Kansas native Lydia Hull is an upcoming actress with a couple of different tricks up her sleeve. Even though her Hollywood career started with a flurry with roles in films like Van Wilder and Sorority Boys, she decided to take an academic break to earn degrees in Apparel and Textile Marketing & Jewelry Design from Kansas State University and F.I.D.M. repsectively. But now, she’s back in acting mode and is one of the lead stars in the new firefighter drama SAF3 that airs on the CW channel. See our interview with her below ….
“Traits I find attractive in a man are intelligence, a sense of humor, a sense of adventure …”
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Where are you from?
I am originally from Lawrence, Kansas
How was your upbringing like and when did you first catch the acting bug?
I had a pretty normal upbringing being born to practical, hardworking, Midwestern parents. No one in my family is in the entertainment industry so it seemed like a farfetched dream to move to LA and make it as an actress. But I just always knew I wanted to try. When I started modeling at 15 and traveling to places like NYC and Paris it started to seem more possible to pursue acting on a professional level.
When was your first big break in Hollywood?
My first success in Hollywood came when I booked parts on Van Wilder and Sorority Boys. Actually I booked both parts in the same week which was pretty cool. Being a lead on SAF3 is the largest role I have had so far but as far as “big breaks” I’m still trying haha.
What would you say is the most difficult thing about being an aspiring actress that most people don’t realize?
I would say the hardest part about being an aspiring actress is just being patient and enduring. Not getting discouraged or insecure. Getting through the dry spells and having a way to hang in there financially.
Tell us about your new role in the show SAF3?
I play fire fighter Lily Maddox on SAF3. She is a smart, strong, compassionate character that is good at her job, but has very real struggles in her personal life.
SAF3 is filmed in South Africa – that must be pretty awesome – can you tell us a little bit about that?
Filming in Cape Town South Africa was an adventure for sure. I am grateful that I got to see a beautiful and culturally rich country. We worked a lot of hours but I managed to squeeze in some tourist type stuff too like shark cafe diving. I pet a cheetah at a cheetah rescue and rode a camel and had some lovely South African wine. So all that was really cool. Cape Town has the most beautiful sea and sunsets. But 5 months was a long time to be so far from home and that definitely was hard on me.
What do you do to stay fit and svelte – are you a workout junkie – special diets etc?
To stay fit I currently play tennis, dance, and lift weights. I enjoy all of those things so that is the easy part for me. The diet is the more difficult part. I try to eat really healthy 90% of the time. So salad, chicken, fish, vegetables, eggs. That kind of thing. The other 10% of the time I let myself indulge a little and have some of the things I love like macaroni and cheese or a hamburger or a dessert.
What’s your favorite drink and what do you like to do to unwind?
I love champagne. I think it’s the bubbles haha. I also enjoy Pinot Noir or a gin and tonic. To unwind nothing beats a massage. But time spent with close friends makes me happy and dancing gives me life.
What are your Top 3 movies of all time and Top 3 actors of all time?
Top movies…hmmmm…ok Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Princess Bride, and Scarface. Oh and Bridesmaids was hilarious! I love Cate Blanchett, Tom Hanks, and Melissa McCarthy and recently Eva Green. Eva in the second 300 movie was just so fantastic. She was the bad guy but I found myself really liking the character anyway. That’s good acting.
What traits do you find most attractive in a man?
Traits I find attractive in a man are intelligence, a sense of humor, a sense of adventure, honesty, and integrity. And he should take care of himself. He doesn’t have to be a workout junkie but ya know your health and body are a gift and should be treated with respect.
Lastly, in addition to SAF3, what other projects can we look forward to seeing you in for the near future?
I’m waiting for a time frame regarding second season of SAF3. Once I know my availability I can put myself back out there to try and land future roles. I just want to keep growing as an actress.
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