Fiona

It's Called getting by with a little help from your friends. Fiona Lewis had worked with Oliver Reed on an obscure English film that you probably will never see. Oliver Reed had worked with Ken Russell on a film that you probably will see or have seen. When Reed heard about Lisztomania, he recommended Fiona for the role of Countess Marie. Obviously, she read her lineswell enough to get the part. It was a bit of a change from previous roles. "Usually I played a character called simply The Girl, a cipher that just passed through the film, not much of a character at all, really. At least in Lisztomania I had the opportunity to play many roles in one and, under Ken Russell's direction, I developed a complete character." Two weeks after Fiona completed the shooting for Lisztomania, she left London and set about becoming a resident alien in Los Angeles. To pursue her acting career? Well, not exactly. Fiona is now engaged in a form of employment that offers a little job security. Like what? Try free-lancewriting. When she gets an odd moment, she interviews celebrities (such as Gene Wilder, Donald Pleasence and co-star Roger Daltrey) for Calendar, the L.A. Times supplement, and works on her first screenplay. "It's about a 14-year-old girl living in the south of France in 1929. Very incestuous." Not exactly a made-for-TV movie, but the lack of commercial prospects doesn't bother Fiona. "I love to write. I've published articles and have written several short stories. If the screenplay sells, fine. The important thing is keeping busy. I can't bear lying in the sun doing nothing." Chances are Fiona's name will be found in the credits of a lot more films--perhaps for acting, perhaps for scripting, perhaps for both. We can't wait to see the next reel.