Lara Clear on Craft, Complexity, and the Festival Spotlight in I Live Here Now

Actor-producer Lara Clear is having a breakthrough moment. With the premiere of I Live Here Now, Julie Pacino’s feature directorial debut, Clear steps into the international spotlight. The film described as a hypnotic psychological thriller has secured a coveted spot on the lineup at Fantasia, Locarno, and Edinburgh International Film Festivals. It’s a major moment for Clear, whose nuanced performance as Ada in the visually arresting genre film is already drawing attention.

“I’m incredibly proud to be part of this team and of how the film came out,” Clear says. “Julie Pacino truly helmed a beautiful, collaborative process and led with such a clear creative vision.”

Lara trained in London before relocating to New York and eventually Los Angeles, and her acting evolution is as multifaceted as the characters she portrays. “I’d say my evolution as an actor has been a bit of an unexpected adventure,” she shares. “I trained in London, where everything was very technique-driven: text work, classical structure, all the proper foundations, which I am grateful that I have as a constant in my acting DNA. It was intense, but it gave me a strong backbone that I’m really appreciative of.”

Moving across continents and mediums gave Clear a richer understanding of her craft. “From theater and TV on-camera acting, the US has taught me to trust my instincts more, to let go of doing it ‘right’ and just be fully present and in the scene,” she explains. “My legendary acting coach Allen Savage, who recently passed away, transformed my acting. He taught me to be open and present, by really listening and responding to your scene partner. I’ve become freer, bolder and more connected thanks to his work. Now, it feels less like I’m performing and more like I’m living in each moment of time within each character.”

In I Live Here Now, Clear plays Ada, a mysterious and layered figure whose dynamic with lead character Rose fuels the film’s emotional intensity. “Ada is a very complex character, and she was a lot of fun to play. I hope she’s as interesting to watch as she was for me to bring to life,” she says. “Julie created such an atmospheric world, and creating and playing Ada within that world allowed me to explore parts of myself that don’t always get to come out on screen.”

Despite the film’s heightened style and surreal aesthetic, Clear remains grounded in performance, shaped by her global experience. “Working on both U.S. and international productions has definitely shaped how I move through this industry not just as an actor, but as a producer too,” she notes. “Different cultures bring different strengths to the process whether it’s incorporating the structure and discipline I trained with in London… or the boldness, improvisation and experimentation I’ve experienced in LA.”

Beyond the film itself, Clear is eager to connect with audiences at festivals and continue building artistic relationships. “I’d love the opportunity to connect with the festival programmers at each event,” she says. “On a personal level, I’m currently looking for new representation, particularly in the UK and Canada… and I’d love to continue building awareness around the film and my performance in it.”

Her passion for bold characters and psychological tension is clear in the types of roles she gravitates toward. “I’m always drawn to layered characters, the ones with a bit of darkness and complexity, which we all carry some level of as human beings,” Clear says. “I love the challenge of revealing those cracks as the story unfolds and the quiet tension simmering.”

With I Live Here Now being distributed by Utopia, and collaborations with Pacino already taking shape for the future, Lara Clear is firmly in her creative stride. “After this experience, I’m eager to keep working on projects that challenge me emotionally and creatively… The dream is to continue working with visionary directors, like Julie, who bring a strong, original voice to storytelling.”

In a film about identity, perception, and intimacy, Lara Clear finds herself at a defining career crossroads—living fully in the moment, both on-screen and off.