GUEST STAR: Brothers & Sisters (ABC)

Just found out I booked a great little guest star spot on the hit show, Brothers and Sisters on ABC. Even cooler? I will be reunited with my former SMDS (pilot) co-star Ryan Devlin . The episode is called “Olivia’s Choice” and my character is an edgy fashion student. It’s a really fun part, and I get to work with some super talented actors soooo, yeah… Guess you could say I am excited

UPDATE: Looks like this episode will air Sunday, April 10th, on ABC!

ANIMATION/PRESS: Young Justice on COCO-> funny stuff :)

Young Justice, the fantastic cartoon I have been working on this past year, has finally started airing regularly on Cartoon Network!!! See the YJ Official Website here for more details. I voice THE COMPUTER right now, but my regular gal will be showing up soon enough.  Was pretty excited to learn that Conan O’Brien is one of our big fans– check this out, it’s pretty hilarious– but that’s not surprising coming from Team Coco, now is it?

The Flaming C on YOUTUBE.

GUEST STAR / possibly recurring: Melissa & Joey (ABC Family)

Fun news! Last week I shot an episode on the ABC family show “Melissa & Joey” in an episode titled Joe Vs The Reunion. I had such nice time over there, too– everyone from the writers, to the cast ,to all of the crew– were all so incredibly warm and welcoming! Plus, the episode was adorable and I have to say, my part was pretty cute It was great to be reunited with MJH and JL, both of whom I have worked with before (Melissa and I did a pilot called Dirtbags many moons ago for FOX) and before that– I played Joe’s love interest on a WB show called “Run of the House”. So yeah… very full circle and fun to see how we’ve all grown up, married, had kids. Ok, well they have kids. I’m still working on that part

Anyway, I don’t have news yet when the episode is going to air, but I will be sure to update on here when I know more! Thanks again for watching and caring. xo, Stephanie (ps my character on the show is “Isabel Ryan”– and she may come back!? Fingers crossed!!!)

ANIMATION (TV): Fan Boy and Chum Chum

Last week was pretty awesome.  I spent Monday and Tuesday volunteering at the animal shelter and the rest of the week working on cartoons! Am having a blast working on my regular show, Young Justice, which is finally coming out next month (woohooo!) and also doing the scratch track on a huge new Dreamworks Movie that I can’t talk about til later (argh) — though I can tell you about the 3rd job: which was guest starring on the outrageously fun show, Fan Boy and Chum Chum for Nick.  

I absolutely love doing voice-over work, it’s ridiculous fun and such a work-out. Seriously, I sweat bullets and pull muscles jumping around the sound booth making all kinds of silly noises and screaming my face off. And never have I done that MORE than on FACC!!! I had such a great time working with this talented team and truly hope my character comes back soon.

The only drawback is how long we have to wait to see the episode!! It can take up to a year from the time you record the script til the time it is finished being fully animated and edited and… actually airs!!! But I guess it’s  why the saying goes… for all good things… you have to wait

PRESS: Esquire Magazine (Dec. 2010 issue) & Boston’s Rock Station WAAF 107.3 Hill Man Morning Show

Ahhhhhh. Bright and early this morning I had a whirlwind conversation with the funny guys over at the Hill-Man Morning show in my hometown of Boston. One of the DJ’s (Lyndon Byers, better known as LB) used to play hockey with my dad, former Bruins goalie Rejean Lemelin (whose birthday is tomorrow– on that note– HAPPY BIRTHDAY REG!!!) and I actually really have known him for like… over 20 years. Weird, right? Somehow we all get older.  Anywho, these guys completely cracked me up. Perhaps I should have had more of a filter but… oh well I had fun nonetheless, and am very appreciative of the support! And I seriously cannot believe I forgot to mention pitbulls!?!? Anyway… click on the pic above if you want a direct  link to the podcast… Oh, and the Esquire Magazine shout-out was pretty cool, too! I’m on page 26 this month, it’s the one with Christian Bale on the cover. Thanks, Esquire. I’m starting to *really* like you!

MOVIE: “Special Ops” comes out today!!!

In Motion Pix film: Special Ops

Absolutely thrilled to announce that Special Ops (the movie my husband, AJ and our friend, Tom Shell, produced– formerly known as Disarmed) officially comes out today!  I have a small cameo in the film but more importantly I helped to write it and am very proud of all the work we did as a team to get this movie made and out on the market (finally!)

