Chasing a dream always involves risks, but the dividends are paying off for Kate Dailey.
“It was rocky at first. You do smaller projects and independent features, but I’ve been lucky to work steadily, and every year is better than the last,” said Dailey, who always wanted to pursue a career in acting.
March will see a couple of her recent projects come to light.
A film called “Deadly Girls’ Trip” will air on Lifetime March 7; a short indie feature called “Heavy Delta” will be on Vimeo starting March 1 and the film “Applewood” is set for a March 4 streaming release on Amazon.
Dailey’s love of acting began as a child when she took part in community theater.
“My parents thought I was a bit of a ham and that I would probably like it,” said Dailey. “The acting bug bit me.”
In college, she double majored in theater and Russian studies and study-abroad experiences took her to the Moscow Art School in Russia and the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, Ireland. After graduating, she worked with a Shakespearean theater company in Minneapolis.
She met her husband, and the military brought the couple to the Augusta area, where she put acting to the side and pursued other types of jobs.
But acting still called to her.
“My husband has always been supportive, and he said, ‘when are you going to start working as hard for your own dream as you do for somebody else’s?’” she said.
That was about six years ago. Although it was scary at first, Dailey is glad she took the plunge.
In 2024, she worked on multiple projects including several for Lifetime. “The Book Club Murders” aired in October 2024, and “Murder In Nashville” premiered Feb. 2.
“Deadly Girls’ Trip” is about “suburban mom to be, Lacey, suspects the other women and neighbors might know more than they are letting on and are keeping deadly secrets,” according to Lifetime’s social media. Dailey plays Janice, the ill-fated friend who dies during a weekend girls’ getaway.
“While I don’t have a ton of scenes in this one, the fact that I do die was part of why I wanted to take the job when it was offered. I’ve only died on camera one other time for one of the local ‘Wages of Cine’ short film several years ago, and since it was great fun last time, I felt like it was time to revisit a death sequence. I’ll let you tune in to see how I’m taken out,” she said.
One fun part of the filming involved a car.
“I was given the keys to a swanky blue Bentley convertible, and I have to say, giving them back after shooting the driving scenes was harder than I thought it’d be,” she said.
“Deadly Girls’ Trip” will premier at 8 p.m. Friday March 7 on Lifetime.
The indie film “Heavy Delta” teases “Twenty years after the government-ordered shutdown of the Crawford Mining Company (a group of dangerous, drug smuggling miners), an adventurous river ecologist sets out to prove that the CMC has returned, and that they’re responsible for her father’s mysterious disappearance.”
“Heavy Delta” features a local contingent.
“It’s a phenomenal group of filmmakers. I work with them all whenever I can and hire them myself as well. Many of the same names from ‘Applewood”’ and ‘Observance; honestly. Same cinematographer, Denton Adkinson, Sound Nick Laws, HMU Tiffany Howerton, Indie Grip’s Terrance Williams, and local talents Bronsonn Taylor, and Paul Reyes to name a few. Plus, it’s written, directed, edited and acted in by Alec James as well. For a short film, it’s really well done,” she said.
Filmed in 2021, “Applewood” is one of several features by Rob Hollocks to be shot in Augusta.
“The cast and crew were predominantly locals for that film, so even though it hasn’t been released domestically yet, it’s so exciting that the hard work of so many from the Augusta film community will be seen around the globe,” she said.
It’s about a young widow whose “latent psychic powers reveal dark secrets inside of a Victorian mansion, forcing her to solve its mysteries before it takes her sanity and her life,” according to its description at IMDB.com. It will be distributed internationally March 4. “The Observance” was filmed in Augusta in May 2024 and is in post-production.
“After five years in a coma, Madison Neubauer wakes to find her home and family in the grip of ‘The Observance’ – a religious cult who will stop at nothing to protect their secrets,” is its synopsis.
Alec James plays the cult leader in that film.
“Alec plays a great villain, but he’s seriously a wonderful person. I work with him every chance I get. He is immensely talented,” she said.
Another Lifetime film is in post-production. Its current title is “Double Trouble,” but Dailey said that may change.
Dailey plays the lead in that one.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
