Actress and producer Callie Schuttera might currently be basking in the spotlight for her role as Mrs. Lilly in Zach Cregger’s Weapons, but she has been in the industry for years. From donning small roles to complex characters, Schuttera has been steadily carving out a versatile and thoughtful presence in Hollywood, with her willingness to take on emotionally rich parts and projects behind the camera.
So far, she has appeared in feature films, television roles, and theatrical productions, all while exploring creative collaboration and representation in the cutthroat industry. And now, appearing for an exclusive interview with FandomWire, Callie Schuttera recalled her experience working under Zach Cregger in Weapons, reflected on the audition process that landed her the role of Mrs. Lilly, and even shared her personal theory about Gladys’ origin.
But her conversation with us wasn’t just limited to Weapons. Schuttera also opened up about her television work as Mary Wallace in The Rookie Season 7, and looked back fondly on collaborating with Garry Marshall in his two-person stage play Class. Beyond acting, she shared her producer’s vantage point: what it was like to helm Ava Max’s “Million Dollar Baby” music video and Jason Mraz’s “I Feel Like Dancing.” Finally, tapping into her own journey, Callie Schuttera offered advice for LGBTQ+ creators striving to find their voice and place in Hollywood.
FandomWire: Weapons debuted with a 100% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes before its theatrical release and went on to outperform films like Fantastic Four and Freakier Friday at the box office. How does it feel to be part of a project that has achieved both critical and commercial success?
Callie Schuttera: Definitely surreal. No matter the longevity in a career, being part of a film that impacted so many people is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, if you’re lucky!
FandomWire: How did you land the role of Mrs. Lilly/Alex’s mother? What was the audition process like, and what was your first reaction when you learned you had booked it?
Callie Schuttera: My audition process was very traditional. I got a few scenes to put on tape, then got a callback request and a copy of the full script. After a callback with Zach over Zoom, my manager called me within a couple of hours to share the official news. It took a day or so for the reality to set in. I was [a] huge fan of Zach’s work, and there was shock before the excitement took over.
FandomWire: How was your overall experience working with Zach Cregger, and were there any specific notes he gave you that deeply informed your portrayal of Mrs. Lilly?
Callie Schuttera: Zach is a blast to work with. He’s like a kid in a candy store on set, very in the moment and an active part of the scene. He definitely helped me shape the character into a more layered person. Instead of playing her as a stereotype of a perfect mother, we found a woman with her own troubles and traumas, which I think added interesting depth to her.
FandomWire: In Weapons, your character chases after Alex in a terrifying scene where you reach out for him through the door. What kind of direction did Zach Cregger give you for that moment, and what were you asked to convey?
Callie Schuttera: He really let me run wild with these scenes. I unleashed a lot of barbaric instincts in these moments, and Zach was pretty happy with the outcomes, so we didn’t do a lot of character edits there. It was a great chance to unleash a part of our humanity that doesn’t get explored a lot, but definitely has a strong impact.
FandomWire: Many of your scenes in the film are physically extreme but emotionally restrained, such as the fork sequence or breaking down the door. How did you balance the physical demands with the need to keep the emotional intensity grounded yet chilling?
Callie Schuttera: Finding the right possessed-state was important since Mrs. Lilly spends so much time in it, and giving in to a desire to let go helped maintain that disconnection with reality for me. So many of us have a deep desire to “go offline,” and it was easier for me to remain in a fugue state if I could believe the character wanted that disconnection [on] some unconscious level.
FandomWire: When you stepped out to cut Justine’s hair, was the unusual and rhythmic walk your own creative choice, or did it come from Zach’s direction to heighten the eeriness of the moment?
Callie Schuttera: This was fully Zach’s vision, and I have to give him all the credit. He knew, even during the audition process, what he wanted the walk to look and feel like, so I spent a lot of time working on the execution of that vision. This was the last scene I filmed, and getting to spend weeks on that very specific walk was a huge help.
FandomWire: We don’t get much background on Gladys’ origins. What’s your personal theory on how she infiltrated the family and convinced your character she was a long-lost aunt?
Callie Schuttera: This was actually a character secret of mine. Because Mrs Lilly had lost her mom in the recent past, I imagined that she may have been the one to (unknowingly) open up some energetic portal via her grief, which led Gladys to her family. Her desire to connect with her dead mother, on any available level, would make it easy for an entity like Gladys to prey upon her and her family.
