Actress and singer-songwriter Jillian Shea Spaeder spent the winter filming the Disney+ original film, Godmothered, with Jillian Bell and Isla Fisher, and she not only found some new go-to skin-care products on-set, but she also can lay claim to having two singles on the soundtrack. We recently caught up with Spaeder, who shared some newfound makeup and skin-care secrets, as well as why she misses her favorite East Coast–based convenience store.
You grew up in Pennsylvania and now you’re in L.A. What do you see as the biggest difference between the two coasts, besides the weather?
I come from a small town in the Philadelphia suburbs, and most people around this area seem to have families in the area or grew up here. In L.A., it seems like everyone is from somewhere else. Another difference is the water temperature—the Pacific Ocean is way colder than the Atlantic! But I have to say that the biggest difference is that the West Coast does not have Wawa, which is THE popular convenience store here on the East Coast known for its yummy soups, sandwiches and coffee!
Any beauty secrets or products used from the set of Godmothered?
We filmed Godmothered in Boston in the middle of winter last year, so my face got pretty dry from filming outside. I discovered CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser at that time, and now I can’t live without it! Our makeup department head, Debbie Zoller, also recommended Dermalogica Active Moist to moisturize because it hydrates without clogging pores. The “makeup secret” I will share is what Debbie used on top of my lipstick to give me a pretty glow for the concert scene; it’s Lime Crime’s Diamond Crusher Lip Topper in Lit (rose gold). It is SO pretty!
You use your social platform to promote a lot of causes. Why is that important to you?
Social media is a great way to connect with people, but I think it also comes with a responsibility to use it for good. People with larger social platforms, especially, should help be the voices for those whose voices that aren’t heard—or aren’t heard by enough people. I am glad I’m able to use social media to spread the word about causes I am passionate about.
How do you get ready for your art…is it a different process when you act versus when you sing?
Preparing for a role is much different for me than getting ready to sing. With acting, I need to memorize the script and then get into the character and interpret how I think that character would speak, feel and move. With the role of Jane on Godmothered, the acting coach had me write a journal as Jane for several weeks to really become her. With singing, I still have to perform songs from whatever viewpoint I’ve written it in, but it’s easier because I already developed that viewpoint when I first wrote the song.
