By Anna Skinner
Emily Sweet has always had a passion for being in the spotlight. Growing up in Baltimore, she remembered searching for acting books during the school’s book fair and performing in musicals. Now, the Fishers resident will star in a series called “SYN.”
“I’d look at (acting) as something I have always wanted to do since I was little. I love it, and I’m surrounded by people I really like,” Sweet said. “This is something I absolutely love to do. It’s fun to get on set and see all these people. It’s fun to see the story unfold.”
Sweet would spend 13-16 hours a day filming the series. The premier is scheduled for fall.
“ION bought the pilot (episode), so the pilot premiers there, but Amazon Studios bought the remainder of the season to be streamed through Amazon,” Sweet said. “There are 13 episodes (and) hopefully, more. Usually, they see how the first season goes, then they’ll pick us up for another one if viewings are high or the following is high.”
“SYN” takes place in a fictional Pennsylvania town where the lead character, Jess, played by Sweet, moves from a big city to escape her past.
“(The series) follows this girl Jess who I play, and she lives in a big city and some horrible things happened, so she escaped from her past and moved to this fictitious town to get a fresh start,” Sweet said. “She finds out that people she’s surrounded herself with are dysfunctional. All these people have deadly secrets of their own, so now she’s trying to come to terms with that.”
Prior to “SYN,” Sweet sang in bands when she moved to Indiana three years ago and also was signed to a modeling agency. She came across the casting call for “SYN” through an acting website and decided to audition.
“When I started doing film acting, I was on IMDb, and you can pay a membership fee to get all castings through IMDb, so that’s how I came across ‘SYN,’” she said. “I was just searching and looking and came across it and auditioned. Then weeks had gone by, and I hadn’t heard anything back. I kind of forgot about it, and they reached out again for a call back, and that was it.”
Sweet said she enjoys acting as a career for the characters she plays.
“I like that you can play different characters and different people,” she said. “I like that you get to meet so many different people that have the same kind of interests and are taken to different places, literally and figuratively. You’re not just reading lines. You have to find out (the character’s) backstory and really try to live as that character. It’s hard, but it’s fun. I like it. One day you could play as a character like Jess, and then you could have a role that’s completely different. It’s not a normal job.”
“SYN” Assistant Director Alicia Godmasch said Sweet has brought Jess’s character to life.
“The creator of the show, Toni Morgan Haye, had a very specific vision for Emily’s character, Jess,” Godmasch said. “This show is, in fact, centered around Jess’s life. Emily Sweet has brought Toni’s vision to reality. She is not only a pleasure to work with, but also has the ability to recreate the character’s trials and triumphs with ease and impeccable detail. Nuances that are central to this character, Emily naturally incorporates into each and every scene she performs. Now that I have seen Emily in action, I couldn’t imagine another actress playing this role. We are confident that she will be able to draw viewers into the world of ‘SYN.’”
For more, visit jenesisfilms.com/syn.
Filming closer to home
In addition to the lead role in “SYN,” a series debuting this summer, Fishers resident Emily Sweet will bring her acting career a bit closer to home.
Sweet began filming a short film in Fishers last month, called “Hold Your Breath.” Cast members traveled across the nation, and Sweet said she plans to finish the film by summer and hopes that Flix Brewhouse in Carmel will premiere it during the late summer or early fall. The film is a thriller.
For more, visit holdyourbreathmovie.net.
