Lisa Linke #SuggestionSundayShow Interview

#SuggestionSundayShow

Linke is best known for her role on The Amazon Prime series Successful People, a comedy series about a songwriting duo struggling to make it big surrounded by a world full of successful people.

Lisa creates #SuggestionSundayShow, a one of a kind platform on Instagram where she performs sketches based on viewer feedback alongside seasoned improvisers and celebrity guests.

Interview with Lisa Linke

Question: How would you describe yourself?

Lisa Linke: I'm an actor with two rescue dogs living in Los Angeles, California. I have lots of friends here and also back in Chicago, where I lived before I moved out to Hollywood. I love improv and sketch comedy, and have been doing it for a very long time. I started improv when I was working as a consultant in downtown Chicago and then eventually left to pursue performing full-time and I haven't looked back since. I am passionate, determined, hard-working and I love to make people laugh.


Question: What originally inspired your passion for acting?

Lisa Linke: My family will say that I've always been a performer. At home, at school, wherever I could get a crowd of people to perform for, I'd be in heaven. To me, there's nothing better than making a room full of people laugh. I watched a lot of TV and read a lot of books growing up, and I always imagined myself as the characters in the books and shows, and what I would do if I were in their shoes. I love to tell stories and make up stories, and have since I was a little girl. I think I was destined to imagine for a living.


Question: What is #SuggestionSundayShow?

Lisa Linke: It's a weekly live improv show on Instagram - I believe the first of its kind - and anyone can join from anywhere! No ticket price, cover fee or drink minimum. You can come late and leave early, participate as much or as little as you'd like. It's a blast and each week, I try to have special guests come on and improvise with me using the split-screen feature on Instagram Live. I have audience participation - from giving me suggestions for character monologues made up on the spot, all the way up to giving my guest and I lines of dialogue to use in a scene! It's a super fun way to use the medium and to improvise with lots of people who may not normally do improv. I take great care of them. I've been doing it for just over two years now, and I have a great time. Come watch, any Sunday at 12:30 pm Pacific Time!


Question: What motivated you to create #SuggestionSundayShow?

Lisa Linke: I was on a writing weekend, and needed a break away from breaking story for a screenplay I was writing, and Instagram Live was new-ish at that time. I hopped on and started improvising based on the suggestions people gave me. I realised it was a super fun way for me to get creative and generate new characters and have fun, while improvising in the digital space. I absolutely loved it.


Question: Can you tell us about Bless This Mess?

Lisa Linke: Ah! Such a fun show! It is a sitcom on ABC that premiered this past spring and is so funny! It is created by Lake Bell and Liz Merriwether and they are brilliant and hilarious, and I was in heaven. I got to play a townsperson, Clara, who is a quiet talker, which is like the absolute opposite of me. I had such a great time!


Question: What inspired you to create Dog Moms?

Lisa Linke: While watching Dance Moms on Lifetime, I felt guilty about watching these girls be upset, so I made myself create a parody of it. Recently, one of the original Dance Moms reached out to me on Instagram and told me that she loved it!


Question: Where can we watch Dog Moms?

Lisa Linke: You can watch it on Amazon Prime.


Question: What advice do you have for an aspiring young actor?

Lisa Linke: Get in a class and stay in class. Try a lot of different studios, but work hard on your craft.

Question: What has been the biggest challenge you've had to overcome, in the acting industry?

Lisa Linke: Learning that I have very little control over the outcome and to focus on the process instead of product. That's a big shift away from my normal style which is all about end results. It's been a good lesson overall.


Question: What's a typical day like, for you?

Lisa Linke: First of all, I wish I had a typical day! Usually I wake up and depending on the day, I will either have an audition to prepare for or go to, so I'll work the material and plan ahead for traffic in LA. I also work with a ton of great actors in a community, so if anyone needs help on an audition we'll all pitch in together. I also teach acting classes, post on Instagram to promote the weekly special guest for #SuggestionSundayShow, and book more upcoming guests. I also record a podcast with my friend Misty, called "Go Help Yourself," so I'll read self-help books for that. We review and critique self-help books on our podcast so people don't have to buy the book without knowing a bit about it first. We release two episodes a week, and it's a lot of work! In between all that, I take care of my pups and connect with my friends.


Question: What's next?

Lisa Linke: Hopefully, more work! Always want more work. I'm shooting an indie film in July, and have been putting a few auditions on tape recently, so hopefully something will come through. I'm reading ahead for the next batch of recording we do for my podcast. There are a lot of episodes of my podcast that people can already listen to, and each week the #SuggestionSundayShow usually has a new special guest. Part of the gig out here in LA is staying busy, and I have no problem doing that!


Interview by Brooke Hunter
Photographer: Birdie Thompson
Hair and Makeup: Anna Milhouse