Special Ops was nominated for 7 awards at the Action On Film Fest last year, including: Action Movie of the Year, Best Fight Choreography (utilizing the arts of MMA, Eskrima, and Krav Maga– done by AJ and fellow KM black belt Kevin Lewis), Best Fight Sequence (for AJ’s knife on knife battle with Eskrima World Champion Al Punay of the Philippines), Best Original Score (done by the phenomenally talented Joe Cruz, and featuring award-winning Filipino artist Grace Nono) and Break Out Action Star (which AJ won!!!)

NBC Universal and Screen Media Films are distributing here in the United States, and the movie is available almost everywhere on Blu-Ray, DVD and On Demand (check your cable or dish service for pay per view). Please support our film by purchasing it in stores (Walmart) or online (iTunes) or add it to your Netflix/Blockbuster Queue! You can also purchase it directly and find more info at the official movie website here: www.specialopsthemovie.com

Feel free to forward this post to your friends who may be interested in supporting our film. Thanks so much for your support!

Service: Recap.. and why I’ve gone to the PITS

Friends! It seems I’ve been a tad out of the blogosphere lately. So allow me to unleash

Work–

Been busy shooting my little role as Rhonda on THE WHOLE TRUTH-   which has been much fun lately as they have been giving me lots more to do! Some yuck news though–  we did NOT get picked up for the rest of the season… and have been pre-empted on the air by a bunch of specials for the entire MONTH of November! That said– we are still shooting all 13 of our original order and we’re going back on in December (still Wed nites at 10pm on ABC.) And regardless of what happens in our show’s future, I have made my mind up to have a fabulous time doing it while I can!

Also been working lots on YOUNG JUSTICE, which is finally going to air in January and I cannot WAIT to  see this project come to life. Seriously, when you watch this preview how do you NOT get excited!?  On top of that, our movie SPECIAL OPS was just released (wooohooo!) so there was much prep work to be done in that arena as well, with marketing and promotions and so forth. Not to mention we are almost done with our *other* movie, PROJECT FEAR, whose trailer will be released soon (!!!!) so it’s been busy, busy, busy with work stuff.

+ VOLUNTEERING–

However the real culprit (as to why I’ve been so busy) has been my non-stop volunteer work with the newly formed, non-profit I helped to co-found called ANGEL CITY PIT BULLS.

Basically, right now, ACPB is small, grass-roots effort, best described as follows:

“a 501(c)(3) pending non-profit organization dedicated to creating a better future for pit bulls in Los Angeles- the “City of Angels” by promoting the positive image of pit bulls as loving family companions while working to stop their abuse, neglect and overpopulation through education, public advocacy, adoptions and the promotion of responsible pet ownership.”

Helping to create a pit-specific rescue evolved from my years of volunteering with Best Friends LA. As I began doing the Pup My Ride transports (which takes small dogs scheduled for euthanasia due to OVER CROWDING in our local high-kill shelters, and transports them to No-Kill Shelters in other states) — truly an incredible program– I often felt more sad than accomplished at the end of each day. While we might save the lives of 20-50 dogs by transporting them out, just as many would get brought in on the same day. Plus, the transport was only for small dogs (because that is what there is a need for in other states.) The big dogs, especially anything mixed with the oft-misunderstood “pit bull” breed, were left behind, and devastatingly my favorite types of dogs (I have 2, they are the loves of our lives!) truly do make up the bulk of the dogs being put to sleep on a daily basis. I tried to take comfort knowing that perhaps in transporting the small dogs out we had bought some more time for the big dogs, since the shelter wasn’t as crowded after a transport day. But the amount of unneutered and unspayed dogs in our city (especially pit bulls and chihuahuas) unfortunately means many unwanted puppies and strays are brought in daily (which is the #1 reason dogs are being killed daily!) The numbers coming in simply don’t mach the amount of people going to the shelter to adopt. Honestly, when I hear of people paying money for dogs from breeders it pains me more than I can put into words. I see so many dogs– both “expensive” and plan old marvelous mutts– all dying in LA shelters and this all could be avoided if proper word and education was spread.  And don’t even get me started on the people who drop off their old pets Just horrifying to me. Anyway, it wasn’t long before I felt compelled to do more after seeing so many unnecessary deaths of completely adoptable pets.

So! Being a dog person and a lover of pit bulls (who are just the most misunderstood of all) I found myself continuously taking home adorable adoptable pit-bull mixes every time I left a transport day. Then taking them to my vet, getting them spayed or neutered and all checked out, and then networking them among co-workers and friends and eventually finding them a safe and happy home. In just a few short months, my husband and I, along with a network of fabulous friends, found ourselves placing more and more dogs–  and soon people were writing me to help them or a friend find a new pet in the shelter for them. All the pawsitive reinforcement began to take its effect, and soon I began talking with a dear friend of mine named Katie who was basically doing the exact same thing. Eventually, we decided to join forces to form ACPB, and we are in the process of introducing our armies to one another, and ironing out a system to go on fighting the good fight. I am really excited about building our team, and learning more as we go from all involved since (a) rescuing is a really expensive habit and (b) we see so much sad stuff, we definitely need to have a strong supportive team of good people to lean on!

