Talking With: Kristi McKamie from Lifetime’s “Secrets on Sorority Row”

This edition of Talking With focuses on actress Kristi McKamie, since starring in the latest Lifetime movie thriller, “Secrets on Sorority Row.” The new film helped kick-off their Summer of Secrets series and is currently available On Demand.

This isn’t the first time Lifetime viewers have seen Kristi. The talented actress portrayed Miss Broussard in the abduction drama Who Stole My Daughter? She was also seen more recently in the Amazon series, “Them,” from Lena Waithe and Little Marvin, as well as starring in the Amazon Prime limited series Park Acrobats, and the Rizzle limited series, Abandon Ship.

To learn more, we are Talking With Kristi McKamie:

What can you tell us about “Secrets on Sorority Row”?

KRISTI: "Secrets on Sorority Row" is a Lifetime thriller written by Scotty Mullen and directed by Dylan Vox, about Michelle Winter, a college psychology professor who is excited for her daughter, Quinn, to pledge the same sorority as her and her best friend, Stacey, pledged when they were in college. But when Michelle starts receiving threats, she worries that a dark secret has come to light that could put her daughter in danger.

As an actor, what helped you the most in bringing ‘Michelle Winter’ to life?

KRISTI: Because this film delves so much into the past, it was important to me to create a detailed backstory for Michelle and answer lots of questions for myself about her past. Also, for me personally, I am not a mother, so I had to tap into the fierce protectiveness and tenderness that comes with being a mom and watching a child grow from a sweet little toddler to a having a tumultuous relationship with a teenager and the power struggle it creates. One thing that helped me was because of Covid, the main actresses and I set up virtual rehearsals as soon as we knew that we were cast. This really helped to create a familiarity that helped us day 1 on set.

Where do you start when preparing for a role? And, does that change depending on the genre or other factors?

KRISTI: I think my preparation is the same no matter the genre. I learn through repetition and using my imagination to create stories and memories for the character. Rehearsal, if even just alone rehearsing the lines, you can discover new thoughts and new motivations for saying a line and how that might change the energy of the scene. I just aim to spend as much time with the text as absolutely possible.

Once I receive the script, I live and breathe that text, I break down the scenes into little bits and work on each one over and over until it's in my head. Then once I have the lines memorized, I can play with the lines. I can spend the time using my imagination to improv conversations and moments before. I can work each scene and look at what my intention is for the scene as a whole and how I use each line to get me closer to that intention. And then I can ask other questions that can help me bring color and dimension into the scene, like perhaps how I am possibly using my behavior/body language in contrast to my character's dialogue? Where is the humor in this very dramatic scene? What emotions is my character covering up in the scene? What is my character hiding?

What was your favorite moment from working on the movie?

KRISTI: There's a moment in the film where I rush into a sorority house to come get my daughter, Quinn, and try to get her to leave because I think she's in danger if she stays. I just remember standing just outside of frame getting into the scene and getting worked up. My character was extremely distraught in this scene, so I wanted her to feel manic and terrified, but also stopping at nothing to protect her daughter. It felt like a roller coaster each time doing this scene because I go from powerful to pleading to being humiliated to defeated all in the span of a minute or less. It was a challenging scene but one of the most memorable for me because it felt so real and so raw.

How was it working with director Dylan Vox and can you describe his on-set style?

KRISTI: Dylan Vox is an incredible director, because he is an extremely talented actor. It was a blast working with him and the days seemed to fly by because he made it so much fun. He's a naturally very funny person without even trying, so I was giggling at him so much on set between takes. But he is 100% professional and has studied the script and each character so much, that he inherently knows exactly what he wants from each actor in each scene. I remember there was one scene where I was struggling to "get there" emotionally and he took me aside and said one sentence to me to give me motivation, and then we walked back out and I poured my heart and tears out on camera. The floodgates opened and I was as vulnerable in that moment as I had ever been. And that was a gift he gave me. He knew exactly what to say. And it wasn't just me, I watched this happen with each of us. Dylan is a very intuitive person and can see what's bubbling just under the surface...and then he does what he can to call it forth from each person. THAT is a great director.

What do you think audiences will take away after watching the movie?

KRISTI: I hope they watch this movie and enjoy the suspenseful ride it takes us on. I hope they find these special moments that Dylan helped bring out in us as actors. I hope they see a heightened style of filming and notice all the details and locations that so many people worked so hard to create. I hope they see the care and work that we all put in as actors to tell this story.

What inspires you the most creatively?

KRISTI: Practice, practice, practice. Rehearsing with other actors is where you find the magic of the scene and the magic in yourself. Picking a beautiful play and digging into those meaty words and letting them find a home within you. Letting those words live there and feeling what it would feel to be that character and live her life. To tackle her challenges, to love how she loves, to find the parts of yourself that are parallel and letting your imagination and the text create the rest. Every single time I get the chance to act, I have a chance to get better and better. I have the chance to strengthen my imagination muscles and build a more complex person and scene.

Finally, is there anything else you’re working on that we can watch for?

KRISTI: Shortly after wrapping "Secrets on Sorority Row," I was cast as 'Sierra Loomis' in the upcoming feature film, "Hazardous Duty," based on the wildly popular "Squeaky Clean" mystery book series written by Christy Barritt and produced by American Cinema International. It was directed by four-time Emmy winner, Sean Olson, and also stars Jessica Blackmore as 'Gabby St. Claire' and Jamie Roy as 'Riley Thomas.' I also recently wrapped a starring role alongside Brian Huskey and Martin Mull in the new festival bound short film, "Melons," directed by Matt MacDonald and produced by the Motion Picture Institute.

Keep up with Kristi McKamie on Instagram: @kristi_mckamie Facebook: /actresskristimckamie