STUCK IN A CHARACTER
DRAMA SERIES
Stuck in a Character is a French-American series blending psychological thriller, identity drama, and reflection on authenticity. The story follows a young man passionate about cinema who, confronted with the manipulation, hypocrisy, and obstacles hindering his rise in the industry, decides to create a fictional persona to regain control of his life. Gradually, this invented identity takes over his real personality, until the line between the man and the role he plays is completely blurred.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Genre: Drama
Number of episodes: 10
Countries: France - United States
Language: French - English
Budget: Unknown
Spent (so far): $30,000
Minimum budget to start over: $25,000
Year of release: In production (standby)
Production company: Swanson Films Prod.
Directed by : Logan Swanson, Corentin Candela & Karim Meg
Executive Producers: Logan Swanson
Produced by: Swanson Films Prod.
Sound recording: Unknown
Makeup: Eline Van Den Storme
MAIN CHARACTERS
L. Kyle Azaria / Loan Smith
Performed by: Logan Swanson
L. Kyle Azaria is the main character in Stuck In A Character. An ambitious French-American creator and director, he adopts the identity of Loan Smith upon arriving in Los Angeles to pursue his American dream. His journey is marked by a quest for identity, setbacks, and the truth about himself.
Mathilda Molina
Performed by: Sann Carter
Mathilda Molina is a main character in the American storyline of Stuck In A Character. Loan Smith's girlfriend, she accompanies him during his time in Los Angeles and represents one of the few stable points of reference in his new life. Her relationship with Loan plays a significant role in his personal development and the choices he makes.
Eddy Foster
Performed by: Carl-Philipp Wengler
Eddy Foster is a member of Smith Films Prod in the United States and a close friend of Loan Smith. Loyal, energetic, and always ready to take on the most ambitious projects, he accompanies Loan on her American adventure and plays an important role in her circle of friends in Los Angeles.
Andrew Harris
Performed by: Matthew Miller R.
Andrew Harris is a member of Smith Films Prod in the United States and a friend of Loan Smith. Thoughtful and reliable, he participates in the group's projects while offering a more considered perspective on the situations they encounter. Present at the heart of the American adventure, he contributes to team cohesion during their many challenges in Los Angeles.
Corentin Castillo
Performed by: Corentin Candela
Corentin Castillo is a former member of Kyle's Prod team and one of L. Kyle Azaria's closest friends. He has supported Kyle in his projects for several years. Primarily featured in the French storyline, he is one of the few people who knew the protagonist before his departure for the United States and the adoption of his American identity.
Tom Wetzer
Performed by: ???
Tom Weitzer is a member of Smith Films Prod and one of Loan Smith's closest friends in the United States. The son of an American police officer, he grew up with a stricter worldview than the rest of the group. Despite this, his loyalty to his friends often leads him to find himself in situations that far exceed the bounds of his ordinary life.
Derek Malone
Performed by: ???
Derek Malone est l'un des principaux antagonistes de l'arc américain de Stuck In A Character. Bras droit de Steve Paloma, un puissant producteur influent de l'industrie hollywoodienne, il exécute ses ordres avec une loyauté sans faille. Redouté pour son tempérament violent et sa détermination, Derek devient l'un des plus grands obstacles sur la route de Loan Smith et de son entourage.
Steve Paloma
Performed by: ???
Steve Paloma is the main antagonist of the American arc of Stuck In A Character. An influential figure in the Hollywood industry, he wields his power through manipulation, intimidation, and psychological control. Behind his image as a respected businessman lies a cold, calculating, and dangerous personality, willing to do anything to maintain his influence. His confrontation with Loan Smith is one of the major conflicts of the series.
Jonathan Garcia
Performed by: ???
Jonathan Garcia is a member of Kyle's Prod and one of L. Kyle Azaria's closest friends. The two met during their studies and quickly developed a shared passion for audiovisual creation. Present since the beginning of numerous projects, Jonathan has supported Kyle throughout his career, navigating the challenges, team changes, and obstacles encountered over the years.
GALLERIES
Mathilda Molina & Loan Smith au désert de Lancaster
Sann Carter sur l'une des scènes de Stuck In A Character
Un lieu emblématique de Los Angeles, vous le reconnaissez ? L'un des lieux de tournage de Stuck In A Character.
Mathilda Molina & Loan Smith au désert de Lancaster
BEHIND-THE-SCENES ANECDOTES
Filming 8,000 km from home
The first scenes of Stuck In A Character were filmed in Los Angeles when the project was entirely independent and self-financed. Part of the team crossed the Atlantic to bring the American world of the series to life.
Several versions of the scenario
Before reaching its current version, the script underwent several major rewrites between 2023 and 2024. Some characters, plotlines, and episodes were completely rethought to strengthen the coherence of the story.
The series was supposed to be different
Originally, Stuck In A Character was envisioned as a shorter format. Over time, the universe expanded into a series blending drama, adventure, psychological thriller, and comedy.
Real places
The series uses real locations in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Madrid and other cities, in order to anchor the story in an authentic environment.
The main character has two identities.
L. Kyle Azaria and Loan Smith are both portrayed by the same actor. This narrative choice illustrates the duality of the main character between his past life in France and his new American identity.
A project developed over several years
The project has been in development for several years and has survived many unforeseen events: team changes, logistical problems, financial difficulties and filming postponements.
Over €35,000 invested
According to information provided by the production, more than €35,000 was personally invested in the development of the project, international travel and filming equipment, all coming out of Logan Swanson's own pocket.
A wide variety of inspirations
The series' universe draws inspiration from very different works such as Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Black Mirror, The Truman Show, American Psycho, One Piece, and Dragon Ball. The fact is, there will be many Easter eggs.
A story inspired by an abandoned project
Before Stuck In A Character, the series creator was working on a biopic project inspired by his own life. The goal was to recount his journey, his ambitions, and the difficulties he encountered in his quest to break into the film industry. After several years of deliberation, the project was ultimately abandoned, its format deemed too limited to tell the whole story. Rather than disappearing, many of the ideas planned for this biopic were reused and transformed to give birth to Stuck In A Character. Certain events, emotions, and several central themes of the series thus originate from this initial project. This evolution allowed for a blend of elements inspired by real life with a much more ambitious work of fiction, offering greater narrative and creative freedom. Today, Stuck In A Character is considered the spiritual heir to this first project, while developing its own identity and universe.
The second trip to the United States
The second shoot for Stuck In A Character in the United States was meant to be a pivotal moment for the series. After an initial shoot in Los Angeles, the crew returned several months later with the ambition of filming some of the most important scenes in the story. However, nothing went as planned. Just days before filming was scheduled to begin, several crew and cast members dropped out, forcing the production to hastily reorganize part of the schedule. Despite the logistical challenges, the long distances traveled, and the last-minute setbacks, the crew continued filming in various locations in Los Angeles and Las Vegas to salvage as many scenes as possible.
This experience profoundly impacted the project. It highlighted the challenges an independent production can face when filming abroad, far from home and with limited resources. While this trip didn't allow them to accomplish everything initially planned, it strengthened the team's resolve to continue the adventure and evolve the series into an even more ambitious version. In retrospect, this second shoot became one of the most challenging, yet also most formative, moments in the history of Stuck In A Character. It reminded the entire team that in filmmaking, obstacles are often an integral part of the journey.