Young actress Lex Janicek is having one of her best years ever! Starting out in short films she has grown to be a series regular and stand out character, Lisa Loud, on the popular Nickelodeon show “The Really Loud House. I am grateful Lexi took time out of her schedule for a recent interview.
How long have you been acting?
I started getting interested in acting when I was about 4. One of my friends was in a little nursery rhyme web series and I wanted to do it too! When we asked my friend where to sign up, his mom gave us the name of his talent agent. At that point we didn’t know anything about the entertainment industry. We didn’t know the first thing about agents or auditions, but we did wind up meeting and signing with that local agent. I did a few student films for Belmont University and a couple of local non-union projects. Eventually, I added reps in LA and Atlanta and started getting auditions for bigger roles. It’s cool to think about how much I’ve grown and learned over the years. We started without any background or experience in the industry and now I’m working a series regular on a popular Nickelodeon show- crazy!
What is your favorite thing about acting?
I have a lot of favorite things about acting! I definitely love being on-set, in costume and working in scenes. I always read the script and learn my lines in advance, but to get to actually play it out with the other actors in front of the camera is just the best. I feel like there’s always a cool energy on-set. I don’t know how to describe it. I love going from being Lexi, to my character and then back to Lexi again. It’s fun to get to try on different personalities and experiences depending on the character I’m playing.
What is your least favorite thing about acting?
For me the hardest part about acting is being away from my family during filming. For the past few years, my jobs haven’t been close to home, so I’ve been traveling a quite bit. My mom is always with me, which is great, but I do miss my dad and brothers too. It’s usually manageable though, as long as I’m able to get home for regular stretches of time.
If you weren’t an actress what do you think you would be doing?
If I wasn’t an actress, I would definitely be in sports. I actually still work on gymnastics, tennis and running even when I’m on location for work. I just really being active in general. I have three big brothers who have always been into sports, so I think it’s partly genetic and partly the family dynamic. I’m grateful that I’m able to keep up with some of my other activities when I’m working and to have coaches who are willing to work with my unpredictable schedule!
Congratulations on “The Really Loud House”! What is your favorite thing about being a part of that show?
There is so much to love about being on “The Really Loud House”! I absolutely adore my nerdy science character, Lisa. She’s literally a part of me now, so I really enjoy stepping into character and getting to play her on set. I also love the people I work with. The cast and crew are amazing. We’ve been working together for a long time now, so it does feel like we’re a family. In my real life, I have three brothers, but on set I have 9 sisters!! That’s been a lot of fun for me. Lots of girl time. It’s really fun to be a part of a kids show. The scripts are light and funny, so we’re able to have a good time during filming. I feel really lucky to be on such a fun show!
How do you balance school with working on a series?
Working on a series during the school year definitely requires discipline and organization. We’re required to have a total of 3 hours of school every day, which is great. The 3 hours are typically broken up into ‘blocks’ between scenes throughout the day, so it’s important to be able to quickly make the switch from working on-set to sitting at your desk and focusing on your schoolwork. I’m a bit like my character Lisa, so I actually kind of enjoy the challenge! As long as I know what’s on the schedule for filming and for school, I’m usually able to get it all done. I sometimes work ahead on the weekend to take some pressure off during the week.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In 10 years, I’ll be 21- wow!! That’s almost another whole lifetime for me! I imagine I’ll either be working as an actress or I’ll be in college. Either would be amazing! I’m definitely open to whatever path is meant for me. It’s so hard to predict, but exciting to think about. In the meantime, I’m enjoying being a kid.
