TRISH LASHELLI

KROME: Where are you from? 

T.L. Denver, Colorado. I moved to California when I was 5 years old.

KROME: What was your upbringing like? 

T.L. My upbringing was great. I come from a close nit family, and I am extremely close to my mother.

KROME: Did you grow up in a religious household? 

T.L. No. Spiritual

KROME: Did you know at a young age that you were destined to be in show business?

T.L. I did know. I was always involved in drama productions and choir. I enjoyed performing in talent shows throughout junior and high school.

KROME: Are any of your family members in the entertainment business?

T.L. My son is a popular Spiritual Advisor with over 100,000 followers.

KROME: Is your son involved in any of your projects if so in what capacity?

T.L. He was featured in Targeted in the club scene sitting with his girlfriend having a drink.

KROME: What inspired you to become a makeup artist/hair stylist?

T.L. I was always into hair and makeup. I earned my license and participated in many fashion shows, and I worked on many films and music videos.

KROME: What college did you graduate from? 

T.L. I graduated from Grambling State University with a degree in Communications.

KROME: What are your favorite hobbies?

T.L. Me time, self-care, relaxing, sipping on a glass of wine with soothing music playing.

KROME: What are some of your favorite charities and why?

T.L. I support the homeless by giving them money, food, or clothing.

KROME: What inspired you to become a Director/ Writer/Actor/ Producer?

T.L. I began with Otto Models on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, California in 2004. I met a producer/director and auditioned for one of his films and I had the bug ever since.  

KROME: How did you learn to direct, write, and produce on a Hollywood level?

T.L. Having a gift for it and it doesn’t hurt that I’m a leader. I am a Leader and Creator. I always see the big picture, but I can’t speak for the rest of my team. Only self. I bring what I bring, the idea is to integrate it all and come out with something special.

KROME: What was the first project you directed, wrote, and produced? 

T.L. The first film I directed was Lacee in 2017.

KROME: What inspired Love Recession?

T.L. Love Recession was written by my writing partner Reuben Johnson. I did not produce it I was an actress only.

KROME: What challenges did you encounter and how did you overcome them?

T.L. Budget. I was blessed with investors along with myself and my business partner contributing.

KROME: What was your favorite project to write, direct, and produce?

T.L. The Groomer was my first solo project with no other co-writers.

KROME: Do you prefer directing, writing, acting or producing? Or are you happy doing them all?

T.L. I like Directing. Acting, Writing, and Producing in that order.

KROME: How do you develop your characters?

T.L. As I am writing I develop the character. Sometimes the development is based on people I know. I believe there’s a part of me in all the characters I portray.

KROME: Do you stick to the script rigorously or is improv allowed?

T.L. Improv works too. Whatever works if it makes sense, and it feels right and good by all means.

KROME: What is your favorite role?

T.L. Karin in Lacee.

KROME: Why was Karin in Lacee your favorite role?

T.L. She had a drive, passion and grit with her. I got a chance to write music record and perform it which was fun, and I showed an honest depiction of what being an R&B singer in the industry can be like.

KROME: What inspired you to write Targeted?

T.L. I wanted to include the Entertainment world in the idea.

KROME: What is your preferred style of collaboration with directors and other creative team members?

T.L. I like to be Drama Free, Consistency, Respect, and Creativity.

KROME: Do you edit your films?

T.L. I don’t edit… I promise you I’m not technical at all.

KROME: What inspired you to become a movie producer, and what are the most

rewarding aspects of the job?

T.L. Seeing my films stream and feedback from viewers.

KROME: What inspired the story behind your current film? 

T.L. Life inspired. I wanted to show viewers the behavior of a narcissist and where their behavior is derived from.

KROME: How did you approach casting for this project, and what qualities were you looking for in the actors?

T.L. I cast all my films, and I tend to revolve my actors due to them showcasing integrity, professionalism, respect, and talent. 

KROME: What advice can you give to aspiring Writers, Directors, and Producers?

T.L. Figure out what you want, steps to get there, and DO IT! It’s good to team up with 1 or 2 partners.

KROME: Have you worked with many celebrities?

T.L. Too many to count or recall.

KROME: Who are some of your role models in film and television? What do you admire about them?

T.L. I don’t have any but if I had to choose Felicia Rashad… I like her acting and beauty for sure but it’s her essence for me and confidence. 

KROME: What project are you working on currently? What are some of the challenges you have faced during production?

T.L. I am waiting on greenlight for “Blackout” which is about a travel nurse who experiences weird, odd things as she travels the world.

KROME: How do you approach marketing and promoting your films once they are completed?

T.L. Distributors mainly do that, but me and my team also post on each films page along with our personal on fb, the Gram, YouTube, and Tik Tok.

KROME: What are your thoughts on the growing role of streaming platforms in film distribution?

T.L. Extremely promising. Streaming is certainly the new movie theater.

KROME: Is streaming lucrative?

T.L. It’s possible. It’s mostly about exposure.

KROME: Would you compare yourself to Tyler Perry or Oprah Winfrey?

T.L. Perhaps my visions might align somewhat in terms of Tyler. 

KROME: Would you like to own your own film studio in the future and if so, what would that look like?

T.L. Having a one stop shop which is something I thought about for many many years and it’s a one stop shop Studio. You have your screenings there, your acting classes, models shoots, and all kinds of things in one spot. I named it Rome’s Dynasty originally in 2005.

KROME: Do you plan to distribute your films on the big screen?

T.L. That’s the idea.

KROME: Have you been to Cannes or any film festivals with your projects and if so how have they influenced your projects? 

T.L. I won a couple of awards at the Pan African Festival in 2017 for Lacee 1.

KROME: Where can we stream your movies at?

T.L. Tubi, Prime, Roku, Vudu, and Maverick, and Urban Soul TV

KROME: What other projects are you currently working on?

T.L. I Created, Produced, Directed, and Hosted a dating show entitled Sign Success that’s based on astrology that just started streaming March 11, 2025 on Urban Soul TV, Apple TV, Roku, and FireTV. 

KROME: What is your Zodiac sign?

T.L I am an Aries. 

KROME: What Zodiac sign do you think you are most compatible with?

T.L. Textbook says that I am compatible with Sagittarius, Leo, Aquarius, and Gemini but it’s actually Virgo for me.

KROME: What are your long-term goals?

T.L. My long-term goals are to produce a minimum of 2 films a year. I want to open a Hair lice removal salon and have more me time and self-care.

KROME: What motivates you to do it all?

T.L. I like the finished projects that I create with the cast and crew.

KROME: If you weren't in entertainment what would your other dream job be?

T.L. I’ve been able to check off all my boxes as far as what I always wanted to do/be growing up. I am also in the medical field, I am a Medical Examiner, and I recently earned my Realtor’s License in California, so more boxes are being added to check off at this point. 



KROME: Do you have any favorite quotes?

T.L. Do unto thee as you’d have thee do unto you especially behind your back (I made that up lol)