Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Leigh.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My family moved to Los Angeles when I was four years old. At fourteen, my older sister Lyndsy Fonseca had booked a three years contract on the TV Soap Opera “Young and the Restless.” My Psychologist Mom and Lawyer Dad made the decision that this opportunity was too epic to stay put, so we all moved from Northern California to SoCal. As a kid, all I did was sing songs around the house with my red, plastic cassette and microphone set and makeup dances. My sister and I were a fun pair for my parents. No more lawyers here, sorry Grandma! I went on my first audition the year we moved to LA for a TV Drama called “Family Law,” and I booked it. (All I had to do was pretend to be asleep so there was obvious potential for success…haha) I have never stopped acting since. From a young age, I learned quickly how to navigate a professional, adult world and my work ethic and creativity grew strong from it. I worked steadily growing up, mostly in Television, all while balancing a full Ballet schedule, singing lessons, school and acting classes. While my mom worked hard to help me explore all my creative interests, my Dad made sure he took me to Burningman every year, starting at age seven, to “counter-act the LA effect” haha.
At age 12, I started community college and by 19 had graduated from The University of California Santa Barbara with a BA in Film and Media Studies. I truly have my family to thank for the support and hours of driving (thanks mom) that occurred in my early working life. I am extremely grateful. Coming back to LA after taking two years off for college was difficult. I was no longer a teen actor and felt very far away from my “kid” actor days. Re-routing what “success” meant to me was jarring, so I started to channel my energy into songwriting. This was a world without previous expectations, just expression, and it honestly was what helped me fall in love with acting again. After putting out my first EP “Moon and the Myth” and releasing two singles, “Same” and “Take Me Back,” I started to remember what art really meant to me. This is when I sped right back into the acting world full force. Most recently, I shot a feature film entitled “Evergreen” (dir. Paul Goodman) which brought me back to my most raw creative roots. I found an incredibly passionate family on that production and had the most fun. In October, I guest-starred on an episode of CBS’s S.W.A.T (dir. Cherie Gierhart) and I am looking forward to seeing what the new year brings!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I am so grateful to have had the road I’ve had. Growing up as a working kid came with its own bags of gravel, but for the most part, I feel extremely blessed. I think it set me up to understand a whole lot more about the industry and myself than I would have otherwise. Plus, all those hard moments help me help others on their journeys. Bumps in the road are life lessons, so that’s fun.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m an actress and a singer/songwriter. When I was younger, I was most known for my roles on “Gilmore Girls,” “Suite Life of Zack and Cody” and “Bones.” More recently, my favorite parts have been on the shows “S.W.A.T,” “Mad Men,” “Body of Proof,” and “Kickin’ It.” Fun Fact: I’ve played four murderer roles in my life. Girl, don’t ask me why, I have no idea…BUT it sure as hell is fun. My inspirations for acting include Kathrine Keener, Lyndsy Fonseca (duh), Dakota Fanning, Greta Gerwig and Saoirse Ronan. I am constantly writing music and have had the absolute pleasure of performing at venues such as Hotel Cafe, State Social House, Genghis Cohen, Floyd Festival, and Puckett’s. My music style floats somewhere between Indie Pop, singer-songwriter and dreamy R&B. I draw inspiration from Lennon Stella, The Paper Kites, Kathleen Edwards and Passenger.
I’m most proud of the fact that I haven’t put myself in a box quite yet. I’m a huge fan of exploring all avenues and that’s why my music and acting roles are each unique to one another. I think that’s nice. I’m sure having a niche is nice too though, consistency sounds intriguing to me, eh maybe haha. What sets me apart? I think the calmness and focus that comes with doing a craft for 20 years is innately valuable (acting). I think every single artist has something important to bring at EVERY level of their experience, so I’m just grateful that this is where I’m at. With music, I think not having any expectation in what music “should sound like” is nice. I’m still early in my process here so I feel happily vulnerable. Maybe that sets me apart. But we’re all vulnerable in 2020, so who knows haha.
Any big plans?
Plans for the future are to continue acting and performing. At the end of January, I’ll be flying to Tallahassee to shoot an 80’s horror film where (spoiler) I get totally eaten by a demon. I am also in the process of co-writing a feature film for my sister and I to star in together (aw cute). I am also excited to continue my side business of private coaching for actors as well as continuing my passions in journaling and meditation. I also have plans to come out with new music, as well as to choreograph and direct music videos for them. Big changes include most likely buying some new house plants and hopefully being able to travel to Canada next year for a visit to squish my baby niece really tight!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm1505370/?ref_=recent_view_2
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahleighofficial/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/HannahLeigh1_
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRJoIz8N6xztbTTkBzv-iDQ?view_as=subscriber
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/29BXz0g1NRnhOA1Qa5OJyL?si=39yXGd5BTfWs6cEI1RreKQ
Image Credits
Dana Patrick (main headshot photo)
