Stacey Edward Harris on her role in award-winning film ‘Love Without Walls’
The movie ‘Love Without Walls’, featuring a performance by Stacey Edward Harris, has just been named Best UK Feature at the Manchester Film Festival. The film is about a young couple who find themselves homeless in London, but are buoyed up by love and hope. Stacey is an actress, producer and writer who’s appeared in films ‘The Descent of Sanity’ and ‘Morris Men’ and acted alongside stars such as Joanne Froggatt. Here she talks about her upcoming projects, including the short film she co-wrote, and her big plans for the future.
‘Love Without Walls’ recently won an award at the Manchester Film Festival. What was your experience of working on the film?
“’Love Without Walls’ is written and directed by Jane Gull, and it’s fantastic that it won the ‘Best UK Feature’ award. It’s such a great storyline and beautifully acted, so I thought it was very deserving. My experience working on the film was wonderful. Everyone was professional and organised, and I felt very comfortable from start to finish.”
I know you’re also very into fashion – tell us about your recent experience at London Fashion Week.
“I enjoy fashion and seeing what new trends are coming up. It always feels special to see the pieces modelled for the first time on the runway, and London Fashion Week is a great opportunity to have your finger on the pulse. I think the film and fashion worlds are inextricably linked. If I think back to one of my all-time favourite movies, ‘The Untouchables’ (1987), the costumes were designed by Giorgio Armani. Obviously there is more leeway when you’re dealing with futuristic or sci-fi genres rather than historical films, but I would say the link is still a strong one.”
What advice would you give to actors who want to push their career forwards?
“It really is about being in the right place at the right time. When a casting director or producer needs someone who looks like you, and you can actually act, then the stars align and it’s brilliant. It’s a tough slog, but just keep trying because you need to get your face out there often enough for the right people to see it and remember it.”
What other projects can we see you in in 2023?
“I worked on a short film written and directed by Michael Frank just before Christmas, which should hopefully be released this year. My own short film, ‘The Breakaway’, directed by Johnny Read, will also be released around June. It was co-written by myself and Steph Read, and it’s a sci-fi film set in a dystopian future but one very much like our own. I’ll also be filming in Amsterdam for the project ‘Out for Vengeance’, and filming with Hex Studios in Scotland is on the cards in 2023, although the project is top secret at the moment! Think ‘Game Of Thrones’ and you won’t be far off…”
Are you working on new scripts?
“I’m still studying with Baron Brown Studio and I graduate in July 2023, so I’ll be spending some time in Los Angeles over the summer. I’m continuing to write, and have two or three projects that are almost at script stage. I’d love to collaborate with some of the people on my course and, although many of them are based in the US, there are a bunch of us based in Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Paris and London. Sounds easy enough, doesn’t it?!”
