Riding the high from my first short film, I co-wrote and co-starred in the Hollywood Fringe performance of "YOU," a play that explored my relationship with my younger brother, Mason, who has cerebral palsy. Our performance received the Encore Producers Award, which extended our run twice. We were also nominated for several awards, including The Fringe First, Top of the Fringe, and Ensemble Theatre. Additionally, BuzzFeed featured "YOU" as one of the 3 Best Fringe Shows.
However, after being diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a rare connective tissue disorder, my momentum came to a halt. Although the diagnosis was validating, (now I knew why I was so good at twister), it flipped my world upside down. My focus shifted to accepting my disability, healing, and relearning my body as I faced multiple surgeries.
Determined not to let this setback define me or take over my creative life, I honed my skills through online acting classes and casting director workshops, started a greeting card company, Notes2Pass, in honor of my late mother that donates 10% to mental health, hosted the chart-topping "Make Sure Your Friends Are Okay" podcast, spoke with youth about Mental Health, explored voiceover work and kept writing.
Now, back and stronger than ever with a renewed purpose- I believe that everything happens for a reason, and my diverse experiences have shaped my mission to normalize the human condition, break down stigmas, and remind people that they’re not alone. Writing has become a deep passion for me, offering solace as I transform my experiences into stories that resonate with others, all while continuing to pursue my acting career. I’m currently developing a feature film that explores my diagnosis and the reality of living with an invisible illness.
I no longer think I am Audrey Hepburn reincarnated (at least tell this to my therapist). But for real for real, I am happy to just be me. The Wide-eyed freespirit with a heart that never quits who saves the day despite herself.
Emphasis on the despite herself part. 😉
I was born and raised in Wyoming, the second oldest of FIVE kiddos (gross, mom, and dad). I spent most of my youth trying to convince my parents that I was Audrey Hepburn reincarnated and we must move to LA for me to finish my great work. As these efforts failed, I would corral my cousins, siblings, and neighbors into putting on plays and talent shows with me, write songs in my closet, and immerse myself in competitive dance, choir, and children’s theater. No matter what I was doing, imagination was always involved. I heard 'get your head out of the clouds' a lot. But those clouds were fun.
When college came I was convinced to study something “practical”. So, I joined the NCAA dance team at the University of Montana and got my degree in Business Communications. Don’t worry, I snuck in a Filmmaking Minor and a certificate in Entertainment Management. It was in college that I booked my first film and one line I will never forget- “I usually get Taco Bell after a good dragon slaying”. Hold your applause.
Two years later, I made the move to sunny L.A., proving my high school guidance counselor wrong—take that, you punk. The first film project I dipped my hands into, I co-wrote, produced, and starred in, based on my personal experience with sexual assault via date rape drugs in college. The film won Best Narrative Short at the California International Shorts Festival and Best Director at the California Women’s Festival. It was fully funded by hundreds of friends and family members, as well as by Jon Cryer, New York Times bestselling author Jon Krakauer, numerous Bill Cosby victims, and the founders of Undercover Colors (now SipChip), a nail polish that detects date rape drugs.