Much like me, my path in life has been anything but straight.
The First Eighteen Years...I was born in Fort Worth and was the kind of sensitive kid who definitely grows up to be an actor. From a young age I knew I wanted to be in film and television, but when the time came for monologues in freshman theater I had a meltdown. I gave up on acting and hid out in the band instead.
Thanks to the support of an amazing band director and a nickname that made people immediately like me (buy my memoir in ten years to find out the nickname), I'd found a place where I could put myself out there and learn that I did, in fact, deserve to take up space in the world. By my senior year I was head drum major of the marching band, ranked second of all the high school oboe players in Texas, sang in the top three choirs, and had developed a taste for what one might call "hamming it up." |
Hair by me, dimples by mom.
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LSU Senior Recital, November 2005
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Young Adulthood...I studied Music Performance and Education at LSU in Baton Rouge and was lucky to perform with several professional symphonies in the Gulf Coast area. I went on to earn a Masters in Oboe from the Cincinnati Conservatory, but by the end of that program I knew that oboe was not my calling. I made the logical choice and quit music to pursue comedy.
A love (obsession?) for Tina Fey and a perfect weekend in Chicago made it an easy choice - I spent almost eight years in the Windy City figuring out improv, writing, acting, and most importantly, who the hell I was (the whole "coming out" process takes a while when you grow up in rural Texas in the 90s). By 30 I had a solid creative foundation and wrote a Big Gay Coming Out Blog Post. I was ready to start the life of my dreams in my dream city - NYC. |
The Five Year Re-Route...Spoiler - NYC didn't work out! Shortly after I arrived my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, then my sister Rachel was diagnosed with what turned out to be kidney cancer. My mom is alive and well (I live with her part-time in a totally cool, grown-up way), but my sister died in 2018. It's stupidly unfair that she died so young, but I'm grateful for the time I had bonding with her and the rest of my family as an adult.
I spent a year and a half trying to figure out how to be a person again without constantly talking about My Dead Sister (I have always been awesome at parties), but eventually my drive to create was stronger than my need to sit around and process. I dove into making a web series, a live stream variety talk show, recorded some music covers, and was finally at peak productivity in January 2020. Everything has been sunshine and roses since! (ha - kidding...) |
My sister and I at a wedding that definitely served alcohol.
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My mirror is clean now.
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Less Young Adulthood (now)...I joined the hordes of people who poured out of the coasts and into Texas after the pandemic hit. I have a home base near Austin, TX and have a job that allows me to live wherever I find good opportunities.
In 2021 I co-wrote/directed/produced my first professional* short film which should hit festivals this Fall, my short film screenplay Pinsetter is doing well in competitions, and I've been taking classes and workshops with some awesome acting coaches in LA. I'm also giving my singing voice the attention and energy I never thought it deserved and plan to record some share-worthy covers soon. *professional = done with a full crew of people who had separate, specific jobs instead of a bunch of actors running around holding lights while they're not on camera (both are legitimate and brag-worthy) |
So who am I?
I'm a hilarious, sweetheart, girl-next-door who has learned to take up space and say what's on my mind. I know what it's like to feel unseen and unwanted and I do what I can to keep others from feeling that. I believe in the importance of representation because it has the power to change people's lives. I see the world through rose-colored lenses without looking past the painful things; my goal is to tell stories that help people laugh and cry their way through life.
I love to collaborate and spend a lot of time thinking about what it means to lead, both as a designated leader and as a teammate. I think people can make great things while working a sustainable schedule in an environment filled with good morale, and I hope to bring as much of that to my work as possible.
I also think we need WAY more romcoms where two women fall in love and neither of them hates themselves for being gay because it's freaking 2022 and we deserve better but don't worry, I'm writing one right now.
I love to collaborate and spend a lot of time thinking about what it means to lead, both as a designated leader and as a teammate. I think people can make great things while working a sustainable schedule in an environment filled with good morale, and I hope to bring as much of that to my work as possible.
I also think we need WAY more romcoms where two women fall in love and neither of them hates themselves for being gay because it's freaking 2022 and we deserve better but don't worry, I'm writing one right now.
My perfect three-legged cat, Myrtle. No, she will probably not let you pet her.