Always a lover of acting, Laura Vale has transitioned from being a therapist to being an actress over the years. Her understanding of mental health has given her insight into her characters own struggles to better help represent them on the screen. Her new film CULPRIT is a perfect example of that as it tackles what happens to those who are potentially wrongfully accused of committing a crime, pulling from stories from The Innocence Project. Please read on to learn more about Laura Vale.

Where are you based?
Los Angeles, CA

What inspired you to get into acting?
I always loved performing from the time I was very little. Drama class was my favorite in school, then I started doing local theatre as a kid, and it continued from there. I knew acting would always be part of my life.

Your new film CULPRIT is very interesting as it pulls from real stories from The Innocence Project. Can you tell us a bit about the film and your character, Lucy Walters?
My character, Lucy thinks that the man, Jack Harris, was wrongly accused and imprisoned for murdering her younger sister when they were children. She is estranged from her family over their beliefs about the sister’s murder, and their all consuming grief.

After helping exonerate Jack 27 years later, she teams up with him to find the real killer. However, after his release, another local girl is killed in the same way as her sister was killed. This makes Lucy question her allegiances and become even more desperate for the truth. Lucy is holding heavy family secrets, and traumatic memories of the murder that she needs to have some resolution with.

Was there a true story about a victim’s family member teaming up with the alleged to help find an actual killer?
The screenwriters took mixtures of stories from real life.

Can you tell us a bit about The Innocence Project, and why it is important?
Their mission is to offer legal help to free wrongly imprisoned individuals. They save the lives of innocent people who have not been dealt with justly.

Can you tell us a little bit about your past work as a mental health clinician?
I became a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in 2015. I specialize in addiction recovery, and have worked in several treatment centers in CA. I have always had a private practice where I see both individuals and couples dealing with a range of issues.

How did this work help you embody Lucy Walters?
The character Lucy is dealing with grief as well as some past trauma. Working with clients has given me insight to how people cope with intense emotions, and express them differently. Lucy doesn’t have safe family relationships in which to express her emotions, so she has bottled up a lot of pain and confusion. Part of her seeking justice and truth, is to process and validate her emotional journey since her sister’s death.

We hear you are very passionate about indie films and even started your own production company, Good Rebel Pictures. Can you tell us a bit about Good Rebel Pictures? What do we have to look forward to coming from Good Rebel Pictures?
My fiancé, Rich Ronat, and I started Good Rebel Pictures as a way to empower ourselves to realize our own creative visions. We both have had long careers in entertainment, but we were waiting on others to make decisions about our work. Rich wants to bring to life the scripts he writes, in the way that's true to his original vision. I want to play more complex and larger roles in projects. We will be shooting another thriller later this year, like Culprit, just with a bigger budget. We will also have an original, sci-fi dark comedy ready for release later this year. Our company will be producing a combination of those genres mostly. Gripping stories and great acting are a promise from Good Rebel.

We heard you support NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Health) and SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services). Can you tell us a little bit about these organizations and why they are important to you?
Both organizations offer accessible resources for people suffering from either mental illness and/or substance abuse. Through education and resources, they help reduce the stigma, and can lead the way to people getting the help they need.

Mental health feels like it has gone out the window these days. What advice do you have for anyone struggling?
Talk to someone about it. There is no shame in struggling with your mental health. Mental health deserves attention, just like your physical health. Chances are that if you talk to someone about it, you’ll find that you are not alone. That in itself can reduce the feelings of shame and isolation. There are resources out there.

We hear you are an animal lover as well and have worked with the ASPCA. Can you tell us a little bit about why this work is important to you?
Most of my charitable contributions are toward animal charities, especially ASPCA. I’ve always loved dogs which is why ASPCA got on my radar. Animals are innocent creatures who have no way of advocating for themselves, and unfortunately humans can cause suffering for them, along with certain natural disasters. ASPCA is doing great work for animal welfare, prioritizing their safety and protection.

It has been a crazy past few years, and we suspect at least four more, how have you been staying positive?
I understand that media (both TV and social media) is competing for my attention as a consumer these days. Therefore, the news tends to get sensationalized and media starts having shock value. I have to limit what I ingest. I try to get my information from more boring, bipartisan news sources, and limit my intake of social media dopamine hits.

What is your motto in life?
Do not do unto others as you would not want done to yourself.

To learn more about Laura and Good Rebel please check out the links below:
Good Rebel: www.goodrebelpictures.com
Instagram: goodrebelpictures and lauravale333

Photo Credits:
Photographer - Ben Cope
Hair and Makeup - Kate Hollinshead

Laura Vale - From Mental Health to the Big Screen