I’ve been holding off on doing this for a while. Yeah, I know I went to the mat about the Vanity Fair thing, but this is different. I was really avoiding saying this, because I know it’s going to put me in danger of sounding like a fangirl, but I have a feeling it’s time and I’m just going to have to bite the bullet and say it.
Felicia Day inspires me.
I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking it’s the geek girl thing. But, it’s not. I mean, okay, she’s a geek babe and that’s awesome — but it’s not the geek girl in me she inspires.
It’s the once struggling actress who gave up and went and got herself a “real job”.
By way of history, allow me to explain. I know how the industry works from a lot of different perspectives. I’ve been an actress, agency assistant, casting assistant, and agent. I’ve also produced and directed small indy films, as well as doing pretty much every job possible in a theater co-op.
Most actors go about the business in much the same way. Get an agent, get a manager, get pictures, try and get auditions. Take class, work whatever job you can for a flexible schedule and then do whatever you can in that “3 minutes in the room” during an audition to “get the job”
Not Felicia Day.
In a business where most people wait and see, Felicia’s out there creating her own work. Instead of waiting for “pilot season” and hoping to get a series, she created “The Guild”. She’s created a web presence and a Twitter following by getting out and talking to people. By promoting herself and the people she works with.
Syfy announced today that she’ll be starring as a werewolf-hunting descendant of Little Red Riding Hood in the new Syfy Saturday Original Movie, Red. (thanks @kiala for the tip)
Starring. That’s big, people. On cable or not. Starring is big. I means you have a name in the industry.
She’s made that name for herself.
Literally. Ask yourself how you know who Felicia Day is and I’ll bet, if you track it back, it’s due to something she did.
No one’s handed her anything and she doesn’t take any of it for granted.
And, through it all, she’s managed to be a pretty down to earth and accessible person.
Inspiring.
Dang it. Felicia. Do you have any idea how irritated I am at you right now? ::grin:: I hate getting misty eyed!
there’s nothing fangirl-ish about admiring someone for good reasons. Knowing what qualities you admire in a person is a step toward building your own character too.
It’s easy, though, to get stuck on the all the ways someone is more accomplished than you and get down about it. I hope that you remember that you’re also an interesting, fun, geek girl who’s *quite* good at getting people talking. you suggest that people talk about something and you’ve got 85 comments in the stream with the future of a meet up to talk more. So i hope you don’t forget that you’re a bit admirable yourself.
While I think Felicia is a very good actor and writer what impresses me most is that she is an amazing self-promoter. I mean that purely as a compliment.
I don’t think she is playing a role when she is talking to her fans or at cons but she has really figured out how to market the brand that is “Felicia Day” and make people like her while she’s doing it.
I don’t know how she does it, honestly, since it seems like she’s always “on” and pleasant which I imagine would be draining. That makes this casting in a starring role such a great reward for all that hard work.
It’s so totally true. As a person in the creative arts, (albeit, heavily tied to a day job,) the presence of independent and creative voices on twitter, really gives me hope. It gives me hope that we’ll see media, from publishing, to music and filmed entertainment, evolve with the rest of us. It gives me hope that audiences will find and reward those that are producing content that they value. Eventually, the mainstream will take notice. :D (Sidebar: The captcha is, “Joying,” I’m joying this.)