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Cecilia Lee on the Wild Ride That Is FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN
Growing up, Cecilia Lee didn't know being an actor was in the realm of career possibility. It wasn't until getting the internet at 14 that she discovered this was a path she could pursue. Spurred by her love of in-depth character work and self-inserting herself into her favorite fictional worlds, Cecilia made the jump into acting, eventually graduating from the Toronto Film School's acting program.
Fast forward to this year, in which Cecilia now appears in her biggest role yet as Harmony LaFay, a keen news reporter, in Netflix's Fear Street: Prom Queen . I had the privilege of chatting with Cecilia about her role in the next installment of the horror franchise and what viewers can expect.
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This interview is edited for clarity. Cecilia Lee Pictured: Cecilia Lee
Melody McCune: We at GGA love a good origin story. How did you get into acting?
Cecilia Lee: I got into acting when I got the internet at 14 and discovered that it was a thing you could actually do. I grew up watching movies and TV shows and, as everybody does, really enjoying and getting immersed in them. As someone who was also a big reader as a kid, I used to self-insert into the books I read and be like, 'Oh, I want to live these types of lives in these incredible worlds.' Then, when I grew up and discovered that was something I could do as a career, I was like, 'Hell yes.' That's what started it all. I went to school for it, and here we are.
MM: Let's talk about Fear Street: Prom Queen . Can you tell me what it's about and how you got involved with the project?
CL: Fear Street: Prom Queen returns to the iconic franchise. This is the fourth installment. There were three movies that came out in 2021, and this is a return to the universe. We're set in the '80s, and it's very much inspired by the R.L. Stine book and by the books this is named after. We're set during a high school prom night, and the prom queens start to go missing. It's a fun slasher horror whodunit.
I auditioned for it and got to meet the director during the callback. We really hit it off, and I'm very privileged to have been able to join the team.
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MM: You play Harmony LaFay in the film. How does she fit into the overarching narrative?
CL: Harmony LaFay is a school reporter. She has such a defined sense of self, and she knows what she wants to do — to be the best reporter there ever was. When the events of the night unfold, she sees this as a very exciting next step in her career.
MM: What can viewers expect when they watch this movie?
CL: Lots of blood, [laughs] lots of fun, a killer soundtrack, gorgeous sets. It's a wild ride. A fun time.
MM: Describe Fear Street: Prom Queen using three words.
CL: Campy. '80s. Fierce.
MM: Love it. What makes this installment in the Fear Street series stand out from its predecessors?
CL: You'll definitely feel the director's hands all over it. Matt [Palmer], our wonderful director, has such a clear vision going into it. We're set in a different time period. There are lots of new things to explore. We have an incredible ensemble cast, with the likes of Ariana Greenblatt, Chris Klein, Katherine Waterston and Fina Strazza. Everybody's out there killing it right now in lots of other projects. They really killed it in this. Everybody will be blown away by their performances in this film.
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MM: Do you have a favorite scene or a highlight from the shoot?
CL: I don't want to give too much away. What I'll say is — there's a hand. That's all I'm going to say. There's a hand.
MM: Ooh, a hand!
CL: A hand. [laughter] It's a great moment. On the Horizon Pictured: Cecilia Lee
MM: I'm excited to see that. What else is on the horizon for you, career-wise?
CL: Just more acting. I've got exciting projects coming up later this year that I can't talk about yet. Keep your eyes peeled in November is all I'll say. Then, I also work behind the camera as a camera assistant — a focus puller. I'm currently working on a feature. I just stay busy.
MM: Have you watched anything interesting lately?
CL: Yes. The Pitt . I binge-watched that.
MM: It's so good. I'm working through it right now. I'm obsessed.
CL: The character developments are incredible. The pace of it. I'm in awe of those actors. How quickly that show moves. How much jargon they have to learn and be comfortable with. I love it. As someone who did science briefly before I went into acting, and was going to become a doctor myself, I have some familiarity with that world. It's so incredible watching a show that portrays things relatively accurately.
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MM: Last question. Name your five favorite films and/or TV shows.
CL: How to Train Your Dragon . Right off the top. I watched that live in concert recently. I cried the whole way through. I'm a sucker for an animated movie. The Devil Wears Prada .
Mr. Right with Anna Kendrick and Sam Rockwell. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel . I love a period piece. Also, as someone who works behind the camera, I'm very appreciative of the camera techniques in that show. Fleabag .
MM: Fleabag . That's a good one.
CL: That's a good one. I watched the one-woman show it was based upon, which is arguably more impressive to me than the show, because you get something fleshed out. You get to fill in the gaps, but a one-woman show of you in a chair and on a black stage, and just essentially being able to convey the same content, was so impressive to watch.
You can follow Cecilia on Instagram (@goagainforcece) and watch Fear Street: Prom Queen now on Netflix.
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[email protected] What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events. Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet. Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