Our mission is to rescue highly adoptable pit bulls from the shelter with the hope that one day we won’t have to, and that no dogs of any kind will be killed due to space…. That means we will do our part in educating the public about pits and promoting awareness of the importance of spaying and neutering all dogs so that so many do not end up homeless (and PTS in our shelters.) We do not have a facility, we are not a sanctuary. We are just a group of people dedicated to saving highly adoptable dogs from death due to something as simple as OVERCROWDING. To us, that is just not an acceptable reason for a great dog to die. And we hope eventually to be part of the movement that will bring the intake numbers in Los Angeles down, and one day  make our state No Kill.

In the meantime, our program is foster-based only, and we can only save as many dogs as we can safely house. So we are always looking for new volunteers and fosters. Please write info@angelcitypits.org to learn more if you would like to help! We make sure our Angel City Pits get proper medical care at the vet, we potty train them,  teach how to walk well on a leash, we well as their basic commands. All of which, of course, costs money. We definitely need help to make it all happen– from donations of leashes, martingale collars, crates, blankets– to money. Especially when we take on medical cases (a couple of our dogs need surgery for instance, some have gotten very sick from being at the shelter, etc) so the vet bills add up! So I conclude by sharing with you all this awesome little fundraiser we have going on! Which is truly perfect for all the animal lovers out there.

Angel City Pit Bulls has partnered with the fabulous Sugar Bean Jewelry to present to you… The PAW charm! Available in silver or gold, on a delicate necklace or a bracelet made of beautiful black beads, these pieces are simply divine! And what’s even better? 40% of the proceeds of each sale goes directly to our non-profit! All you have to do is type in the voucher code “ANGEL” when checking out, and you get FREE SHIPPING and we get 40% of your total cost. And you get a SUPER CUTE necklace and/or bracelet!!! A win-win for everyone. So please… show your support for animals in need and get some great holiday gifts for the animals lovers in your life

Thanks so much for caring… and sharing!

xo xo xo

Stephanie

GUEST STAR: Disney’s “Shake It Up!”

Last night I completed shooting a hilarious Guest Star spot on an episode of the soon-to-be-hit series “Shake It Up” for the Disney Channel. I have to say, it was a bit strange playing one of the “oldest” characters on the show, however this adorable dance-centric comedy *is* for kids and the stars are all around 15 yrs old or younger… I definitely had a great time working on this (the character I played was SOOOO FUN!) and the kids on this show are RIDICULOUSLY talented and really, really FUNNY.

UPDATE: 12/6/10 Just found out that the episode I did (called “Age it Up”) and is scheduled to air Thursday, December 9th at 8 PM and it repeats at 9:30. It will also air on December 10th at 9:30pm, December 11th at 2pm, December 12th at 6:30pm, December 14th at 12:30pm, & December 16th at 3pm.

UPDATE 1/11/11: You can watch the episode online by clicking on the links below!

• Part 1 of 3: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeTOvRIvQVI&feature=related
• Part 2 of 3: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_84WzxXC7Vg&feature=related
• Part 3 of 3:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ-XVImvQ08&feature=related

PRESS: Boston Globe article by Mark Shanahan- “Scoring some Roles”

Very thankful to Mark Shanahan from The Boston Globe for his kind words… and of course, definitely hope THE WHOLE TRUTH performs well tonight when we premiere at 10pm on ABC! Fingers crossed… thanks for your support

