Lillian Blankenship, a talented young actress, was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, a city affectionately known as "Hollywood East" due to its connection to the film industry. Her mother had a background in backstage theatre work, while her father is a musician and singer. Growing up in Wilmington, Lillian developed a passion for acting and singing, which she showcased in various Disney Junior musicals, including Mulan, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast. This early exposure to the performing arts taught her that it's a fun and exciting profession, but also requires dedication and hard work.
In December 2013, Lillian's family relocated to Sofia, Bulgaria, a hub for film production, particularly for Hollywood blockbusters. Unbeknownst to the family, this move would ultimately launch Lillian's film career. As they soon discovered, many renowned Hollywood stars, including Morgan Freeman, Sylvester Stallone, Ben Kingsley, Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, and Nicolas Cage, frequently film in Bulgaria.
Lillian's big break came when her family received an email from a friend at the US Embassy about a casting call for a young actress with brown hair and brown eyes to play the daughter of Antonio Banderas. The family thought it sounded like a fun opportunity and sent in a few photos to the casting director, Mariana Stansheva. To their surprise, Lillian landed the role of Sylvia in Security (2017),a small but significant part that allowed her to work alongside Banderas. He was kind and complimentary on set, and even praised her English language skills, likely assuming she was a local Bulgarian.
Within a year, Lillian and Banderas collaborated again on Acts Of Vengeance (2017),where she had a larger acting role and made her on-film vocal performance debut by singing "All I Have To Do Is Dream" by The Everly Brothers multiple times in front of an audience of 300 extras.
Lillian also secured a significant role in the reboot of George A. Romero's zombie cult classic film, Day of the Dead: Bloodline (2017). Her character, Lily, was central to the plot and appeared in numerous scenes alongside Sophie Skelton, a renowned actress from Outlander fame. Skelton served as a lovely role model for Lillian, who received a beautiful standing ovation from the cast and crew when her character wrapped. The producers and directors praised her for being prepared, patient, and flexible, attributes she likely developed through her early theatre work.
