When did you know you wanted to be in the entertainment industry?
When I was 9 years old, my mom took me and my brother to see Saturday Night Fever at the drive-In theatre. Although she had no idea there would be so much profanity and sex and spent a majority of the time telling us to cover our eyes and ears, I was mesmerized by the incorporation of dancing, storytelling, and costumes, which was everything I loved. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to be in the scene and not just in the audience watching the screen.
Was there a specific person or movie that inspired you?
I was lucky to work with Francis Ford Coppola at a young age and he was a huge inspiration to me. He was very kind and would ride me around Zoetrope Studios on his bicycle. On set, he made everyone feel important and his energy created a beautiful work environment. I remember stepping on the set the first day of filming and thinking we had been magically transported to another place. I was in awe. Watching him work made me realize there was more to making a film than getting in front of a camera and acting, and from that moment, I fell in love with this industry.
How did being a talent agent/manager benefit you when you chose to go into producing?
Since I book talent, I am familiar with SAG contracts so this knowledge was helpful with actor contracts and when filling out SAG bond paperwork needed for productions. I feel that I also had inside knowledge of what to look for in an actor specific to each role since a major part of my job as a manager is being completely involved with my clients’ acting career and the whole casting process.