I’m Lisa Temple, and as an actor I’m able to tell tall stories in a single bound, playing brave characters full of heart. You might say I’m a Lawyer, Teacher, Cupcake Baker!
You may have seen me as Judge Erin Engel in the Shondaland TV Show, "For The People". What a thrill it was to be part of this amazing cast! Or maybe you saw me as a patient in "Masters Of Sex". Lizzy Caplan kindly rescued me during one mishap on set. While shooting "The Newsroom" as an FBI Consultant, I got to shake hands with Aaron Sorkin on the lot, who also created "The West Wing". So exciting!! As a prosecuting attorney on "Boston Legal", I sat mesmerized as James Spader delivered a knock-out speech to the Supreme Court. So inspiring.
My film credits include several maternal types, including a plague-stricken mother and a Senator’s wife, roles I can totally embrace. A favorite role was Penny Ingram, the compassionate boss in "The Fortune Theory". What a pleasure it was to work with Evan Williams, who starred as Chevalier in the series "Versailles". But I also have a quirky streak: I was a chem teacher in the award-winning film, "Incest! The Musical", which was a wacky cross between "Grease" and "High School Musical". More recently I was a grieving mom in a new documentary style feature called "Allegedly".
In 2019 I wrote, produced and starred in the web series "Judgment Call, A Series About Mood Swings!" Click the link on my profile to watch all 5 episodes on our YouTube Channel. This was a labor of love and a transformative experience. If you have a story inside of you, I sincerely hope you’ll find a way to tell it. It will change you for the better!
My stage credits include the wonderful role of Beth in "Ordinary People", a challenging and emotional roller coaster ride. I had fun playing the seductress Hillary in "Modern Drama", a society wife who always has a drink in her hand. There’s also the role of Martha, a mom who’s a brilliant scientist, in a new musical my husband has written called "Sentient: A Robotic Musical".
I always wanted to perform Shakespeare, so I took a five-week Intensive Program at Theatricum Botanicum in Los Angeles, digging into the language and character work. It was a great experience playing the Nurse in "Romeo and Juliet", and Goneril in "King Lear". I also did time in Chicago, and I’m so grateful for those years, which helped me build a strong foundation for my acting career. While there I studied the Meisner Technique for four years. I also completed a year-long Acting Intensive, where I took three classes a week and really explored the craft of acting. And I got my SAG card in Chicago doing commercials!
Big city living is definitely for me, despite the fact that I grew up as a cowgirl, barrel racing my Quarter Horse at the local rodeo! Happily spent my school years singing at the piano, doing 4-H projects, playing sports and cheerleading. My husband and I even wrote a book about the whole experience: it’s a humorous and poignant memoir about growing up in a small Midwestern farm town. It’s called "Caution Light On Hwy 37" and is available on Amazon.
Funny how a person can start out on one path, but end up in an unexpected place. All my education was as a singer and music teacher. I even got a Master of Music degree. But while in grad school I decided to take a couple acting classes, and to my total surprise, I slowly began to see this was my true talent. An acting teacher told me, “When it comes to acting, you have unlimited possibilities.” That has always stuck with me. Turns out that acting is my passion and my purpose in life… and now I’m honored to be a storyteller.
Up next for me is creating the second season of my web series "Judgment Call". Stay tuned!