FandomWire: Portraying Alex’s mother, you share an emotionally heartbreaking scene where Alex tries to feed you while your character is bewitched and nearly lifeless. Did filming that sequence take a personal toll on you?
Callie Schuttera: We actually laughed a lot during those moments. Cary is such a sweet and endearing kid, and Whit is very funny and lighthearted so something about the big heaps of soup falling in our laps made us all giggle.
FandomWire: In the final moments of the film, your character breaks down the door. Was this intentionally referencing The Shining, or more of a coincidental parallel?
Callie Schuttera: I’d definitely say it’s an intentional homage. Zach loves The Shining, and although we weren’t trying to create a shot-for-shot reference, we were all aware [of] what the imagery represented. It also seems fitting that both films speak to a (supposed) loved one breaking down literal barriers to try to harm you, which is a particular kind of scary.
FandomWire: You played Mary Wallace in The Rookie Season 7, a character with a striking zeal when discussing dark subjects. Was that interpretation your creative choice, or part of the direction you received?
Callie Schuttera: It was certainly in the script direction that she was overly chipper. I made a personal choice to attribute that to a concoction of mood stabilizing drugs, which I think that character had been on for quite some time.
FandomWire: You also portrayed “Mystery Mary,” Long Beach PD’s favorite snitch, in On Call. What was that experience like, and were there aspects of the character you hoped would be explored further before the show was canceled?
Callie Schuttera: I loved playing this character. It felt like a rite of passage to guest star on a Dick Wolf production, and I definitely had an affinity for her. Her circumstances made her valuable to Long Beach PD, but she was an incredibly free person, moving through life with joy and a bit of smugness.
FandomWire: You were cast in Garry Marshall’s two-person play Class. What do you remember most about working with him, and what lessons stayed with you from that experience?
Callie Schuttera: Garry was so lovely. It was easy to forget what a legend he was because he’d be so locked in to conversations and discussions that he felt completely in the moment with you.
Class was a special experience because it was an intimate collaboration with Garry, our director, our writer, and my co-star. It’s not often you get to create something so wonderful with the input of only a few voices, and we all came to feel such ownership over the production because of that.
FandomWire: You co-produced Ava Max’s Million Dollar Baby music video. What was your creative input, and how did you shape its direction?
Callie Schuttera: A lot of this project was executing Ava and the director Andrew Donoho’s vision. It was a very short production time period, less than a week to put all the pieces together from start to finish. One element I’m very proud of is finding and securing The Edison in downtown LA as our shooting location. The venue has not reopened since [the] COVID lockdown, so we are the only production to shoot in that historic location in 6+ years!
FandomWire: You also served as supervising producer on Jason Mraz’s I Feel Like Dancing. What aspects of the shoot did you oversee, and how did your role contribute to the fun, high-energy atmosphere of the final product?
Callie Schuttera: This was another location-specific shoot. Finding the country club we ended up filming at was integral to the production value and over-all vibe, so I was thrilled to be able to offer that option to director, Taylor James. I oversaw almost all technical aspects of production, including hiring, scheduling, and organizing the shoot. Jason was a blast to work with, and he and Taylor brought all the needed energy needed to get such a great product out of a short shooting window!
FandomWire: You and Gabriela Ledesma have built both a family and a creative partnership. How do you navigate those roles together, balancing marriage, parenthood, and professional collaboration at Poison Pictures?
Callie Schuttera: We honestly love working together. Our work brings us closer as a couple, and our relationship makes us better work partners. I can’t imagine not getting to spend so much time together.
FandomWire: Finally, as a queer actress, writer, and director, what advice would you give to LGBTQ+ creators trying to carve their place in Hollywood?
Callie Schuttera: Finding your authentic self can be hard if you feel forced into any type of industry standard, like heteronormativity. But I truly believe the key to your success lies IN your authenticity, so finding your unique voice and perspective is priority one. There’s no correct path to an arts career except following your passion and that especially applies to the LGBTQ+ community. Being yourself is the only sustainable long-term career plan in this business.
Well, with that, Callie Schuttera summed up her conversation with us, and we celebrate her journey and the path she’s forging from both sides of the camera. Being one of Hollywood’s most promising multifaceted talents, we also look forward to seeing the stories she’ll bring to life next; stories that, much like her spirit, are bound to leave a lasting impact.
Share your opinions on Weapons and your favorite scene of Callie Schuttera in the comments.
Weapons is currently available to buy or rent on digital platforms.
