Meet Lara Thomas | Actor / Writer / Producer & Community Organizer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lara Thomas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lara, why did you pursue a creative career?
Curiosity, curiosity, curiosity. No matter where I am or what I’m doing, I want to know more. So a creative career was the obvious choice to keep me engaged, inspired and excited. Whether I’m acting or writing or producing, every day is a bit unpredictable — where I get the opportunity to research and discover different people, places, cultures and history. The long and short of it? If I didn’t work in this field… I’d be bored to tears.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have worked in and around the performing arts for as long as I can remember. Whether acting on stage or producing on location, I absolutely love being on set and working with creatives. Right now I’m producing across the country with the amazing gals at Crush Studio and supporting Roseland Creative Co. with all sorts of fun film projects in and around Colorado. But I have had the opportunity to work in Los Angeles with Academy Award winning actors and Late Night Comedy giants… I produced a documentary that helped pass federal legislation that saves children’s lives while releasing an innocent father from jail… and I ghostwrote a book that Jon Stewart praised as “Hilarious and Heartbreaking. And while I’ve enjoyed a majority of it, this life path is never easy. For all of these completed projects, there are dozens that didn’t get off the ground. For all the accolades, there are plenty of duds. So I’ve learned that you just got to keep pushing forward, showing up and doing your best. Then every now and then a little luck comes your way… so you have a couple of projects you can talk about in interviews like these.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is such a tough question as I moved from Los Angeles to Denver in March 2020. So for about a year, the only place I could highly recommend was my living room. I make a mean brunch… just ask the 3 people who saw me in person that year. Ha! But now that I’ve had an opportunity to branch out, I’ve got some fave spots that I’d definitely want folks to check out! Grab some breakfast and beignets at Lucile’s Creole Café. Get your LA taco fix at La Calle Taqueria on Alameda. Ride the light rail to Union Station and enjoy all downtown has to offer. Head to the Buell Theatre and take in a show. Hike and mountain bike in nearby Evergreen and Conifer. Grab some lunch and a beer at The Golden Mill, Southern Sun or Frolic Brewing Co. Even better… head to Liquid Mechanics, order a beer, try something new from the rotating food trucks and play some trivia. But please ask me this question again in a couple of years because hopefully I will have experienced and explored a million more places!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have so many people, organizations and art that deserve all the credit for any creative successes I’ve had. My grandmothers, Buran Theatre, David Letterman, Susan Morgan Cooper, The Gant Sisters, Dale Eaton, my brothers, Barbara, SNL, Crush Studio, George Bernard Shaw, Haris, Lisa Simpson, Neidt Productions, Sunrise Movement, Rogue Artists Ensemble, Roseland Creative Co., The Berenstain Bears, Stella, Mom, Dad and everything I’ve ever read, watched or encountered. I firmly believe art and creativity are a culmination of all of our experiences, good and bad… and that is why all art is unique. Only a specific set of people, at a certain moment in time, with each of their unique life paths can create anything and everything we consider art.

Website: https://linktr.ee/laracthomas

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartsnfarts/

Image Credits
Alexandra Cooper, Winslow Robbins