Inside the Mind of Tiffany Lauren Bennicke: Artistry, Advocacy, and Ambition
In Hollywood, where dreams are pursued against all odds, there is a lineage of artists whose journey is as authentic as the stories they bring to life on screen. Tiffany Lauren Bennicke, a multifaceted force in the industry, embodies this spirit of resilience and creativity. As we delve into her world, Bennicke reveals a passion for storytelling, a commitment to authenticity, and a drive to empower women through her art.
At the center of Tiffany Lauren Bennicke's identity is a love for the depths of the ocean, where she finds serenity, a connection that speaks volumes about her innermost desires for peace and introspection.
In a candid moment, she admits that in the midst of the whirlwind of her career, sleep has become a precious luxury, because she is also a powerful woman who doesn't wait for opportunities or leave everything to preparation. She goes out to find what she wants and if she must create it from scratch, she embraces the challenge.
This unwavering conviction has propelled her through the ups and downs of an industry where success is often elusive, but she remains steadfast in her pursuit of artistic fulfillment.
First thing we want to know is about you as a person. How would you define yourself in personal terms, what do you love to do?
Can I be honest? These days, the most obvious one I can think of is sleep! Haha! The last two years have been non-stop. The biggest factors contributing to this, are of course coming out of the pandemic, and then all the work that followed with making my film, and all the work-related traveling. But joking aside, I love free-diving, snorkeling and just swimming in general. Everyone close to me could have answered this question for you :) When the weather in Canada warms up, I’m in as many lakes as I can fit into the summer, and when I visit the Caribbean, I try to get in the water as many times as possible. Being in the water and underwater makes me so very happy. I love how peaceful it is…it feels like the one place where I can really disappear, observe fishes around me (especially when I’m in the Caribbean) and just be in my own thoughts.
Do you remember the moment when you said: ‘I want to do acting forever’? What influenced your decision, and how did it feel to have that realization?
Oh, I was very young. I feel as if I’ve always known. Maybe I was four or five? But I loved the way films could transport you to a different world, new people and places… And I’d always been impressed with how actors and writing had the ability to influence and affect the way you feel or in some cases, teach you something new. But I feel as if I’ve always known…this has always been inside me.
How do you feel your experience as an actress has been - in general terms -?
Now there’s a fully loaded question…simply put, not easy. And it hasn’t been easy for a long time. What people outside of this industry don’t know or realize is how much work, effort, and luck it takes to be successful doing this, but also (and very importantly) talent has very little to do with how successful you may be. It counts and is important for a lasting career of course, but getting in the door and gaining momentum have little if nothing to do at all with talent or ability in this industry. It hasn’t been easy, but luckily I’m not one to shy away from doing difficult things. Life is FULL of hard and difficult things (most of these hard things almost always involve paperwork for some reason, LOL!) I just focused on what I wanted on the other side of the “hard things” - All the things you want in life, are usually on the other side of something tedious, arduous, requiring some great effort, or “hard”.
Let’s talk about "But I Want to Leave the Party." We know this film explores a young woman trying to find herself after experiencing several forms of trauma and abuse. What's the history behind the film, and why did you decide to do it?
Well, the history behind the film is in fact loosely based on my own experiences, so it’s actually a retelling of my own history, with some artistic license to make a film. It is difficult though when talking about or in this case, re-living disheartening things that happened to you, so to be able to do that, I had to make the story not about myself. I had to create a character different from me, so as to be able to mentally approach acting in this role with a safe distance. By portraying it as “someone else” I could tell myself this is “her experience", and “her story”. Making it about me would have been too difficult. It is also the reason I chose to have her speak a different language… having her speak French, also helped separate myself from the story just enough to tell it. And even with the “safe distance” I created for this, I still cried on every single take. I’m happy I made this film because I think it was important to show an authentic experience of depression. Too often I think people that don’t understand, have no idea of all the layers of what happens to someone going through this. In a way, it was cathartic, but easy to make? Definitely not.
"But I Want to Leave the Party" has garnered significant recognition since its premiere. How do you feel about the film's journey from its debut to being distributed on platforms like Apple TV and Google Play, as well as receiving numerous awards and nominations?
You know what? I had no idea how the film would be received. And it didn’t really matter to me, to be honest. I felt that I was saying something important, and that’s what mattered to me most. Was I scared? OH YES. Was I terrified and having anxiety when I knew people and jurors were watching my film at film festivals? Absolutely. But being well-received and having won so many awards isn’t something I anticipated. Even more so with distribution on Apple TV and Google Play. Had you told me five years ago (which is exactly the time I was going through the worst of my depression) that one day I would write, produce, finance, and act in a film that would end up on Apple TV, I wouldn’t have believed you! I think I’d sit there in disbelief wondering who this person was that you’re talking about, or what version of me was this that was living in the future. LOL!
Tiffany, you wrote, produced, financed, and acted in your first short film which has already won over 39 awards and has had an additional 26 nominations. Tell us what led you to do it. What made you want to take control and launch this project?
