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Tony Award-winning stage and screen performer Jane Alexander is set to star in the new indie film Lillian, Next Door, from SXSW Audience Award-winning director Janice Engel. The movie begins production this month in Nova Scotia.
Alexander will star opposite Marco Pigossi and Kanoa Goo in the dramedy, which centers on an ex-CIA operative who infiltrates the lives of two gay men who move in next door. As secrets unfold, the layers of truth lead to an unexpected friendship and life-altering choices.
“I’ve been wanting to play a female spy for years, so I am excited about stepping into Lillian’s shoes,” says Alexander. “My own relationships with younger people enrich my life in many ways, and I’m excited to explore those dynamics on screen. I’m happy to be filming in Nova Scotia with this cast, crew, and creative team.”
“I love stories of fearless women who commit to something larger than themselves. That’s Lillian, and it’s definitely Jane Alexander. And to have Marco Pigossi and Kanoa Goo as Lillian’s neighbors is a dream,” says director Janice Engel.
Lillian, Next Door is written by Tim Atkin, a former Coast Guard officer and National Security Council staff member under President Clinton. The story is inspired by lived experiences and is being developed and led by a predominantly LGBTQ+ creative team, including Engel, producer James Egan, writer Tim Atkin, cinematographer Bianca Butti and editor Phyllis Housen.
A four-time Academy Award nominee and two-time Primetime Emmy Award winner, Alexander’s career spans more than six decades across film, television, and theater. She recently garnered renewed critical attention for her 2025 Emmy-nominated performance in Severance and also currently appears in the theater-themed series American Classic.
She was most recently seen on Broadway in Grand Horizons, for which she received her eighth Tony nomination. Her 1983 film Testament, which earned her an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of a mother holding her family together in the wake of a nuclear apocalypse, joined the Criterion Collection in March.
Janice Engel’s previous directorial credits include the documentary Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins. Produced by James Egan, the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019.
The new movie is produced by Wild at Heart Films (Producer James Egan), Emotion Pictures (Producer Thom Fitzgerald) and Snarky Elephant Productions (Co-Producer Neal Ludevig).
