"I've always been very dramatic" Jazzy De Lisser on her latest film, screenwriting, and starting a new fashion label
With an ability to bring depth and authenticity to her roles, Jazzy De Lisser has been steadily rising through the acting ranks, delivering memorable performances in drama, thriller and comedy genres.
A winning combination of talent, dedication, and strategic role choices has contributed to her increasing visibility and growing reputation as an actress.
One of Jazzy's upcoming projects is a film titled Borderline, starring alongside Evan Ross and Lucian Laviscount. Jazzy delves into the murky waters of the online dating world. "It's quite hard to explain my character, without giving too much away, because there is a real twist," Jazzy shares. "But I play one of the girls that they meet at the bar," she tells us cryptically.
The actress has also recently filmed a role in Lena Dunham's new show, TooMuch. Jazzy describes working with the American writer and actress, who starred in award-winning HBO series Girls, as a highlight. “It was such a joy to work with Lena, she’s incredibly smart and funny, so quick witted. There was such a good atmosphere on set."
"When I look back to when I was little, I've always been very dramatic"
Beyond acting, Jazzy has also ventured into screenwriting. She has recently finished collaborating on a script with award-winner writer and director, Erica Dunton.
“Pretty Ugly is based on an article I found about a year and a half ago,” Jazzy explains. “I sent it to Erica because I thought it would make a really amazing film. It's a physiological thriller and social commentary on our relationship with beauty, social media and online culture.”
Jazzy then visited Erica in North Carolina for brain brainstorming sessions and the duo have recently finished the project. “We have just started sending out to people, which is exciting.”
Jazzy has also appeared in the third series of the Netflix critically acclaimed drama series Top Boy. She played Candy in the streaming platform’s feature, Project Power, opposite Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gorden Levit. And Sasha Tanner, an almost superhuman guardian who defends vampires, in comedy-horror Vampire Academy.
Back in 2014 she made her TV debut in the fourth series of HBO’s Game of Thrones, portraying the part of Tansy, a servant who was chased and killed by hounds. “I remember the audition so well, I had to run onto the spot, imagining that I was being hit by a bow and arrow. “It was such an amazing opportunity to see behind the scenes on a show I’d loved.”
But one of her favourite roles so far was the part of Thomasine Andersson in Oscar-nominated Lasse Hallström’s film Hilma, about Swedish artist Hilma of Klint, whose paintings are considered among the first abstract works.
“It's a beautiful true story about friendship and women who were very much before their time. If you look at Hilma’s work now, it's just extraordinary.
“When she died, she declared that her family could never sell her work, and no one could look at it for 30 years, because they wouldn’t understand it. And she was right. When her work was finally discovered, it completely changed the perception of modern art.”
Jazzy originally aspired to become a director. As a teenager, she directed My Story of C, a documentary about her personal battle with hepatitis C, from which she has since recovered. In fact, it was her natural talent in front of the camera that first caught the attention of her screenwriting partner Erica.
In 2011, she was asked to audition for the lead role in to.get.her, an American mystery thriller film that won the Audience Award at Sundance Film Festival, the Best Fiction Film at Sarasota FF and Best American Indie at RiverRun FF.
“From there I fell in love with acting,” she tells us of her breakthrough role. “I think it gave me the confidence to say that's what I want to do. Actually, when I look back to when I was little, I've always been very dramatic,” she laughs. “I think doing that film gave me the confidence of ‘I can do this’.”
Following her debut role, Jazzy decided “to do it properly” and enrolled in acting college. After much research she applied and was accepted to William Esper Studio in New York. The school is dedicated to the acting technique of Sanford Meisner.
“I think doing that film gave me the confidence of ‘I can do this’.”
“It is all about the imagination, so it's living truthfully under imaginary circumstances. So you basically prepare yourself and your imagination beforehand, and then you go in and live it out truthfully, whatever that will be.
“I absolutely loved it. I was really lucky because I was actually taught by William Asper himself, it was one of the last years that he taught. I remember in my first class he saw me, and I literally sat in the back row in the corner. I tried to hide. I was so nervous, he walked in, looked at me, pointed and said, ‘You up front for every class from now on’. He could see in people what they needed, and I needed to kind of have it dragged out of me”.
Jazzy loves playing characters that are different from herself, “It just makes it more challenging and takes it that one degree away from yourself.”
Preparing to immerse herself into a character, Jazzy enjoys listening to music. “I go into my own little world a bit... It can be anything from really intense music to opera to Eminem. It really is the full spectrum.”
When we meet at the Storm Model Management headquarters, it is immediately apparent that Jazzy is not someone who wants to blend in with the crowd. She’s natural, independent and stays true to herself.
She grew up between London, Jamaica and Scotland. “My dad's side of the family is Jamaican, but when I was seven, my mum, brother and I moved back to London.”
