What were you involved in during your time at ISU?
I spent almost every semester in a production, particularly the musicals. I was mostly an actor, but you could find me working the theatre lab, painting, building sets, working on costumes, and even directing and designing in my senior year.
What do you currently do for a living?
As every artist does, I have a side hustle. I've been in retail in sales for a few years. Outside of that, I've been doing musicals and burlesque in the twin cities. I had a New Years' show I was involved in for two years at Celtic Junction that featured songs like Burlington Bertie and told the story of early musical revues. I was performing with a dance troupe for a couple years, and I participated in a series of burlesque competitions with my dance partner, Lixx, for most of 2025. After that, my film premiered in October 2025 and I decided that it was time to move to Los Angeles and really launch my film career. I started out here with some extra work on sets like Abbott Elementary, Lincoln Lawyer, and AT&T commercials. My film director, Joseph Scrimshaw, asked me to work on some short films with him as part of a small film collective. "Victim Seven" is currently available to watch on Youtube.
Can you share a particularly interesting or inspiring story that occurred in your career?
I landed my first feature film in fall of 2024! We spent a little over two weeks filming in Minneapolis, with the first premiere happening in October 2025. This spring, the movie was picked up by a distribution company that helped with the Los Angeles premieres and premieres all across the U.S. this summer. I've been a part of several premieres in Hollywood, and I'm super excited that the film has made its way back to the midwest so that I can share it with my friends and family that reside there.
How did your time at ISU prepare you for your career?
I think I chose Iowa State because I wanted a really well rounded experience in the arts. Like I mentioned, I got to act, sing, set design, sew costumes, paint, hang lights, and so much more. I think getting to do all of that has given me a really unique perspective and helped me be available to work in all avenues. One of the short films I worked on with Scrimshaw I not only acted in, but got to help film some scenes and I did the makeup design and special effects for the production. I wouldn't have been able to do something like that if I had chosen an acting conservatory.
What was your favorite class while you were at ISU? Why?
Off the top of my head I would say the musical theatre class or the acting for the camera, but really it was the period styles acting class. We worked outside a lot and we really got to dive into some unique characters and tell some funny, improvised stories. Another class that wasn't required for my major was the Shakespeare english class. I think every theatre major at ISU should take that class. Our professor taught at the Guthrie and made that class about EXPERIENCING Shakespeare's work, as opposed to just reading it.
Any words of wisdom for current or prospective students?
Don't give up. Don't settle for less. If you set your mind to it, you really can do anything. I was never the lead in shows, I wasn't an A+ student, but I never let people tell me "no".
Is there anything that you would like to share?
DEAD MEDIA premiered in Los Angeles on July 18th is on a road show all across the country! While I'd love to see you at the Des Moines showing on August 14th, there's several other stops on our route. Link with tickets at each stop here: https://www.antennareleasing.com/films/deadmedia