We Speak Actors

Veronica Long cracks you up in her breakout comedy role for Netflix’s ‘The Wrong Paris’

Published

7 months ago

September 16, 2025

Canadian actress Veronica Long is making audiences laugh in Netflix’s newly released romantic comedy ‘The Wrong Paris’, where she steals scenes as the eccentric and lovable Heather. Known for bringing both heart and humor to her roles, Long has built an impressive résumé across television and film. She is widely recognized for her standout performances in the hit series ‘Billy the Kid’ (MGM/EPIX), ‘The Imperfects’ (Netflix), ‘Charmed’ (The CW), ‘Supernatural’ (The CW), and ‘Guadalajara’ (Amazon Prime). Fans will also recognize her from her many Hallmark and Lifetime movies, including ‘Lights, Camera, Christmas’!, ‘Advice to Love By’, ‘Dying to Belong’, and ‘A Winning Team’. With her sharp comedic timing and versatility, Long continues to prove herself as one of the most dynamic talents on screen today.

What was it like working on the new Netflix film ‘The Wrong Paris’?

“Working on ‘The Wrong Paris’ was an absolute dream come true. The entire cast clicked from the start—we vibed instantly and formed these effortless connections that made every day feel like a celebration.

“Our director, Janeen Damian, was an absolute delight; she fostered this warm, playful energy on set that put everyone at ease.”

Between takes, we’d blast music and just soak in the joy, and she gave us total freedom to run wild with our eccentric characters, embracing every ad-lib and improv that popped up. It was pure magic collaborating with her and our stellar producers—Michael Damian, Brad Krevoy, Kelly Frazier, Amanda Philips, Jimmy Townsend, and Galen Fletcher. Nothing beats the rush of hearing them erupt in laughter from behind the monitors. We had a riot bringing these quirky, oddball characters to life—the vibes were electric, top-notch, from the first frame to the wrap.”

You’re so funny as Heather in ‘The Wrong Paris’. You have so many great hilarious one-liners. How did you prepare for this role, and where do you draw your comedic inspiration from?

“First of all, thank you! I loved working on this character and I absolutely love rom-coms. So this was truly a dream job. On my days off, I would alternate between watching classic rom-coms like ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’ and then more comedy-heavy rom-coms like ‘Bridesmaids’ and ‘The House Bunny’ to get into that fun rom-com rhythm.

I’m a comedy fiend at heart, so my influences span tons of TV and film—think ‘The Office’, ‘Arrested Development’, ‘Parks and Recreation’, and ‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’ (too many faves to list them all). But for Heather, Melissa McCarthy’s shameless, larger-than-life Megan in ‘Bridesmaids’ was my true guiding light. She was really my north star in guiding my choices for Heather. I wanted this character to be equally shameless and unapologetically herself.

Here’s a funny tidbit—this seems crazy to me now, but I almost turned down the audition for Heather! I saw the character description where she was described as a buff female wrestler type and, well, I’m none of those things. Ha! But I decided to just have fun with it and do my version of this character, even though I didn’t match the description physically.

“I thought, I’m just going to go big and have a ton of fun creating a kooky, raunchy character that makes me giggle, and hopefully it makes other people laugh too!”

“Fingers crossed! Haha.”

Who did you work most closely with on this project, and what was that collaboration like?

“I worked closely with a few people! I worked really closely with our fabulous director, Janeen Damian, who really encouraged me to keep going in the direction I was taking the character. She was really supportive and we had so much fun building out this character and adding in fun moments for Heather.I also worked really closely with my comedy writing partner (and real-life partner), Spencer Teeter. We had so much fun rehearsing the scenes before filming and coming up with tons of potential ad-libs or fun physical bits for the character to do. I’d write a lot of it down and keep it in the notes section on my phone to pull out during filming. Spencer and I collaborated on adding a lot of the little physical bits you see Heather do in the movie—like smacking Pierson’s character, Trey, on the butt when Heather first meets him, and drinking the two Wild Turkey shots at the same time on the plane.”

Looking back, which projects in your career have been the most rewarding so far?

“Hands down, ‘The Wrong Paris’ takes the crown—it was a dream from start to glorious finish. But shooting ‘Billy the Kid’ on MGM+ runs a razor-close second. Building a character across three seasons was incredibly fulfilling; that cast and crew became a total family. We had an epic time filming amid the breathtaking vistas of Calgary, Alberta. When I signed onto the show, I couldn’t have imagined how cool it would be to shoot a Western drama set in the 1800s. It was wild to dress up in corsets and long flowing dresses and get to ride horses across stunning, sweeping landscapes. That was another truly rewarding dream job.”

Are there any exciting projects coming up that you can share with us?

“Yes! The third and final season of ‘Billy the Kid’ (MGM+) drops September 28, 2025—buckle up for the epic close. Plus, I’ve landed a series regular spot in a fresh TV show; we’re deep into shooting season one right now, with a fall premiere on the horizon. I can’t spill all the beans yet, but there’s some juicy stuff brewing!”

