Model-turned-screenwriter Lauren Damrich's first films are in production

Former model Lauren S. Damrich was told by a high school teacher that she should stick to modeling because college wasn’t for everyone. So, she did go and get a degree, but she always remembered that teacher's advice. 

Teachers’ words have the ability to destroy a child’s dreams and how they see themselves, the Mountain Brook High School alumna said.

“He probably forgot about it later that day,” Damrich said, “but it molded me and how I viewed myself and my abilities.”

Damrich has always enjoyed writing poetry and songs, but never realized she could do anything with it — until a few years ago when a friend read her writing, gave positive feedback and introduced her to Final Draft, a screenwriting software. With the motivation to write, Damrich set out to achieve her dreams.

“You just need that one person who believes in you and gives you the chance to do what you were meant to do,” Damrich said.

That person for Damrich was producer Tom Sanders, whom she met in Los Angeles with Julia for her acting pursuits (Julia played Olivia Copeland, Patrick Dempsey’s character’s daughter, in the film Valentine’s Day).

Just by meeting her, Sanders said he could see how much potential creativity Damrich possessed.

“Sometimes you meet someone, and it’s like you were guided by divine intervention,” Sanders said.

Sanders produces movies with content that makes audiences contemplate their decisions and make better choices. Damrich only writes what she is passionate about. Their pair fit like puzzle pieces.

“I was able to get her to tell the story she has in her,” Sanders said, “and I can share her story with an audience and it can affect their lives.”

A few rewrites and tweaks later, her first screenplay “11 Seconds” is in production. The film is about a lawyer who, while distracted by a cell phone, strikes a 6-year-old cancer survivor with his car.

Casper Van Dien and wife Catherine Oxenberg will star in the film. Christian comedian Brad Stine, Christian singer Jaci Velasquez and Congressman Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee are a few big names making appearances in the film.

“It’s exciting to think that my words are being filmed by actors,” Damrich said.

Another screenplay by Damrich, “A Normal Life” started filming in April. The film will tell the story of autistic child who learns to communicate with a baby eagle. The U.S. government oversaw the film’s writing and production to protect the eaglet used in filming. Proceeds from the film will go to autism awareness.

Damrich said she is still looking for a production company for the gem of her creativity — two seasons of a show called “Last Queen of the Gods,” a historical drama involving Cleopatra.