The CW's Sight Unseen introduces fans to Dolly Lewis - here are four things fans should know about the actress.
Sight Unseen centers on a former homicide detective who loses her vision due to a rare genetic disease, forcing her to help her police department through new methods as she tries to remain independent.
Playing the leading role of Tess Avery is Princeton, New Jersey native Dolly Lewis, who takes on her biggest role to date as she brings this unique character to the forefront.
4 Fun Facts About Dolly Lewis from Sight Unseen
Dolly Lewis's Education & Skills
The five-foot-ten-inch actress proved herself to be highly intelligent and hardworking, with her resume listing her as a graduate of Rutgers University.
There, Dolly Lewis earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History, History, and Italian, graduating cum laude.
On top of her college education, Lewis trained with Suzanne Esper at the William Esper Studio as part of a two-year program to further advance her acting skills. This program saw her work with esteemed professionals such as Bob Krakower (on-camera scene study), J. Michael Collins (voiceover coach), Mary Setrakian (vocal coach), and Tim Monich (dialect coach).
As indicated by her college degree, Lewis is fluent in Italian and is fairly proficient in French, Russian, and Slovak as well.
The Sight Unseen actress is also a talented musician with skills as a vocalist (Soprano D3-D6, Opera, Jazz, MT), pianist, and accordion player (via Project Casting).
Dolly's Experience with Eyesight Divergence Led Her to Sight Unseen
While Dolly Lewis embraces a role as the blind detective Tess Avery in Sight Unseen, she has experience with divergence in her sight in real life. This got her interested in the role, as Avery is diagnosed with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy.
Speaking with Monsters and Critics, Lewis confirmed that Avery's diagnosis attracted her to the role as she saw the character "basically reconstructing her life over from scratch" with that life change:
"Oh gosh, so many things. As somebody who has some experience with divergence in my sight, I was really intrigued by seeing a female lead who has experiences as well, but to a much greater extent, the chance to explore how she has to grapple with that in terms of basically reconstructing her life over from scratch I found really compelling."
She also loves how much technology plays into the series, calling herself "a bit of a stick in the mud" regarding her own experience with real-world tech:
"And, in addition to that, the role that technology plays in how she kind of, I don’t want to be overly dramatic but rises from the ashes was really interesting to me because, in my real life, I’m a bit of a stick in the mud. I’m simultaneously really excited by technology and also very suspicious of it.
I would love to go back to, you know, pen piles and candles. Learning more about how this is a really important tool for Jess to retain a sense of herself was a dream to dive into."
Speaking with Pop Culture, she teased wanting to see more material on "how technology has infiltrated everyone's lives" as the series moves along further.
She sees an opportunity through this series to show how "somebody with divergence in their sight is still just a regular person," tying back closely to her personal experience with divergence in her sight.
Dolly Has Voiced Several Audiobooks & Podcast Series
Along with her work as an actress, Lewis has experience as a voiceover artist, recording for several audiobooks and podcasts. Some of her work includes I Think You're Projecting, City of Girls, and House of Mirth.
She also has corporate and commercial work on her resume, appearing in advertisements for Unesco, the United Nations, and The Library of Congress (per her website).
Dolly Will Next Star in The Obelisk
Dolly Lewis is far from done with her work in Hollywood, as she is already set to appear in a new movie titled The Obelisk. She will portray a character named Elizabeth Benning in this film, which is currently in post-production as it gears up for release in Fall 2024.
The film (via its official website) centers on a drifter named David who joins forces with an Army veteran named Pliny, both of whom have built up suspicion and distrust after seeing what the world has become. They join the ranks of fellow patriots in a revolution against a government program, which has contaminated the water and threatens countless lives.
Lewis' Elizabeth Benning is a content marketing manager at a laboratory who discovers her employer is covering up the water contamination to protect profits and their image. Teaming up with David and Pliny, she has to make a tough decision between keeping her career or coming forward publicly about the ecological damage her company caused.
She is a single mother who boasts a tough, no-nonsense business personality, although she has plenty of love in her heart and works her best to do the right thing as often as possible.
The Obelisk does not have a specific release date yet.
How To Follow Dolly Lewis Online
Fans can see more from Dolly Lewis' personal and professional life on her Instagram page at @dollylewislove.
Sight Unseen is streaming on The CW's website, and new episodes air on The CW on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
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