Scoring some roles

By Mark Shanahan & Meredith Goldstein Globe Staff / September 14, 2010

Sometimes it takes 10 years to become an overnight sensation. Just ask Stephanie Lemelin. The actress (inset) has done 11 TV pilots in nine years, but she’s only getting traction in Tinseltown now. Lemelin, whose dad is former Bruins goalie Reggie Lemelin, has a recurring role on “The Whole Truth’’ — Jerry Bruckheimer’s new legal drama on ABC costarring Rob Morrow — and also shows up in the new issue of Esquire, dubbed one of the “Sexiest New Faces of Fall TV.’’ (Daniella Alonso of “My Generation’’ and “Lone Star’’ lovely Eloise Mumford are a couple of the others.) “There is a last-man-standing quality to making it in Hollywood,’’ says Lemelin, a North Shore native, who had a role on “$#*! My Dad Says,’’ but the character was eliminated. On “The Whole Truth,’’ Lemelin plays a legal assistant named Rhonda. “They dress me in the cutest clothes. Rhonda’s a smart, sexy young woman working her way up the ladder,’’ says the actress, whose husband is martial artist A.J. Draven. “Her outfits are vastly different from my normal everyday tomboy clothes because I’m usually in sweats, covered in dog.’’ (She does a lot of volunteer work with rescue dogs.) Lemelin will be in town this week for the Boston Film Festival to promote the shot-in-Rockport film “The Last Harbor,’’ and she’s busy with “Young Justice,’’ a new ’toon on the Cartoon Network. “My character is a hot mess,’’ she says, “I play a superhero, my dream job.’’

PRESS: Esquire Magazine – September 2010

This month’s ESQUIRE magazine rated little ol’ me as one of the top 7 new actress to watch out for in the fall. So cool! They got the show title wrong… but whatevs Very flattering nonetheless.

RECURRING: The Whole Truth

Been working quite a bit on this new show lately. We’ve shot 4 episodes so far, and I can honestly say each week when I get the script for the next episode, I get so excited to read it! Each one reads like a thrilling suspense novel, and you truly never know whodunit til the very end. I love being a part of this… the people are fantastic, and the show is so fun. Looking forward to the premiere… exactly one month from tomorrow!!!

FROM ABC…. “Go beyond the verdict with a new legal drama that keeps you guessing until the very end. Watch as each case is built by the prosecution and the defense only to reveal The Whole Truth in the final moments of each episode.”

Premieres Wednesday, Sept. 22 at 10|9c on ABC

ANIMATION: Pilot for DISNEY!!!

Here comes another “vague” post about a new job– since (ahem!) I have learned my lesson about telling too much too early. However,  I can’t help share my excitement over this news… and of course I promise to give more detailed news once I am allowed to!

I recently recorded an adorable role on a new animated series for DISNEY. It’s only a pilot at this point, and they still have to animate it… which happens after we all voice the characters… so it’s going to be AWHILE (to me, it always feels like FOREVER honestly!!!) til we know if it’s picked up for series or not. However it was a HUGE step for me as I have been sooooooo close on sooooo many for soooo long that to actually get the part and work for DISNEY pretty much gave me perma-smile for weeks on end (which I needed, for sure!)

As I’ve said before, I am highly obsessed with voice-over work and so naturally I am thrilled to be building my repertoire of characters. This one’s so different from Artemis on YJ (who will admittedly probably always be my favorite, because she’s my first real series lead and she has so much SASS!) That said–  it’s incredibly fun to try something on the other end of my personality spectrum, and ironically the other end of my vocal register, too So, so cool.

Ok- as always- thanks for your support! I will let you know more when I can… promise.

MOVIE: One of the things I will be doing on my summer vacation!

Just got a fun little part in a kick-ass blockbuster action film directed by Adrian Grunberg, which he co-wrote with producer and star Mel Gibson, called How I Spent My Summer Vacation. Centered around a career criminal who gets jailed in a very tough Mexican prison, the story is about how one man learns to survive against all odds with the help of a 9 year old boy. The script is pure adrenaline and so was the process of being in it! I auditioned on a Thursday, got the part on a Friday, was on a plane literally a couple hours later to Mexico City, where I promptly started shooting the following morning. It was, in short, my most memorable Memorial Day Weekend trip… ever!

VIDEO: Clip from 90210 Episode 15 (Season 2) [Part 3/5]

I’m feeling very high-tech! That last post inspired me to find more clips on the internet… this is too easy!? Here’s a quick snapshot from the 90210 spot I did recently– I come on around minute five…

VIDEO: Watch Ghost Whisperer- Episode 5:21- “Dead Ringer”

So one of my oldest, dearest friends asked me to post the GW episode I recently guest-starred in because she ‘totally forgot’ to watch it (apparently being a mother 3 beautiful girls all under the age of 4 keeps her busy or something!?)  AKA I-don’t-know-how-she-does-it-and-am-totally-in-awe!!! I must give credit to YOUTUBE for making this so easy, despite the fact that no one gets any residuals (but who wants to embark on that sad debate!?)  Anyway- below are the links to watch the episode, which is divided into 5 chronological parts…  Enjoy!

1. PART ONE: GW EPISODE 5:21
2. PART TWO: GW EPISODE 5:21
3. PART THREE: GW EPISODE 5:21
4. PART FOUR: GW EPISODE 5:21
5. PART FIVE: GW EPISODE 5:21

And, thanks for watching. Then and now…