Not long after the release of its first season, Abbott Elementary became an award-winning success that everyone was talking about. Its mockumentary style and the goal to bring to light many of the issues teachers face nowadays in the US education system made it a fan-favorite. As more and more people began to tune in, many realized they knew Miss Melissa Schemmenti from somewhere else.
Those people weren’t wrong. The role of Melissa Schemmenti belongs to Lisa Ann Walter, who, whether doing standup comedy or filming a movie or a TV show, has been around the industry for quite a long time. If, unlike those fans who recognized her, you aren’t too familiar with this Italian-American, here are a few of her projects you should watch.
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The Parent Trap
One of Lisa Ann Walter’s biggest projects — the one people probably recognize her for the most — was The Parent Trap. In this beloved Lindsay Lohan movie, Walter plays the famous role of the nanny, who immediately realizes the Parker/James twins have swapped places without telling anyone.
Over two decades later, Chessy continues to be a comfort character for people of different generations who believe this nanny would have been a great support system. This role also made Walter huge in the queer community and later gained her the title of queer icon.
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Shall We Dance
If romantic comedies are your thing, you must add Shall We Dance to your list. While Susan Sarandon believes Richard Gere is having an affair, he is secretly learning how to dance with Jennifer Lopez as his teacher. The dance class includes iconic names such as Lisa Ann Walter and Stanley Tucci, who made one of the funniest couples in rom-com history.
This project allowed Walter to show her talent as an actress and let the audience know that she knew how to dance and could keep up with the likes of JLO. Walter has a long history with ballroom dancing; she took classes and perfected her passion.
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Bruce Almighty
Lisa Ann Walter is hugely known for her comedic talent. Not only has she been doing standup comedy for most of her career, but she has also participated in some of the funniest comedies of our time. Among those, fans will find Bruce Almighty. Alongside Jim Carrey, Morgan Freeman and Jennifer Aniston, Walter brings one of the funniest stories about playing God to the screen.
In this movie, Walter plays the role of Aniston’s sister. Although she isn’t sure about her sister’s choice of a partner at first, the film leads to a happy ending in which she is convinced her sister has found her soulmate.
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The Ladies
As a queer icon, Lisa Ann Walter had to add an LGBTQ+ project to her list, and she did so when she participated in the short film The Ladies. This is the story of a young queer woman who spent the night with her grandmother’s friend and accidentally sent photos of their time together to her grandma.
In April 2023, Walter was on Watch What Happens Live, and she announced the short was becoming a full-feature film. She said, “I’m doing a movie based on a short that I did that the lesbians will be very happy about.”
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Life’s Work
Those who aren’t too familiar with Lisa Ann Walter’s projects will surely not know about Life’s Work. The series premiered in 1996 and followed the story of Lisa Ann (yes, the character and actor shared the same name) as she returned to work after law school while simultaneously starting a family. In a comedic way, each episode showed women’s difficulties balancing a career and raising a family.
As they dive into this project, many may not realize Walter was one of the show’s creators alongside Warren Bell. Sadly, the series only lasted one season.
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The Trouble with Dee Dee
Lisa Ann Walter led the cast of The Trouble with Dee Dee as she worked alongside Kurtwood Smith and
Mason Gamble in 2005. Smith played Walter’s husband as a woman who belonged to a family of millionaires who had to find her footing once her family disowned her and her teenage son abandoned her.
Once again, this project allowed Walter to show her immense talent for comedy. Her body language, facial expressions and timing make her one of the best comedic actresses of her time.
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Psycho Stripper
One look at Lisa Ann Walter’s projects will tell you she has done a little bit of everything: comedy, drama, and everything in between. Her filmography includes TV shows such as Grey’s Anatomy and 9-1-1 and movies such as Psycho Stripper — maybe not everyone’s cup of tea, but worth the watch if you are a fan.
The movie tells the story of a dance studio instructor who, a week before her wedding, becomes the object of obsession by an exotic male dancer who performed at her bachelorette party. This man will do everything he can to stop Amber from getting married. Psycho Stripper adds the thriller to Walter’s career.
https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/j-smith-cameron-projects-succession-gerri-kellman/
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