After Lee-Anne Summers graduated from UCT with a psychology degree, she set her sights on a new path – acting. As Lee-Anne was bit by the acting bug at the tender age of 5, she always had a sense that she belonged behind the camera. And she was right! Over the years, we’ve seen her in Binnelanders, Rhythm City and the mini-series, Stellenbosch.
We caught up with the Lee-Anne to find out more about her film adventures for 2015.
What was it like working with Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko, and James Purefoy in your upcoming film, Momentum?
Most of my scenes were with Olga and James, which was an incredible experience. It was so great to be given the opportunity to watch how they work and also to rise to the occasion and be afforded the chance to showcase myself next to them. They were both such fun on set and their level of excellence and professionalism was really inspiring. James’ jokes at 4 am were also very helpful in keeping me awake between takes on night shoots.
Momentum was filmed in Cape Town. What can we expect from the Mother City as an action film location?
Stephen Campanelli (Director) and Anton Ernst (Producer) really wanted to make Cape Town a character in the movie instead of shooting here and faking it for an American city. It is a fabulous city to film action sequences; the views and the beauty are really showcased in the car shots. Moving forward, I really hope that overseas filmmakers will watch the movie and want to bring their films to the Mother City too. We really used all that Cape Town has to offer in the movie and the city is a very film-friendly place.
What are you expecting from the international release at Canada’s Fantasia International Film Festival on 22 July 2015?
Working with both Stephen and Anton was a dream come true and I am hoping for them that this movie is an absolute smashing success. They are both incredible men with such vision and I was so grateful to be a part of it. For me personally, I hope that it showcases more of what I am capable of as an actress and I hope that this will open more doors for me as a performer both here and internationally. Fantasia is on of the biggest festivals in the world so it is a true honor to be premiering there.
Congratulations for your role, as well as taking care of the wardrobe design, in the Mercedes Benz Best Fashion Film of 2015, The Choice. Please tell us more about this exciting experience.
I also wore my producer hat alongside director and actor Aidan Whytock for The Choice, so it was a very busy shoot for both of us. We are so proud of our film for winning, especially since it was the only South African film nominated and it is now doing the rounds at other International festivals.
So, what’s next for Lee-Anne Summers?
I am currently in prep for another big action movie, so my days are filled with stunt training with the ninja, Armando De Luca, coaching sessions with my amazing acting coach, Tamryn Speirs and accent training with the lovely Robyn Scott. I don’t think people realize how much work goes into preparing to take on a big role as well as how many people help to get you there.
Photography Courtesy
