In her first year as an adjunct theatre professor at Cal State Long Beach, actor Roma Maffia has a lot to balance when she isn’t teaching.
She has a recurring role on ABC Family’s “Pretty Little Liars” as the character Lieutenant Linda Tanner.
Maffia has acted for 30 years, she started out as a stage actress in New York, and acted in many regional theatre productions. Maffia was soon cast in a television show called “The Equalizer” that aired in the mid ‘80s.
Her film credits include, “Eraser,” “Double Jeopardy,” “Holes” and most recently, “The Call,” starring Halle Berry. She has worked with such actors as: Ashley Judd, Johnny Depp and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
She has appeared on numerous television shows including a series regular role in “Nip/Tuck,” and smaller roles on “Grey’s Anatomy,” “NCIS,” “Boston Legal” and “Law and Order,” among others.
Maffia’s latest venture is teaching an audition techniques class in the theatre department at CSULB.
“I’ve had huge moments of discovery in Roma’s class,” junior theatre major Stephanie Lehane said. “She’s someone who actually believes I am capable of more than what I thought I [was] capable of, which has given me more confidence moving forward—I owe that to Roma.”
The Daily 49er sat down with Roma Maffia to talk about the CSULB professor’s journey as an actor and her journey from New York to The Beach.
Q. How did you get your foot in the door in the acting business growing up in New York?
Roma Maffia: My friends and I used to pretend we were management companies, and we would call casting directors for each other to try to get auditions. We’d do pretty well, actually. We called ourselves “Outlaw Casting.” It was very inventive. It kept us moving forward in the business. I was very persistent. I remember one time I went to this casting director, and as soon as I turned around, I could feel her put my picture and resume in the garbage, so I turned around and asked her if I could have it back. People set rules, and I don’t think we always have to adhere to those rules. If you have the goods, you have to figure out how to get seen in order to be successful in the acting business.
Q. What brought you to Los Angeles, and how did you begin a career in television and film acting?
RM: I was doing a film called “The Paper,” directed by Ron Howard. I wasn’t happy with my New York agent, so I called up Ron and I asked him if he could introduce me to an agent he liked while out here in L.A. for the film’s premiere. Soon, I got an audition for the movie “Disclosure.” At the same time, I got an audition for the television series “Chicago Hope.” I got them both, and that’s what kept me here. I’ve been here since [1994]. I had really no desire to come out here. I really wanted to continue pursuing theatre, but I realized theatre producers often want a big name that comes from film and television, so I continued with screen acting.
Q. Describe an average day on set.
RM: You’re up at three in the morning if they want you to be on set at 4:30 or 5 in the morning. With union work, you work with 12 hours of rest and sleep in between shoot days…Anyway, you get to the makeup trailer, you check in with the second assistant director, park your car, you’re offered breakfast if you want it, you get your sides, which is a truncated version of the day’s work—or dialogue of what you’re working on for that day—you go into hair and makeup and then you go into rehearsals with the director, once everybody from the production crew has clocked in. Then you go back to your trailer, and depending on how much time it takes the crew to light and set up, you go back and shoot. Generally, it takes about four hours to shoot a scene, and that’s not a very large scene.
Q. What is going through your head right before the director shouts, “Action!”
RM: Most of the time, I start off nervous at various levels; it’s that anticipation. Especially when I was younger, I would worry about messing up on camera, but the more relaxed you are and the more relaxed the setting is, it becomes like playing.
Q. Talk about your experiences working on “The Call” starring Halle Berry. What was it like to work with her?
RM: She’s incredibly kind and sweet and beautiful. It was an interesting movie because we shot it in 21 days, which is very quick for film.
Q. Talk about your current recurring role on ABC Family’s “Pretty Little Liars.”
RM: I thought I was a good character, but it has been reported to me that the young people don’t like my character because she’s a cop trying to find out who’s killing people in Rosewood. I thought people would appreciate that, but obviously they don’t. I’m still going to keep Rosewood safe.
Q. What are some things you like to do when you’re not acting or teaching?
RM: I like to shop for anything. I like to play table tennis. I write, and I am currently writing a novel. I also like to travel and like to sometimes just stay at home and do nothing. I like to be with my family as well.
Q. You have a very interesting tattoo on your wrist—it looks like a purple and red band with two dots next to it. What does this represent?
RM: That lavender line is for my dog Lulu, who passed away at age 18. This red stripe is for another dog I had named Larry. And these two dots are for two dogs I had when I was a kid. I currently have two dogs, one named Lucky, a coyote and Golden Retriever mix. My other dog, Louie, is just a little mutt mess.
Q. What actor do you really admire?
RM: Meryl Streep. I mean, to see her growth as an actor has been inspiring, and I get a sense from her that acting isn’t her whole life—she has a life outside of acting—which I think is very important. I met her when I was an usher at the Delacorte Theatre in New York, and she was acting in “The Taming of the Shrew.” I also waited tables at a restaurant in New York that she would come in all the time.
Q. What other jobs have you had while pursuing acting?
RM: I also worked as a bartender and cook in New York. The first time I cooked for people I was very nervous because I thought people could die from my cooking.
Q. What gives you the greatest joy as an acting teacher, and what is your teaching philosophy?
RM: When I see that students are being courageous and are opening up and expressing themselves freely, that is really rewarding for me. You have to stand up for what you believe in, and you have to give voice to what you believe in. It’s about growing and being the best human being you can; it’s about being true to your word, growing and being brave.