Stephanie Lynn, Alexandra Case, and Mark Famiglietti are starring in the film ‘Soulmates,’ releasing in theaters and On Demand on November 12th.
‘Soulmates’ is about two best friends named Sam and Jess, who have been inseparable since they were children. Their bond soon causes problems for them romantically when Jess meets Landon, who works for a corporation disturbing the traditional ways of a small town in Vermont. As the movie develops, the tension between Sam and Jess creates a problem in their friendship and romantic relationships. ‘Soulmates’ encompasses many authentic aspects that enhance the creation and production of the film. Lynn and Case are both from Vermont, and they co-wrote and starred in the movie, which added a genuine connection to the entire project. The description of Famiglietti’s character Landon is detailed as an “out-of-stater” from Connecticut, where he is originally from.
‘Soulmates’ alludes to the importance of second chances, forgiveness, and personal development when it comes to our relationships with others and ourselves. Lynn, Case, and Famiglietti spoke with the Knockturnal about their upcoming film and what fans and viewers will be able to see.
View this post on Instagram
Stephanie Lynn & Alexandra Case
The Knockturnal: While fans and viewers watch ‘Soulmates,’ what do you hope they will take away from this film?
Stephanie Lynn: I really hope this film brings a smile to peoples’ faces. It’s been a tough couple of years and we could all use some extra laughs and smiles.
Alexandra Case: ‘Soulmates’ is a feel good buddy comedy with a lot of heart. Making this film was one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and I hope that all the love and joy that went into telling this story shines through to audiences.
The Knockturnal: Where did the idea for this film come from? How did the conversation go when deciding to co-write this movie together?
Stephanie Lynn: Alexandra and I are real-life BFFS. We were roommates at the time and did everything together to the point where our friends would ask if “we” were available for dinner. We joked about what we would do if one of us met someone and that sparked the idea for the film. Co-writing it together felt completely natural.
Alexandra Case: I co-wrote ‘Soulmates’ with my real life best friend Stephanie Lynn. We were roommates in Los Angeles and living in this perfectly harmonious BFF relationship. We were both going on lots of dates, and always joked about trying to find the male version of each other. The conversation arose about what we’d do when one of us got engaged and boom our movie idea for Soulmates was born. Our original title was Soulmate(s) because it posed the question- can you have more than one soulmate? Can you have a best girlfriend and a loving boyfriend and can they both be your soulmates?
The Knockturnal: What was it like to both write and act in the film?
Stephanie Lynn: It was a dream come true! There were definitely things about being both writer and actor that were easy and other things that were challenging. For example, I was always very clear about the writers’ intentions, so that made my acting choices come very organically. However, because I was so clear about what we had envisioned for each scene, it was sometimes hard to let go of control and just be in the moment as the actor. A lot of surrendering and trusting in our director and producers was necessary.
Alexandra Case: I’ve been writing and performing comedy since I was very young, so writing a script for myself to act in is something I’m used to doing. I’ve written several scripts that I have no involvement in as an actress, but yes, the unique thing about Soulmates was that Stephanie and I wrote these roles for ourselves. We actually originally planned to play the opposite characters, but when we partnered with our amazing producers at Argent Pictures they read the script and said saw us in the reverse roles, which we ended up playing in the film. So ultimately we did script rewrite that catered to our individual talents.
The Knockturnal: The film ‘Soulmates’ has a strong lesson of second chances, forgiveness, and friendship. Are these lessons taken from your own personal lives?
Stephanie Lynn: Definitely the lessons about the importance of friendship and allowing friendships to grow and evolve over time is very close to my personal life. Alexandra and I have had a great friendship and consider ourselves to be more like sisters. Our relationship has changed a lot over the years, but it always remains strong. Both Alexandra and I also have very close friends that we grew up with in Vermont that we’re still close with to this day. Even though we don’t always get to see each other as often as we’d like, whenever we do, it’s as if a day has never passed. I often think of the song “make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other’s gold”. I’m very fortunate to have some true golden friendships in my life that I know I will have forever.
Alexandra Case: Absolutely! Especially when it comes to giving second chances, forgiving and befriending ourselves.
The Knockturnal: You both are from Vermont which added an authentic element to the creation of the film. What was it like writing a movie that takes place in Vermont and returning to Vermont to film?
Stephanie Lynn: We definitely had fun putting so many things we love about Vermont into the film. We were very strong about wanting to shoot the film there, even though there are no filming incentives in the state, because you just can’t fake the authenticity of a real 100 year old Vermont farm house or a sugar shack. It was an amazing feeling to be able to bring this film home and, of course, so great to get to be there during the beautiful fall season for the filming. Vermonters are such special people and it was truly a joy to be surrounded by so much community support for our film during the filmmaking process.