“I actually still have a lot of my grandmother’s dresses from the 60s, which I wear all the time"
Her mother Serena later married Scottish peer and racing driver Johnny Bute, who died of cancer in 2021. “I feel so lucky to have had him as a stepdad, he was the most incredible person, his kindness knew no bounds. He was so special.”
Her mother owns the fashion label Serena Bute London, which is based on her own elevated minimalist style. She and her paternal grandmother, who was a dressmaker in Jamaica were Jazzy’s style icons, growing up.
“I actually still have a lot of my grandmother’s dresses from the 60s, which I wear all the time. And my mum is definitely my go-to stylist. Oh, my God, she has the best taste. Like her brand, she's quite minimal and knows what she likes…She has a uniform and always wants to be comfy. So that was the basis for Serena London.”
This October, Jazzy and her younger sister Lola will launch fashion label Debute, “It's based on our sisterhood and clothes that we have stolen from each other's wardrobes for years,” she explains. “It also has inspiration from my mum, grandmother, aunts and friends - it is based on things we’ve grown up with.”
“We wanted to make it a distinctly British brand. The first collection is partly inspired by spending a lot of time in Scotland. And because it is launched in the autumn it has a slightly back-to-school feel - there will be some kilts.”
She tells us that it's nice to have projects such as this to work on alongside acting. “It's been really fun doing Debute and writing a script with Erica, which both started as lovely outlets during the acting strikes. It's a really nice way to stay creative.”
Something else that inspires Debute is Jazzy’s passion for vintage clothing. “I love it, it's my preferred way to shop. I’m obsessed with Vestier and also Portobello Road Market on a Friday.”
"I like to pick out stuff on my own, and then I usually run it by my mum… and maybe my sister and a couple of friends. But my mum pays a big part."
She simply doesn’t have brands that she follows. “I'm not really too trend-based. I have my staples. A bit like what I’m wearing today,” she says, leaning back in her chair. “So jeans, tops and boots. And in the summer I wear lots of basket bags, they are so easy and go with everything."
“And then in the evening I like to mix it up a bit, I love dresses. I've always loved dresses, which has been a big influence for Debute,” she says. But, for events, the only stylist she needs is her mother. “I like to pick out stuff on my own, and then I usually run it by my mum… and maybe my sister and a couple of friends. But my mum pays a big part.”
"I'm not really too trend-based"
When asked if she discovers new brands on Instagram she begins to laugh. “I'm laughing because I just got told by Instagram I should ‘design a hoodie with pictures of your pet’. So I designed one with Banana [Jazzy’s dog]. But no, I definitely do. I've been targeted a lot for bikinis recently, stuff like that. And you do find it's a really good way to find new brands.”
Jazzy’s dog is another big passion of hers. “Ah, he’s the love of my life,” she smiles. “He’s my little rescue from when I was living in LA. I thought I was going to foster him, and I foster-failed,” she smiles.
“I was fostering two puppies at the time and when one of them was adopted I cried so much. So the home said they would hold up on applications for Banana. And six years later, he's in London with me. He's the best, and I'm very much big on adopting dogs. He’s a real little character.”
Alongside creating dog merch and shopping bikinis, Jazzy says she enjoys Instagram, but doesn’t overthink her posts. “I love it, but I have to be honest, I don't think I'm very good at it,” she says modestly, although we must disagree, her posts are natural and perfectly reflect her personality.
“And there is a lot of Banana on there, maybe I should start a Bananagram,” she laughs, adding, “And personally I follow my friends, some fashion and music profiles… and I do love a good dog meme.”
Jazzy tells us that she has emotional ties with Jamaica and Scotland, where she spent her childhood holidays, and Ibiza is also a home-from-home for her and her family. “That's where we’ve always gone every summer from when I was about ten, with my mum and stepdad.
"I love travelling more than anything. I love experiencing new things - and meeting new people"
“I love travelling more than anything. I love experiencing new things - and meeting new people. For Hilma we filmed in Lithuania and I absolutely loved it. It's beautiful, the people are so kind and the food is amazing.
“When you go somewhere new when you're filming on set you meet a lot of people from the country, so you really immerse yourself in the culture. For Vampire Academy we filmed in Pamplona, Spain, which is right in the mountains. And I was in New Orleans for a few weeks to film Project Power,” she says of the film also starring Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
It's clear that Jazzy is an artist who refuses to be confined by any single role. Striving for continual growth and exploration, she embraces every opportunity that comes her way, learning and evolving with each new experience.
Editor: @nataliesalmon
Photographer: @edwinsfreyer
Stylist: @sophiakatyea
Hair: @bencooke_lockonego
Makeup: @taliasparrowmakeup
Nails: @nailedbysabina
Words: @becklesd
Production: @clarepenners
Style & Commerce Director: @tanyaphilipson
Videographer: @valiraza
