LOLA KIRKE: NO SISTERLY SHADOW
AGE 23
HOMETOWN A brownstone in the West Village in Manhattan.
NOW LIVES A tidy one-bedroom apartment in the East Village filled with clothing, musical instruments and mementos.
CLAIM TO FAME The younger sister of Jemima Kirke, a star of “Girls.” Lola Kirke is having a breakout moment of her own as an actress, landing plum roles in films directed by David Fincher and Noah Baumbach.
BIG BREAK During Ms. Kirke’s senior year at Bard College, she was performing in an all-girl country band when a talent agent from ICM Partners took notice and signed her.
After graduating in 2012, Ms. Kirke returned to New York and quickly found work in a yet-to-be-titled film by Mr. Baumbach. Soon after she was cast in “Mozart in the Jungle,” a coming Amazon Original Series created by Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Alex Timbers and Paul Weitz. Ms. Kirke, who plays an oboist, is a classical music neophyte. “I’m very excited that I get to discover it so late,” she said. “It’s like discovering Led Zeppelin.”
LATEST PROJECT “My mom read two books last year. One was ‘Fifty Shades of Grey,’ the other was ‘Gone Girl,’ ” Ms. Kirke said. “She was like, ‘Please, never audition for “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Please audition for “Gone Girl.” ’ ” As it turns out, she was invited to read for both film adaptations, and landed a small but pivotal role as a thief in “Gone Girl,” directed by Mr. Fincher and set to open Oct. 3. “My mom was very happy about that,” she said.
NEXT THING Ms. Kirke is trying her hand at filmmaking, producing her first feature film about a young couple who temporarily move into a retirement community. She also stars in it. When she is not acting, she said, “I spend a lot of time doing watercolors and playing music in my apartment.”
INCOGNITO NO MORE “I definitely wanted to be famous as a kid, but as I’ve gotten older, I feel less comfortable with it,” she said. “I have the best of both worlds. I get to be doing the work, and not be recognized at all, except as Jemima’s sister, which is kind of funny.”