Actress Madison Lawlor chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about starring in the drama “Casa Grande,” which was written and directed by Juan Pablo Arias Munoz. It is now available on digital service providers.
The synopsis is: Returning to Casa Grande, the remote ranch she once fled, a troubled young woman is pulled back into her estranged family as her ailing father confronts growing pressure from powerful outsiders determined to take the land.
Surrounded by unresolved tensions, shifting loyalties, and the sense that the past still haunts the property, she finds herself at the center of a struggle where legacy, survival, and identity collide, forcing a reckoning that will shape both the family’s future and her own.
On starring in “Casa Grande,” Lawlor said, “It was amazing! It was a blast and so much fun!”
Playing Hassie Clarkman in ‘Casa Grande’
She was drawn to playing her character, Hassie Clarkman, for several reasons.
“I think what I like the most about Hasse is her willingness to grow and her willingness to change,” Lawlor said. “I think she doesn’t really want to be stuck in the same place as the same person forever. I think she wants to break the mold.”
Lawlor had great words about working with Lauren Swickard, George Kotsuros, and the cast. “They are the best,” she exclaimed. “They are some of the best scene partners and human beings ever.”
Lessons learned from the screenplay
On the lessons learned from the screenplay, she reflected, “I think it taught me that love knows no bounds. Also, you don’t really get to choose who your family is by blood, but you get to choose who your family is moving forward. That was the main takeaway.”
Working with writer and director Juan Pablo Arias Munoz
On working with writer and director Juan Pablo Arias Munoz, she stated, “I absolutely adore Juan Pablo. He is so incredible and he’s so beautifully sensitive and such a true artist and a wonderful person to lead a set and collaborate with. I just had the best time working with him.”
Plans for the future
On her future plans, she said, “I have ‘Theater is Dead,’ the dark comedy that I co-wrote, co-produced and star in. We are in the process off selling it now so hopefully, it is going to come out soon. We were just at Cannes Film Festival trying to sell it.”
Lawlor on the success of ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’
Regarding the perennial success of “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” she said, “It is so crazy that the movie broke all those records. That was so cool to see. I’m so happy. I feel like the horror genre right now is the thing that draws people to the theater so much. It is so wonderful to see that with ‘Obsession’ and everything. ‘The Conjuring’ is the gift that keeps on giving.”
Lawlor once again praised her scene partner Orion Smith in “The Conjuring: Last Rites.” “Orion is the best! He is an awesome person and an amazing actor. He is a gem,” she said.
Stage of her life
On the title of the current chapter of her life, Lawlor revealed, “Cautiously Optimistic.”
Superpower of choice
If Lawlor were to have any superpower, it would be “teleportation.” “That would come in handy so much,” she admitted.
Message for her fans
For her fans, she expressed, “I just appreciate their support always. It means a lot to me. It’s just exciting when anyone sees anything that you make. I’m super appreciative.”
Closing thoughts on ‘Casa Grande’
Lawlor remarked, “Well, first and foremost, I hope they enjoy it and that it is an entertaining experience for them. I hope the fans resonate with it… I think there are so many different types of characters in the story who have very different motivations and different aspects of their personalities and motivations.”
“I hope whoever is watching can relate to one of the characters is a way that means something to them,” she concluded.
To learn more about actress Madison Lawlor, follow her on Instagram.
