes at, uh, in the hospital.

[00:07:45] There's a really, uh, intimate scene with, with Zoe and with me that I think shows Kate

[00:07:51] is sort of that resentment slowly dies down by the end of season one.

[00:07:56] And so by the time we get to season two, she's sort of this lighter, like happier person.

[00:08:03] You see her a lot more with her family, hanging out with her little sister and her dad.

[00:08:09] And when she sees her mom, I mean, she's so grateful that her mom is there instead of

[00:08:15] being angry.

[00:08:16] So it's, it's definitely a journey that she's gone on.

[00:08:19] And I've, I've really enjoyed being able to sort of portray that growth and show where

[00:08:26] she is now and how she's taken these really bad experiences in season one and ended up here.

[00:08:32] Has Zoe given you any advice on set?

[00:08:36] Man, I, yes.

[00:08:39] And I, I say a lot that I learned so much from literally just watching her.

[00:08:46] I would just be sitting back on, on set and the way she takes direction, the way she gives

[00:08:52] direction, gives suggestions.

[00:08:54] I learned so much from just watching how she handles herself and brings her own character

[00:08:59] to life that, I mean, I just, I cannot say how grateful I am to have the opportunity to work

[00:09:07] alongside her.

[00:09:09] And yeah, just being on set with her is such a learning opportunity for me more than, than,

[00:09:14] than anything.

[00:09:15] That's awesome.

[00:09:16] Like, you know, I was gonna say like Taylor shared his career.

[00:09:19] Every time he touches something, he turns it to this gold.

[00:09:21] He's got another hit with Linus.

[00:09:22] If he handed you a piece of paper and a pencil to change something about Kate, would you change

[00:09:27] anything about her?

[00:09:29] Would I change anything about Kate?

[00:09:32] No, no.

[00:09:34] I'm honestly, I, I think that what he, he has done with her is great.

[00:09:38] And like I said, this sort of journey that he's taken her on seasons.

[00:09:43] I've, I've loved it.

[00:09:45] And I think that he's, he's done a 10 out of 10 job.

[00:09:49] Is there anybody specific that you haven't had scenes with?

[00:09:53] And you know, if we see a season three, you hope you get more scenes with down the road.

[00:09:57] I mean, Linus is sort of crazy because there's two different storylines going on because there's

[00:10:02] the family stuff in, in Joe's home life and then there's the whole military part of things.

[00:10:10] So, I mean, in some perfect world, I would love to work with Nicole Kidman and I don't

[00:10:17] know, maybe Kate goes, becomes a lioness herself in a perfect world.

[00:10:23] That's what would happen.

[00:10:25] But I mean, yeah, for sure.

[00:10:28] That's awesome.

[00:10:29] What's next for you now?

[00:10:30] Any other projects you're allowed to tell us about that you're coming up or you're working

[00:10:33] on?

[00:10:34] I mean, I am, I think the industry is sort of an interesting place.

[00:10:39] I'm in a weird place too with my, I'm graduating from high school at the end of, at the end of

[00:10:44] December, which I'm very excited for.

[00:10:46] So I'm going to be starting college and I'm excited for that era of like my personal life.

[00:10:51] And I think sort of becoming that person myself and sort of growing as a personal human

[00:10:59] will sort of come out in my career as well.

[00:11:02] And I'm just excited to see where the opportunities that I've had so far, where everything's going

[00:11:07] to take me and where I'll end up.

[00:11:08] Amazing.

[00:11:09] Hannah, how can the viewers and listeners now find you on social media to keep up with

[00:11:12] you?

[00:11:13] I know you've been posting a few things about lioness and about other things.

[00:11:16] Yes.

[00:11:17] You guys can find me on Hannah Loveline here across all social media platforms.

[00:11:22] Amazing.

[00:11:23] Hannah, I want to thank you for giving me a few minutes.

[00:11:24] This was great.

[00:11:25] If we see a season three, let's get you back on.

[00:11:27] We'll continue the story.

[00:11:28] Yay.

[00:11:29] Thank you so much for having me.