Featured photo credit: Arjun Malik

We Speak Actors

Actress Marta Svetek talks ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’, ‘VALORANT’, and expanding her career from Games to Film

Published

5 days ago

April 13, 2026

Anna Sutton

Slovenian actress Marta Svetek has been building an impressive international career across both video games and film. Known for her work in major gaming franchises including ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’, ‘VALORANT’, and ‘Battlefield’, Svetek has become a familiar presence in the world of video game acting. Her performance work also spans major titles such as ‘Horizon Forbidden West’ and ‘Destiny 2’, where motion capture plays a crucial role in bringing complex characters to life. Alongside her work in gaming, Svetek has also appeared on screen in films including ‘I Am Rage’, with upcoming projects such as ‘Savage Prey’ and ‘The Death of Us’ set for release in 2026. In this interview, she speaks about her journey from Slovenia to London, working inside some of the world’s biggest game franchises, and why motion capture is one of the purest forms of acting.

You have worked across both voice acting and motion capture for some of the biggest video game franchises, including ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’, ‘VALORANT’, and ‘Battlefield’. What first drew you to performance work in the gaming industry, and how did that journey begin for you?

I’ve been mashing buttons on controllers since before I could walk! I literally grew up with video games, and it turns out they would also become the thing that changed my life in the most amazing ways. I’m from Slovenia, a small country where having an acting career is challenging — although, isn’t it everywhere? I originally chose the “stable job” route in technology that made my family happy and ultimately brought me to London, but I always kept one foot in acting. It was actually my tech job that gave me the break I needed to start working in games. It was a case of opportunity meeting my fairly unique set of skills — acting, martial arts, technical understanding, and a lifelong love of games — that gave me the start I needed.

You made your debut in the ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ franchise with ‘Security Breach’ and continued working on the series with Steel Wool Studios. What was it like stepping into such an iconic gaming universe and becoming part of a franchise with such a dedicated global fanbase?

It’s always amazing — and always a little terrifying! I was aware of the franchise at the time, but I had no idea how big it had become. When the ‘Security Breach’ trailer came out and reached 2.4 million views in just 24 hours, it really started to sink in. The reaction to the characters I was trusted with was just… wow — especially for Gregory and Roxanne Wolf.

“The feeling of having your performance reach so many people in such a meaningful way is hard to describe and always fills me with an overwhelming sense of gratitude.”

It’s why I chose to become an actor — to connect. Now I also get to connect with fans in person at conventions all around the world.

Your motion capture work includes major titles such as ‘Destiny 2: The Witch Queen’, ‘Horizon: Forbidden West’, and the official F1 games. What is the most exciting or challenging aspect of performing through motion capture compared to traditional acting?

Motion capture is like Marmite for actors — you either love it or hate it. But if you ask me, it’s also one of the purest forms of acting. You’re in a big empty room wearing a Velcro suit, surrounded by infrared cameras. You have minimal props and maybe some tape on the floor to represent objects, and you still have to deliver a completely truthful performance, no matter how outlandish the circumstances.

“Your imagination has to fill in so many blanks. And I absolutely love it. It’s a space where I’m not limited by my appearance or by fitting a certain archetype. It’s pure performance.”

In ‘Destiny 2’ alone, I was an alien queen, an augmented human sorceress, and the literal embodiment of a dark hive mind!

In addition to gaming, you are also appearing in films including ‘I Am Rage’ and the upcoming projects ‘Savage Prey’ and ‘The Death of Us’. How has working across both film and gaming shaped you as a performer?

Acting is always about finding the truth of the character — the choice, the story. But jumping between these two very different worlds has undeniably made me a different calibre of actor. I started in games and later moved into film, and I’ve really enjoyed leaning into the subtlety of film performance over the past few years. At the same time, my voiceover and motion capture background made things like ADR and stunts so much easier. Particularly on ‘Savage Prey’, I needed to bring a subtle and intense performance for the camera while also performing my own stunts and practically setting a new speed record for ADR. That hugely benefited production — and it all comes from the crucible of video game performance.

With your career spanning major game franchises and upcoming film releases, what kinds of roles or projects are you most excited to explore next?

Even though I still have so much I want to explore in both film and games, my dream project would actually be joining the cast of a TV adaptation of a game — something like ‘Fallout’ or Henry Cavill’s upcoming ‘Warhammer’ 40k series. I’m such a hardcore 40k fan that I absolutely need to be part of that universe — whether as a Sister of Battle, an Eldar, or maybe an intrepid Cadian. Just don’t kill me off too quickly! As an actor and artist, I feel like I was meant to tell those larger-than-life stories of hope, heroism, and impossible odds. I’m getting fired up just talking about it — that’s exactly the kind of storytelling I’m most excited to explore next.

Featured photo credit: Urban Bradesko