Charlotte Lawrence has caught the performing bug. You would say it was inevitable. In spite of everything, the L.A. native was your typical theater child performing in all of her faculty and camp performs rising up. However hell-bent on forging her personal path at 13—something to keep away from following in her well-known dad and mom’ movie and TV footsteps—she dove headfirst into music and has been amassing a notable following for her alt-indie sound and emotionally uncooked songwriting ever since.
Then Unhealthy Monkey got here alongside.
When Lawrence caught wind that actresses her age and who regarded like her have been auditioning for a present that her dad, Invoice Lawrence, was writing for Apple TV+, her ego instantly kicked in. “I used to be like, ‘What the fuck are all these women auditioning for that I do not find out about it?'” she remembers through a FaceTime name in late July. On the behest of her roommate and longtime pal, who additionally was her dad’s former assistant, she hatched a plan to secretly audition. Lawrence acquired straight to work. She employed an performing coach and put within the hours till she was lastly able to put herself on tape. Then they slipped it in with the others.
“I acquired a name three weeks later, and my dad was like, ‘What the fuck, Charlotte?'” she says with amusing. A lot to her dad’s shock, Lawrence’s face popped up on-screen whereas he was reviewing prime candidates for the position of Caitlin. “He sat me down and was like, ‘Do you truly need to do that?’ I instructed him, ‘I need to do that greater than I’ve ever needed to do something. I really feel so impressed by it. The character resonates a lot with me. I actually assume I may kill it, and in the event you would give me this chance, I’ll work tooth and nail and as arduous as I probably can and go into lessons each week and work with a coach and simply kill it for you,'” she says. Even then, she nonetheless needed to win over the higher-ups at Apple, which she did. She additionally wanted the approval of her father after he warned her he would reduce her out of the present if she wasn’t nice. She did that too.
The 24-year-old tells us all of this as a result of she is aware of her path to performing is deeply rooted in nepotism, a reality she refreshingly would not shrink back from throughout our dialog. As an alternative, she makes use of it as a motivator to work even tougher.
Not one to chop corners, Lawrence put within the work she promised to her father. She instantly enrolled in lessons and went via train after train together with her performing coach Anthony Meindl. Being susceptible and expressing her true feelings on the web page is one thing Lawrence is aware of properly, however expressing and feeling these feelings out loud? That was a distinct story. “One of many largest issues about performing, at the very least for me, is do not be afraid to be embarrassed,” Lawrence says. “As soon as I acquired previous that half, I felt extra comfy to have the ability to be wild and be free.”
Teaching apart, being on the set of Unhealthy Monkey with its nice ensemble solid—Vince Vaughn, Rob Delaney, Michelle Monaghan, and Meredith Hagner, to call a number of—was a grasp class for Lawrence in itself. She was surrounded by individuals who may very well be as boisterous, hilarious, and devastating as they needed to be with no concern.
The darkish comedy follows former detective Andrew Yancy (Vaughn), who turns into obsessive about an uncommon new homicide case that would reinstate him to the division, however first, he should get previous a collection of oddball characters within the Florida Keys.
Lawrence performs Caitlin, a recovering heroin addict and newfound Jesus fanatic trying to reconnect together with her father regardless of his new money-hungry spouse creating obstacles.
“I bear in mind studying the guide and simply desirous to know Caitlin and being so fascinated with her,” Lawrence tells us. “I assumed she was such a cool character and so intricate and humorous and particular.” Although she could not essentially relate to Caitlin’s chosen vices, Lawrence understood Caitlin’s need to alter her life round and noticed a bit of woman who’s simply making an attempt to be a grown-up. She additionally liked that Caitlin wasn’t afraid to talk her thoughts. “I discover myself pondering numerous issues that Caitlin has mentioned out loud however would by no means ever say out loud,” Lawrence admits. “It was actually enjoyable studying the script and being like, ‘I get to be a bitch and say all these items which might be so assured and funky that I am going to by no means do, however I can categorical it via her.’ It was actually enjoyable.”
As for the chance to go toe to toe in bitchiness with Hagner, who has many scene-stealing moments as Caitlin’s stepmom Eve Stripling, Lawrence says these have been a few of her favourite days on set. The actress has been a fan of Hagner since watching her in Search Get together and may wax poetic about her co-star for hours. “She’s at the start the kindest particular person. She is so beautiful and so caring and nurturing and appreciative and complimentary—all the nice issues. She has all the nice fucking traits. It is actually annoying. I am like, ‘You’ll be able to’t be this humorous and proficient and exquisite and in addition be fucking nice in each method.'”
The 2 grew to become very shut whereas filming in Miami and spent most of their days off hanging on the seaside with Hagner’s son and husband. Lawrence describes their relationship as a sisterly dynamic, which was all of the extra enjoyable when doing intense scenes collectively. “We’d do an emotional ‘fuck you!’ take, after which they are saying reduce, and instantly, it is like, ‘Oh, bear in mind after I was telling you about final night time?’ and go into gossip,” she says.
New to the world of performing, Lawrence was a sponge watching Hagner at work, absorbing how she took path and the assured selections she would make with each line. She fairly actually felt like a greater actor simply standing subsequent to Hagner.
Then there was working reverse Vaughn, with whom Lawrence shares most of her scenes. She describes the little issues the legendary comedy actor did whereas filming that left an enduring impression on her, like arriving early to set to undergo scenes collectively in hair and make-up or discreetly feeding her one-liners between takes and giving her all of the credit score for them. “He did not want to do this, and I do know it is such a bit of factor. He in all probability would not give it some thought once more, however that was so particular,” she says.
As soon as filming on Unhealthy Monkey wrapped and Lawrence acquired a style of set life, she was hooked. Upon arriving residence, she went straight into extra performing lessons and has been going out for extra self-tapes. She admits she nonetheless has rather a lot to be taught and possibly at all times will. It is the identical with music. For now, although, she’s doing something and every thing she will be able to to raised herself.
Her dream? To in the future do a mission that is not related to her father, which she realizes is an enormous assertion. “With my connections and who my father is, I am going to at all times have a much bigger foot within the door than numerous different folks, at all times have extra benefits, at all times have extra alternatives, and I utterly acknowledge that,” she says. “I simply would like to do one thing that’s due to me, myself, and I, and I did not should skip something.”
TV and movie could also be Lawrence’s subsequent large act, however music will at all times be her old flame, and followers can relaxation simple realizing extra music is on the best way. The album is completed. Now, she’s simply within the tedious inventive and advertising and marketing course of. She lights up speaking in regards to the assortment of songs, saying it is essentially the most proud she’s felt of something in her life.
It is thrilling to be connecting with Lawrence at a second when seemingly all of her desires are coming true. She is extra laser targeted on her profession than ever earlier than, and it is displaying up in her work. “Regardless of the world has for me, I am open to it,” she says. We’ll definitely be watching.
Unhealthy Monkey is now streaming on Apple TV+.
Photographer: Louisa Meng
Stylist: Lauren Eggertsen
Hairstylist: Graham Nation
Make-up Artist: Jen Tioseco
Manicurist: Kimmie Kyees
Artistic Director: Amy Armani
Producer: Lindsay Ferro
Designer: Ally Quirk
