.perspectives
Inside the Moment of Action with Lisa Vicari
written + interview ALBAN E. SMAJLI
Lisa Vicari’s work takes place inside unfolding situations. Her roles often require immediate decisions and sustained attention. This has informed how she approaches acting and how she understands responsibility within a scene.
In this conversation, Vicari reflects on shifts that developed gradually and remained private. She speaks about intuition as a practice that involves awareness and self-questioning, formed through experience over time. Acting is described as a way of staying present within uncertain situations. The conversation that follows focuses on decision-making, attention, and responsibility, tracing how these elements shape her work in practice.
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Alban E. Smajli
When you think about Hijack season 2 and where the story takes you, which part of this role challenged or expanded your sense of self the most?
Lisa Vicari
One of the most challenging and transformative parts of playing Clara was stepping into a situation where she has absolutely no preparation, no roadmap. She’s thrown into this extreme crisis that unfolds right in front of her eyes, and she has to respond in real time. I loved exploring that moment-to-moment evolution in her. Clara doesn’t start this season as someone who believes she’s capable of handling something so high stakes. But she’s forced to grow into the challenge, to tap into instincts she didn’t know she had.
Identity in film is often shaped by expectation, and sometimes by resistance. Where do you locate yourself between those two forces?
I think I exist somewhere in the tension between the two. Expectation can be a powerful guide. It pushes you to rise to the level a story or a character demands. But resistance is just as important, because it’s often where originality and honesty live. In my work, I try to listen to both.
Which moment in your journey so far felt like a shift — not publicly, but internally?
I think the biggest internal shift happened in my early to mid-twenties, when my perspective on life finally broadened. It felt like my frontal lobe had clicked into place and suddenly I was seeing the world in a more outward, less self-centered way. I really welcomed that shift. It made me reflect more intentionally on my choices, but it also brought a sense of calm. The understanding that not everything is within my control, and all I can ever do is make the best of the situation I’m in.
You’ve spoken in the past about intuition. How does intuition guide the choices you make now?
I love being led by intuition, but only once I understood how to listen to it. The tricky part is that sometimes what feels like intuition is really fear in disguise. So these days, I try to check in with myself - is this a warning or am I just going outside of my comfort zone? The more honest I am in that process, the better my decisions become.
When you look ahead, what kind of cinema feels necessary to you?
To me, all cinema is necessary. Whether it’s intimate or epic, experimental or classic, it all contributes to how we understand ourselves and each other. Cinema, like all art forms, is a mirror to the time we are currently living in. The challenges our society faces, the voices that need to be heard. The more diversity we have in the stories being told, the better.
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What quality in a character makes you want to follow her, even before you agree to play her?
I don’t chase specific qualities, I follow whatever feels true. If a character feels authentic, I’m drawn to her. And I like choosing roles that differ from one another, I don’t enjoy repeating myself.
The migration of major film actors into streaming series has changed the rhythm of storytelling for everyone. When you choose your projects now, what draws you more, the long arc of a series or the distilled focus of a film.
I’ve been working more on series in the past few years, and it feels like a real privilege to spend so much time with a character, exploring them over a long period. But there’s also a unique beauty in films, where you glimpse a shorter moment or a pivotal event in a character’s life. I love both ways of working, and I hope to do more films again in the future.
Is there a story or genre you feel you haven’t touched yet, but you keep circling around it privately?
I’m drawn to intimate films that explore relationships, inner worlds, love, and the quiet complexities of life. Cinema from the Nouvelle Vague or Scandinavian filmmakers, in particular, has always fascinated me. It’s the kind of storytelling that truly excites me, and I hope to explore it one day.
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For our cover shoot you chose to move fluidly between GUCCI’s womenswear and menswear under Demna’s first collection. What made this fluidity feel right for you?
Over time, the line between menswear and womenswear has become more and more blurry, and fortunately, rigid gender roles are fading too. I love experimenting with menswear. Suits, especially, have become a staple in my wardrobe for evening events, they’re the pieces I reach for when I want to feel particularly confident.
If you imagine your identity five years from now — not career, but identity — what do you hope remains unchanged?
A big part of my identity is shaped by the people I surround myself with - my friends and my family. I hope these connections remain in my life and continue to challenge me, love me, and embrace me as I grow.
Identity quick fire, no commas
- a place you return to in your mind: the Alpes
- a feeling that shaped you: Familiarity with the people I love
- a memory you protect: If I protect it, I keep it to myself
Work quick fire, no commas
- a role you still carry: all of them
- a line you never forgot: “Wir passen perfekt zusammen.”
- a character you wish you could meet: Natassja Kinskis’ character Jane from Paris, Texas
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featuring talent
LISA VICARI
interview + editor ALBAN E. SMAJLI
photography LOTTE THOR via XO STUDIO
styling SASKIA JUNG
make up DENISE GRUNDMANN
hair DENNIS BRANDT
photo assistant SOPHIA BORZILLERI
styling assistant LENA LAUER
retouch NITTY GRITTY BERLIN
interview + editor ALBAN E. SMAJLI
photography LOTTE THOR via XO STUDIO
styling SASKIA JUNG
make up DENISE GRUNDMANN
hair DENNIS BRANDT
photo assistant SOPHIA BORZILLERI
styling assistant LENA LAUER
retouch NITTY GRITTY BERLIN
credits
all Images (c) LE MILE
and Lotte Thor