Lil Malinich is an American-Canadian director, producer, actor, and acting coach based in NYC, known for her versatile work on both sides of the camera and in the rehearsal room.  Her love of performance and orchestration began in elementary school, where she directed classmates in scenes from the tv show Fame and became a member of the repertory company The Toony Loons.  In her teens and 20s, Lil worked in regional theatre and co-founded award-winning company Theatre Soup, directing, producing, and acting in classic and contemporary plays.  She and the company received several Brickenden Award nominations and wins for their bold work.  The Deluxe Illustrated Body, a play Lil co-wrote, received the Brickenden Award for Best Original Script.

Malinich holds an Honors BA in English and Dramatic Arts and a Bachelor of Education from Western University.  She has trained with masters Susan Batson, Terry Schreiber, Maggie Flanigan, Peter Markham, and Moises Kaufman.  Lil coached actors at the Susan Batson Studio and is currently the acting instructor at the Joffrey Ballet School and Broadway Rise.  

She coaches talent including Jackie Burns and Forest Whitaker: Projects include Big George Foreman, Havoc, "Andor," "Emperor of Ocean Park," and "Godfather of Harlem." Beyond performance, directing, and coaching, Lil serves as a juror for the New York, Hollywood, Venice, and Cannes Indie Shorts Awards, reflecting her ongoing commitment to nurturing emerging voices in independent film.

Lil's diverse body of stage work includes Uncle Vanya, Timberlake: American Pulp, Life Without Parole, and the biographical play Fruits Unheard Of, in which she portrayed American photographer Diane Arbus.  Feature film and TV credits include Construction and Paradise, "All My Children," "Gotham," "Law & Order" and "Godfather of Harlem."  

Passionate about bold and meaningful storytelling, Lil directed and produced the NYC premiere of The Way I Am, a one-woman show inspired by the life and work of Barbra Streisand, as well as They Called Me Rita, inspired by Rita Hayworth, which premiered at the United Solo Festival.  For the Verve Project, she directed Laundry & Bourbon and Mercury at Theatre Row.   

For the New York Theatre Festival, Lil directed Lucy & Lucy, which won Best Production and Best Actress Awards, and for the Edinburgh Theatre Festival, one-woman show Adrienne: An American in Paris.  Lil is a director and producer of short films "The Main Event" and "NIMBY."