As many Louisianans know, the film industry in our state was once rife with history-making prosperity (ever heard of a little film series called The Twilight Saga?). Even now, it still shows promise. Lafayette native Lo Graham has certainly taken advantage of every opportunity the local industry has offered, catapulting her to success while remaining mostly in her own backyard.

From a young age, Graham loved being in front of the camera. “Growing up I would put on shows in the living room, play with my dad’s camcorder and make ‘Weather Channel’ videos,” says Graham. “As I got older, that translated into performing community theater, because that was a really great avenue to learn acting and get comfortable moving from the stage to the screen.”

Landing her first film role at the age of 14, Graham appeared in The Vampire’s Assistant alongside The Hunger Games star Josh Hutcherson. She filmed for a week in New Orleans, where she fell in love with the entire process. That planted the bug for TV and film acting.

Graham attended the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication, where she majored in broadcast journalism. While in college, she was involved in Tiger TV as an entertainment and weather anchor. During this time, she appeared in This is the End with Seth Rogen, NCIS: New Orleans and Scream Queens.

While studying broadcast journalism, Graham developed a dream to pursue entertainment news and reporting as a career, which would place her on the other side of the entertainment industry as well. That dream came true when was given the opportunity to fly to Los Angeles and film an E! News segment and report on fashion.

“Once I graduated, I knew I wanted to continue my training, so I went to Los Angeles for about two years to train, study and audition with a manager there and basically learn everything I could about Hollywood and the entertainment industry.”

Following her return to Louisiana, Graham almost immediately booked a Popeyes commercial. She sees this as a testament to how much film, television and commercial work is still going on in Louisiana. Not long after, Graham booked her most recent and recurring role on Filthy Rich on Fox, playing the young version of the character played by Emmy-nominated Kim Cattrall.

“Playing the young version of our main character, Margaret Monreaux, was incredible because it really showed the history between Margaret and Franklin,” says Graham.

Through a series of flashbacks, Graham’s character helps provide the backstory for the relationship between Margaret and Franklin, a lawyer character who plays a major role with the Monreaux family. By weaving the past with the present, viewers are able to see the history of the characters come together. The show was shot in New Orleans.

“Season 1 is available to binge on Hulu. The show is so much fun. It’s very soapy and wild. There are so many twists and turns,” she says. “The season finale on November 30 was also one of the most shocking finales I have seen. There were some major plot twists at the end that I don’t think any of our viewers saw coming.”

Since finishing up with the show, Graham continues to train and audition. She also developed a love for being behind the camera and fosters goals of one day being a producer and director. Graham was able to make her dream a reality by writing, directing and producing her first short film alongside another Baton Rouge actor while utilizing in-state resources.

“In Louisiana we have such an amazing, supportive network of creatives and filmmakers. Everyone is looking to be involved and support each other and to be as generous as possible with their talents,” she explains. “I would say to any young actors out there in Louisiana to make the most of the opportunities that you have in your state. It is such a blessing to be able to pursue your dreams of acting and also be with your family and have your home base in the South.”

Keep up with Graham on Instagram where she posts behind-the-scenes photos, fashion and lifestyle content.