Meet Mischa Ipp, actress and producer based in Brooklyn, New York by way of South Africa and Australia!
What project are you currently working on? What is your role in the project?
At my production company, Little y, we are in development for a quirky stress-comedy about an immigrant woman in tech called Weezy Goes Outside, a feel good feature film about a woman with cerebral palsy getting her dream job called Living Room Stars, and a musical about the invention of love, cave people, and authorship called A Beat in June.
Do you have a favorite hat under the “creator” umbrella?
My favourite hat is actor.
What were your earliest inspirations? How did you get started as a creator?
My earliest inspirations came from doing drama classes once a week when I was 6 years old and being completely obsessed. Oh, and making up plays with my friends to show our parents.
As a more traditional answer, other than those that inspired me in the local Perth theatre scene, I was probably first professionally obsessed with Baz Luhrmann’s work. The vibrancy, design, and rich characters in Moulin Rouge continue to light me up, and Luhrmann’s interpretation of Romeo and Juliet is delicious, fun and artful!
I got started as a creator because I was feeling impatient about when my next acting job would come along. I had just graduated from university and I’d immediately gotten cast in a professional play that had been incredibly fulfilling. Unfortunately, I had nothing lined up to follow this gig. A friend of mine had been making films in Scotland and was also looking for ‘what’s next’. So we decided to make a film together. We started a company called 7 Centaur Productions and made our first film called Eyes in Darkness.
Whose work do you admire? Who are your dream collaborators?
Reese Witherspoon because she has both an awesome acting career and produces rich, intriguing, high quality work that aligns with our mission at Little y: to explore the power and complexity of marginalized women by starting with a little question.
What’s your proudest moment as an artist so far?
There was a period where I was cast in a show with Punchdrunk, the same company that does Sleep No More, that was on in New York first and then toured to Art Basel in Miami; I was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress and Outstanding Writing at the LA Webfest for a webseries I co-wrote, co-produced, acted in and edited; and I acted in an Amazon and Funny or Die film that took me back to LA (I was loving the bi-coastal life!). I just felt fantastic about my career and where it seemed to be heading. However, actually, what I’m most proud of, is that I have been brave enough to passionately go for what I want for over two decades, even with all the rejection and challenges that come with it.
What’s your must-read/must-watch book/show or movie?
My must-read is Way of the Peaceful Warrior, a part-fictional, part-autobiographical book that holds a lot of healing and wisdom. I read it in my early 20’s and that was the first book that popped into my mind when I read the question.
Stay up to date with Mischa and her work!
Instagram & Twitter: @mischaipp @littley.co