Isabele Hahn has always looked at stories with a unique lens. Growing up, she spent a lot of time paying attention to how people saw the world—and just as much time wondering why certain voices took up space while others didn’t. “Whose gaze, whose story, whose microphone,” she shared, summing up the questions that have shaped her entire creative life. “It’s why I’m drawn to projects about identity, community, and resilience and why I build and try to find sets that reflect that.”
Community theater was a safe space for her, growing up in a town she didn’t quite feel “at home” in. And although she enjoyed every second of it, she never had a dramatic moment where she declared she wanted to be an actor forever. It was deeper than that. “I didn’t frame it as ‘I want to do this.’ It was always, ‘I love this.'”
Chasing Cupid
When Isabelle landed the audition for Chasing Cupid, she knew it was something special before she even stepped into character. What struck her most wasn’t a storyline or a plot twist—it was the people. During callbacks, everything clicked into place. “I immediately felt the chemistry and trusted their vision,” she said. “I was excited by the chance to join an all-female ensemble and help build a world that felt both playful and intentional.”
When filming started, the cast bonded fast. “The energy was very ‘group chat goes IRL,'” she laughed. The jokes, the chaos, the shared humor—all of it naturally spilled into the show
One of her favorite memories is from a night at Hillary Lewis’s house. After a long photoshoot, the cast squeezed onto couches to watch Episode 2 together, pausing every few seconds to scream-laugh at tiny background moments and throwaway lines only they would ever catch. It wasn’t a big production moment—just friends piled up, watching something they made together.
Directing, Producing, & Seeing Everything at Once
What makes Isabelle unique is how many ways she approaches storytelling. She’s not just in the scenes—she helps shape the world behind them. Acting, directing, and producing all inform one another. “Wearing all three hats gives me X-ray vision for the process,” she explained.
And that shows in the way she thinks. “As an actor, I know how vulnerable it is,” she noted, which is why, when she directs, she’s “specific with notes,” protects rehearsal time, and builds sets where people feel brave enough to try things. When she switches into her director/producer brain, she is thinking about everything from shot lists to story architecture to what will actually matter in the edit. And the moment she steps into a scene as an actor, she lets the rest go so she can fully live in the character.
Her favorite part of leading her own projects is the people she chooses to bring with her. “Getting to choose who’s in the room means I get to work with people I love and trust,” she shared. Creating with people who care as much as she does makes even the long shoot days feel exciting—and like they’re building something real together.
The Music Video World
Outside of acting, Isabelle has built an entire lane for herself in music videos—and she lights up talking about it. She loves being the person to take an artist’s ideas and turn them into something real. “I think of myself as the executor of a vision,” she explained.
Sometimes that means stepping in as 1st Assistant Director, like on Renee Rapp’s “Snow Angel” and “Talk Too Much,” with Alyah Chanelle Scott directing. Those shoots required everything from razor-precise scheduling to knowing every department well enough to clear the runway so the creative work could shine. “Music videos are playful and fast, equal parts problem-solving and artistry,” she revealed—which is exactly why she keeps coming back to them.
Other times, she’s in the director’s chair, building a world from scratch. Her long-running collaboration with Jack Rabbit has become one of her favorite parts of her career. Their video included Zoom choreography sessions with the lead dancer, Jace Chadwick. Their sixth video together, “That’s All Right,” dropped earlier this year. “I’m very proud of my work in the music video space,” she added, and she’s hoping to do even more.
Horror, Comedy, & Everything in Between
Isabelle’s acting career has taken her from comedy to heartbreak to full-on horror. One of her favorite recent experiences was filming The Weeping, a horror movie shot in just five days. She plays Megan, “the resident goth friend,” and the pace, intensity, and slightly chaotic nature of the shoot made it one of the most memorable projects she’s ever been part of.
Then came Blu Forest, where she worked under Keke Palmer and the KeyTV team. “I’m such a fan of Keke’s, and even now it feels like I dreamt it,” Isabelle confessed. “Her presence elevated everyone.”
Her dream collaborators list is long (and extremely cool): Celine Song, Greta Gerwig, Charli XCX, Havana Rose Liu, Ayo Edebiri, Colman Domingo, Andrew Scott. “If we can all help manifest a few of those into my life, I’m ready,” she laughed.
Personal Life, Inspiration, & What’s Next
Off set, Isabelle is constantly exploring new corners of her craft-stage combat classes, voice lessons, and stacks of plays and movies she studies like homework. She also loves long walks, long dinners, and time with friends.
As for what’s next, she’s thrilled for The Weeping to release this year, is auditioning constantly, and is prepping her first narrative short as a director. She also hopes to “jump back into horror” as an actor and producer.
And the biggest lesson she’s learned so far? “Keep choosing it.” The industry will hand out a lot of no’s, she explained, but your job is to return, learn, and try again. “Reps beat perfection.”
