You need not ask
LOS ANGELES —Long before she co-founded a film production company or stood beside Clint Eastwood on a movie set, Laura Vale was just a Colonie kid putting on plays in her living room.
Vale, now based in Los Angeles, recently returned to the screen in “Culprit,” a new independent thriller produced through Good Rebel Pictures, the company she launched with her fiancé and writing partner, Rich Ronat. The film is now streaming on multiple free and paid platforms, including Amazon, Roku, Tubi, and YouTube.
“We were sick of asking for a place at someone else’s table, so we built our own,” Vale said. “That was the motivation behind starting Good Rebel.”
“Culprit” follows a man recently exonerated for a crime he may not have committed as he teams up with the victim’s sister—played by Vale—to uncover the truth and vindicate himself. The film was inspired by cases from the Innocence Project, a legal organization that helps wrongfully convicted individuals prove their innocence using new DNA evidence.
Vale, who portrays a woman navigating grief and suspicion, said the role allowed her to explore the emotional aftermath of trauma.
“I listened to real-life stories from families who’d lost someone to violence,” she said. “I wanted to bring that kind of authenticity to the character. When there’s a sudden loss, families often fracture in different ways.”
Much of the film was shot in Los Angeles, with some exterior scenes filmed in Huntsville, Texas. Vale worked with a dialect coach to develop a regional accent authentic to the area, drawing on time she spent in Texas as a young adult. “Coming from the stage, accents have always been something I loved digging into,” she said.
The project also marked a return to acting for Vale after a decade-long hiatus during which she pursued a parallel career in psychology. “I missed it,” she said. “I’d been working as a therapist, and that creative side of me was really aching to be satisfied.”
She credits her early acting experiences in Albany for nurturing that creative drive. As a child, she performed with local groups such as Albany Civic Theater and the Mac-Haydn Theatre in Chatham. She went on to attend NYU, where she studied psychology while performing in summer stock theater and off-off-Broadway productions. Her early film work in New York included several horror projects—roles she jokingly refers to as “grade C” productions.
A turning point came shortly after she moved to Los Angeles. Vale landed a background role in Clint Eastwood’s “Absolute Power,” playing the body of a murder victim. “Clint came over, lifted the sheet, and said, ‘Why are we wasting this woman under a blanket?’” she recalled. The chance encounter led to a speaking role and a return appearance in Eastwood’s “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.”
“He ran a set with so much calm and trust,” Vale said. “That’s something I’ve tried to carry into my own work as a producer. We have a no-jerks policy. No divas.”
That philosophy shaped the collaborative spirit behind “Culprit,” which was developed with a group of fellow actors and writers during the pandemic. The film features several longtime colleagues who trained under the same acting coach, creating a shared language on set. “We were able to throw different things into each take,” Vale said. “We trusted each other to stay grounded in the story.”
Vale is already looking ahead. Good Rebel Pictures recently wrapped a dark comedy and is developing a second thriller, this one set in Hudson, New York—a nod to her roots. She’s also hoping to direct a more personal dramedy she wrote, inspired by her early years in New York City.
While her career has taken her far from home, Vale said she’s eager to return to the Capital Region—perhaps in time for this year’s Tulip Festival.
“I’ve gone soft,” she said with a laugh. “Sixty degrees feels cold to me now. But my family is still there. I’d love to come back soon.”
“Culprit” is now available for streaming. For more information, visit goodrebelpictures.com.