Very simply put, I was just tired of waiting for someone else to hire me, so I decided that I would have to figure out a way to hire myself. Even if that meant doing ALL the jobs. Sure I wrote, produced, financed, and acted in the film, but I was also the location scout and manager, wardrobe department, craft service, script supervisor, and janitor. If it had to be done, I did it. It’s amazing the things you can accomplish when you’re frustrated and angry and decide you’re just not going to wait for someone else to come and save you. Haha!
You mentioned your personal experiences influencing the authenticity of the film, including insights into suicidal thoughts. Could you share more about how these experiences shaped the narrative and characters in "But I Want to Leave the Party"?
One thing that bothers me around the conversation of suicidal thoughts is when people say it's “cowardice” or “cowardly”. I think that could not be further from the truth. I think that belief was coined by people who are upset about someone they know carrying out a suicide, but not delving or giving more thought about what led them to it. Naturally, as human beings, we fear being hurt. There is an infinite list of phobias, and anything that could incite pain, suffering, or death we typically run away from or avoid. What’s often misunderstood is that someone who is seriously thinking of this has come to their last resort… Waking up every day and trying and failing to deal with all the things negatively affecting them that they can’t fix or change, dreading having to wake up the next day and do it all over again, and feeling as awful as they do all the time…you want it to end and you can’t see how. And as scary as the act seems, it suddenly seems better than having to live through the torment they’re going through, which is often, silent. Given our innate instincts to fear death or suffering of any kind, carrying out this act requires a great deal of courage and the feeling that this is better than having to wake up and face life again the next day.
Mental health is a central theme in your film. How do you believe your film can contribute to raising awareness and fostering important conversations about mental health?
I know that not everyone is going to connect with, like, or truly understand my film. But at the very least, I hope that it brings awareness and new understanding to people who have never understood what gets someone to that place. And I hope that if someone is going through it, that my film and of course me, are physical evidence that they can in fact get through it.
Your transition from acting to producing and writing is intriguing. What motivated this shift, and how has it influenced your approach to storytelling?
I always knew I wanted to produce eventually, but life put me in a position where it was something I HAD to do to progress my career. Either I waited patiently (as I have for years) for someone to recognize what I could do, or I do all of their jobs and the one I wanted to do (which is acting). Making this film was one of the hardest things I’ve done for many reasons, but undoubtedly one of the best things I’ve done for myself. When you find yourself on the other side of a depression like I went through, suddenly “hard things” don’t seem as hard. It was hard, don’t get me wrong! Haha! But so worth it.
What has being a producer taught you that perhaps you didn't know when you were an actress?
I learned SO much being more than only the actress in a production. It was certainly a learning curve for me and a ton of work doing multiple jobs, especially as I was making my first film on a budget with my own financing. Something that was unchartered territory for me, was working with my composer Simon Petraki, on the score. I’m not a musician, so learning how to communicate what I wanted or felt would be right for the film was completely new. I knew that when I heard something right, I would know it worked, but having to invent something and try to describe what I was picturing in my head, I just had to learn by doing. I was very lucky to have Simon (who was so incredibly patient with me!) walk me through it step by step, and give me examples and clear descriptions, so I was able to learn how to describe what I wanted, and that’s how we were able to bring it to fruition.
In addition to your filmmaking journey, you've expressed a passion for empowering women through art and strong female leads. What impact do you want to have on viewers, particularly regarding female representation?
The world is changing as far as female representation, and in most instances (sadly not all) but most, it’s changing for the better. I want women to realize how strong they are, and that they can do anything. If something exists and they want it or want to do it, or want to be part of it, nothing is too hard.
What new plans are you working on at the moment? Could you give us a preview of your next professional adventure?
Oh, I never tell anyone what I’m really up to until something is done. But now that my production company is incorporated, I am looking to expand into TV, partnering with other production companies, and doing some directing myself.
If someone wanted to write the movie of your life: Who would you choose to represent you, who would you choose as your husband, and who would you choose as the director?
No one has ever asked me this before! Haha! Wow…as far as likeness goes, I can’t think of anyone for my husband and myself, but I’ll try to get close. My choices are based on who I think a hair and makeup team could try to get close with, but also who I think would be a good fit for playing us…I’d choose Tom Hiddleston as my husband, Hiro Murai as the director, and India Amarteifio to play me. I get incredible imposter syndrome just at the thought of a movie being made on my life, but as far as my life in LA, and internal struggles with depression…there could be some material there ;)
STAY IN TOUCH WITH TIFFANY LAUREN BENNICKE ON INSTAGRAM
CREDITS:
Location - Otrobanda, Willemstad, Curaçao
Model: Tiffany Lauren Bennicke
Instagram - @tiffanylaurenbennicke + @leavethepartyfilms
Website - www.leavethepartyfilms.com
Photography: TJ Scott
Instagram - @tjscottpictures
Hair Jessica Urdaneta
Instagram - @jesshairstyler
Makeup Carthy Hailey Croes
Instagram - @hailey.studios