Playing Strong, Playing Evil, and Everything In Between
Editor's Note:
Our latest interview comes from Clinton R. Siegle, who's shared his conversations with FC? before. This time he sat down with actress Dawna Lee Heising, a genre-film mainstay whose work runs deep in horror, sci-fi, and action. She talks about building characters from the ground up, what "strength on screen" actually means, and the long list of projects she's got coming.
Enjoy. -Mike
You’re often moving straight from sci-fi to horror to action, sometimes back-to-back. What do you do internally to “reset” between those worlds so each performance stays honest and distinct?
I start each project by reading the entire script and then I begin analyzing my character. I create a complete backstory and history for the character and then I begin memorizing my lines. I record my lines and listen to them while I am driving until the lines become second nature. By doing all these things, I can become the character as soon as I hear “Action!” on the set.
Every genre of film consists of characters, who all have singular traits. A trait is a specific quality of an individual. They can be inherited from parents (biological), learned through experiences and environment (behavioral), or used to define a person's ongoing patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (personality).
Many of your upcoming roles are women who project authority without apology. How do you personally define strength on screen?
There are many ways that strength on screen can be interpreted. It can refer to the role that you are playing. The character can be physically strong and intimidating and be trained in martial arts and weapons. The character can also be mentally formidable and make everyone around him or her fearful of retaliation or punishment. The character can also be evil enough to avoid confrontation because no one else has the strength to confront him or her. I enjoy playing strong authoritative figures who get what they want, and I also enjoy portraying strong evil characters because they are so different from the real me!
Strength on screen can also mean how believable the audience finds your character. Some of my favorite strong roles have been Penelope the Vampire Queen in Craig Railsback’s “Down and Out in Vampire Hills,” Esmeralda in William Lee’s “Black Mamba,” the Queen in Dustin Ferguson’s “Cobra Strike Force,” Ma Fletcher in Dustin Ferguson’s “Meathook Massacre” series of films, Madame An in “Evil Madame An,” Barbie in Dustin Ferguson’s “Nemesis 5” and “Nemesis 6,” and Athena 42.0 in Craig Railsback’s “The Job,”
What do you have planned for the future?
I am playing Shakira Slay in William Lee’s “Devils in the Details,” and socialite Morgan Wellington in Matt Wall’s vertical series “Black Star.” I will be playing diva actress Cynthia De Wilde in Greg Tally and Halle Capone’s audio series “Crimson Cowpokes of the Colorado”, Crystal Ball in Joseph Kelly’s “Clown Motel 4”, and a high priestess in Diana Carter’s “Witches and Warlocks”. I am also reprising the character of Nikki Taylor in Walter Hochbrueckner’s “Next Stop: Hell’s End” in the sequel to his multi-award-winning thriller “The Paradise Motel.” I will be playing a hitwoman duo with Joycelyne Lew in Gregory Hatanaka’s “No Regrets.” I will also be in Robert Amico’s “Inside the Butterfly Net.” I am also playing Dawna of the Darkness in Diana Carter and Steve Alexander’s “Monster On” and the nanny in Diana Carter’s “Don’t Look Back.”
I am currently starring in Craig Railsback’s “The Job” with Lejon Stewart. Craig wrote, directed, and edited this amazing sci-fi thriller. Dr. Renah Wolzinger created the original music and the AI special effects, and Dr. Heather Joseph-Witham came up with the original storyline. I am the executive producer, and the producers are Craig, Renah and Joseph Williamson. “The Job” has won many film festival awards for Best Short Film, Best Sci-fi Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Original Score. I am extremely proud of this amazing film!
The first annual DIVERSITY NEWS MAGAZINE AWARDS 2026 will be held on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre, 4800 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles. The Diversity News USA Queens for 2026 will be announced, and I am excited to be co-hosting this great event with Esteban Escobar!
About Dawna Lee Heising:
Dawna Lee Heising has appeared in over 255 feature films and won more than 900 film festival awards, including over 540 for Best Actress. A Living Legend Award honoree and WorldFilmGeek.com Hall of Fame inductee, she's trained in Tang Soo Do martial arts and is a longtime SAG-AFTRA member. She's also VP of Aki Aleong's Mustard Seed Media Group and comes from film pedigree: her uncle is cinematographer Tak Fujimoto ("The Silence of the Lambs," "The Sixth Sense").
Interviewer Bio:
Clinton R. Siegle is an award-winning independent filmmaker, writer, and interviewer whose work has screened at 146 international film festivals and earned 14 awards. His films explore the boundary between the real and the surreal, often examining time, perception, and the human experience. Beyond filmmaking, Siegle is a cultural interviewer and archivist, documenting long-form conversations with artists, creators, and thinkers. As a writer and essayist, his work—spanning fiction, cultural commentary, and experimental storytelling—has reached over 8.49 million views worldwide. Through film, writing, and dialogue, he bridges history and myth, science and speculation, inviting audiences to question the world they inhabit.
Check out Clinton’s other articles: HERE
