Lisa Joyce has been acting for more than 15 years. However, she was introduced to a new audience when she was cast as Issa’s semi awkward co-worker, Freida, in the HBO show, Insecure. If you’ve ever seen an episode of Insecure that features Lisa Joyce’s character, Freida, you probably couldn’t help but to roll your eyes and laugh. Despite being well-meaning, Freida’s comments are often distasteful and awkward. Although Joyce does a fantastic job portraying the role, her real life self is much more aware. She may not be back for the 4th season of Insecure, but she’s got some other very cool things in the works. Continue reading for 10 things you didn’t know about Lisa Joyce.
1. She Didn’t Audition For Her Role In A Master Builder
Lisa’s roll as Hilde Wangel in the 2013 film adaptation of A Master Builder is one of her best know works. Surprisingly though, she didn’t even have to audition for the role. The film’s director, Andre Gregory, doesn’t believe in audition and instead prefers to meet potential cast members for tea. Lisa described the experience to Dujor: “Two different casting directors had mentioned me to him [Andre Gregory], so I met him for tea and we talked for like half an hour, a little bit about the play and his adaptation, which is different from the original, and also about where I was in my life–what my background was, what my family was like. It was just a really lovely, personable tea, and then the next day he sent me an email asking, “Would you like to do it?” and I was like, “Absolutely.”
2. She Was Drawn To Freida’s Character
When Lisa Joyce learned about the role of Freida on Insecure, it was the character’s line of work that drew her in. Joyce has a sister who works in education as well as friends who work in non-profits and she felt this gave her some insight into understanding who the character was.
3. She Went To DePaul University
Lisa Joyce was born and raised in Chicago. She also attended college at the city’s DePaul University where she studied theater. While some actors prefer not to pursue formal education, Joyce is extremely thankful for the training she received. She told Refinery 29, “My training at the Theater School introduced me to a lot of different acting techniques, but didn’t strictly advocate for one over the other. Basically, they gave me a variety of tools and then let me choose which ones worked best for me.”
4. She’s A Theater Actress
Even though she’s found a great deal of success on the big and small screens, Lisa will always be a theater actress at heart. She got her start on the stage and has several Broadway credits to her name including a 2010 production of the play La Bete.
5. She Talks To Herself In The Mirror
One of the most memorable things about Issa’s character on Insecure is the way she talks –and raps– to herself in the mirror. This is something Lisa Joyce has also admitted to doing, minus the rapping. When asked if she’s ever talked to herself in the mirror, Lisa said, “For sure. It’s not something I would ever want someone to walk in on… Even as an actor just auditioning you have to prove yourself, so there is an element of privately building yourself up before you go out into the world, little pep talks.”
6. She Loves Comfy Clothes
Looking presentable is a big part of success for most actors. So when Lisa Joyce isn’t working she prefers to take a more comfortable approach to herself. She loves to dress down and wear loose button down shirts and oversized sweaters.
7. She Has A List Of People She’d Love To Work With
Lisa Joyce has put a lot of thought into who she wants to work with. In fact, she’s put together a list of names. Some of the people Lisa hopes to share a screen (or stage) with in the future include Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett.
8. She’s In A Relationship
All of the attention Lisa has gotten over the last few years put her on a lot of people’s radar. Still, she prefers to keep her personal life away from the public eye. In 2014, she revealed that she’d recently gotten engaged and shared that she would be planning a wedding soon. However, Lisa didn’t reveal any information about who her partner is.
9. She’s Been In Law & Order
Who doesn’t love Law & Order? Not only is Lissa a fan of the franchise, but she’s also worked on the shows. Lisa Joyce has the opportunity to appear in both Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU two times. In her last Law & Order appearance in 2011, she played a woman whose baby had been stolen.
10. She Learned A Valuable Lesson In Her 20s
Your 20s are the perfect time for self exploration and self discovery which is something Lisa Joyce knows first hand. Now in her 30s, she said the most valuable lesson she learned in her 20s was that she is responsible for her own happiness.
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