Alexandra Case: We are so proud to be Vermont natives!! Our friends often tease us because we’re always so rah-rah ‘We LoVermont’. I think that our friendship and who we are as people have a lot to do with where we grew up. Setting our movie in Vermont felt authentic and true to who we are as storytellers. Returning home to film Soulmates felt more magical to me than any Hollywood set ever has. Filming on location brought a familial closeness to our cast and crew, and having that sense of community as a foundation is something I don’t think could have been experienced as profoundly outside of Vermont.
The Knockturnal: Without giving away too much, what’s your favorite line or scene from the film? Why?
Stephanie Lynn: My favorite scene takes place at the bar when Sam and Jess have an argument in a very funny location and then Sam steals the show from the live band. It was very hard not to laugh while filming those scenes!
Alexandra Case: My favorite scene actually occurred the morning after we finished shooting. I was exhausted, and wandered into our hotel lobby wearing a striped shirt and overalls. When I entered the breakfast area several of the crew exclaimed, “Oh my gosh- did you guys plan that?!” “Plan what?” was my response. They asked if I’d seen Stephanie yet, no I hadn’t. So I walked into the wardrobe suite and bam – there was Stephanie wearing an identical outfit of striped shirt and overalls. We looked at each other and just started laughing. Everyone started taking pictures. It was one of those moments where if we’d written it, no one would of believed it… but it was an actual Soulmates moment.
Mark Famiglietti
The Knockturnal: When did you start acting? What got you started?
Mark Famiglietti: Like many I started acting in high school and community theater in shows such as Damn Yankees, Music Man, and Bye Bye Birdie. After being awarded the Goodspeed Opera House Musical Theater award as a Senior in high school, I thought maybe I could do this professionally. This led me to apply to NYU where I was accepted at Tisch as part of the Atlantic Theatre Company program. Being in the city, I was able to audition professionally. After a couple of months I was lucky enough to land test deals for Saved By the Bell and Hang Time. Ultimately I ended up on Hang Time and at the age of 18 I moved to Los Angeles to film the season.
The Knockturnal: Without giving away too much, what’s your favorite line or scene from the film? Why?
Mark Famiglietti: Hmmmm. Yes without giving too much away, two moments come to mind. The first is Goat Yoga. It’s one thing to read in a script, but it’s another when the goats start jumping on you! The second, does have a bit of plot attached, so I’ll just say, the character gets doused in some of Vermont’s finest commodity. I know my kids are going to get a big kick out of seeing that happen to Dad.
The Knockturnal: What did you like about your character ‘Landon’?
Mark Famiglietti: Landon was very close to who I am personally. This script came at a time where I just moved my family back to Connecticut to experience that New England childhood that I loved so much. And when I read the description and the character was from Connecticut, I thought I have to do this. I loved playing Landon’s humor balanced against his need to succeed. At some points those qualities really help each other and at other points in the script that are at conflict with one another. I will also add after committing so many television and movie crimes over the years it was nice to revel in the lighter side of things for a while.
The Knockturnal: What was it like to film the movie in Vermont? What were the people like?
Mark Famiglietti: Part of the reason to move back to the east coast was to film in these locales. Over my career I have now been lucky enough to film in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and of course with this film, Vermont. The people are absolutely wonderful in Vermont and embraced this production wholeheartedly. Alexandra and Stephanie wrote such a beautiful script, there was no doubt that Vermont was a character in the piece that had to be not only explored, but celebrated. As more and more production moves from the traditional US locales of Hollywood and New York, it’s wonderful to have opportunities to shoot in these other states. I hope this film spotlights all that Vermont and other New England states have to offer.
The Knockturnal: In the last 20 years you’ve appeared in numerous films and television shows such as Code Black, Aquarius, How to Get Away with Murder, Mad Men, Castle, the Hallmark film Sand Dollar Cove, etc. How was this role different from others you’ve played? How did you prepare for this role?
Mark Famiglietti: Jumping off what I shared previously, the joy of inhabiting this character came through behavior. So often when you are doing a show, particularly TV, you are playing the highest stake scenes or delivering information. My joke is that I have made a career of saying “I didn’t do it!” “I might’ve done it.” “Okay, I did it.” on procedural shows. And all of that is fine and I love playing those roles because the challenge to perform is immediate in terms of emotion. However, when you embody a character such as Landon and you are playing 40 or 50 scenes, not everything is at a fever pitch. You can truly build a character from scene to scene over the course of a 90 minute movie. Always thinking about where the character has been and where the character is going. In many ways, playing such a complete journey is really fulfilling. Finally, I’d add, though I’ve even had some success writing romantic comedies, it was really refreshing to revisit acting in one. It’s something I certainly would love to do more in the future.
