Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Blessing.
Hi Nicole, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in the City of Lakes, Minneapolis, MN. Initially, I worked as a programmer at an insurance company in St. Paul. It wasn’t the most fulfilling job, and it turned out to be something I didn’t want to do for the rest of my life. Still, programming ended up being a valuable skill that I frequently used to support myself. (I would, in fact, be a terrible waitress, as I tend to drop things a lot.) So, I set out to find something I felt more passionate about and, wouldn’t you know it, that proved to be acting. I started taking classes from veteran actor Lev Mailer in Minneapolis. Lev actually appeared in, I kid you not, the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special. He set me on a very different career path. Lev stressed the importance of acting as a vocation and not just a hobby. To round things out, I also took classes at The Guthrie.
I started doing commercial work and, ultimately, voiced over 250 commercials. I branched out to industrials and corporate e-learning solutions. I subsequently have a lot of random yet oddly specific pharmaceutical knowledge. This then led to various indie films and theatre productions. Uptown Minneapolis denizens will recognize me as Ophelia in the long-running production of “Kung Fu Hamlet” at the Bryant Lake Bowl. Fun but physically demanding, it’s exactly what it sounds like. It was insanely popular, the line to get in stretching around the block.
I met my husband, Fred, doing an original play called “Dawn’s Inferno.” It was the retelling of Dante’s Inferno as a ten years high school reunion. I was Lust and he was Sloth. Lust wore a lot of leopard print and fringe. Sloth was essentially Carl from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Fred wasn’t even originally cast in the role; due to a freak accident, Sloth had to be replaced only two weeks before we opened, and the director knew Fred in college and thought he was the only one who could do it. Since we were so close to opening, he started wearing simple prosthetics right away, and I didn’t even know what he truly looked like until we closed.
Growing up, I didn’t have a supportive family. Fred was the first person in my life to be encouraging about my acting career. I went on to work for five years as a regular on-air model for fashion, jewelry, watches and beauty products at ShopHQ, based in Eden Prairie, MN. Anything can happen when you work on live television. Anything. Once, while I was modeling carry-on luggage, the guest host said “momma loves a strap on”, and I had to keep twirling that bag and smiling.
I wanted to be well-rounded, so I studied voice with Brett Schrier while still in Minneapolis. He helped me expand my vocal range, and the training later came in helpful for all manner of voice work.
Fred and I, along with our standard poodle, relocated to LA in 2016. The weather here is definitely an endless summer compared to Minnesota. Since the move, I started narrating audiobooks. I’ve done both fiction and non-fiction, poetry, and even a book of Wiccan spellcraft! It’s a lot more challenging than people realize. It takes a lot of stamina and practice to sustain voices and cohesive narration for an entire book. With all the airplane noise in LA, it helps that I bought a cool purple recording booth. (Prince had the right idea.)
More recently, I started doing standup throughout the LA area. My style is observational humor with tales of lutefisk and frozen Midwestern sass. I’m pleased to say I’ve met a lot of supportive people who’ve helped me along the way. I’m currently working with filmmaker Paul Kampf and further developing my own content.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s definitely not been a smooth road. Initially, it was difficult to make drastic life changes, or really even minor ones, without any type of emotional support. I’ve also had a lot of strange jobs. For one summer, I was a half tan model on live television. I would have one tan arm, one tan leg, and incredibly short shorts. I sold a lot of tanning towels.
Deciding to relocate presented its own challenges. I’m not sure if I would have been able to do it without a loving and supportive husband. Fred has made a huge difference in my life. Overall, it’s hard for me to find balance. I always feel like I need to be doing something, so I’m always going off in new directions. It can be a challenge to determine which things will be beneficial and which will lead nowhere. Being from the Midwest, it’s ingrained in us at an early age that you must persevere. You can’t easily give up on anything. That can be challenging to overcome, given how often projects fall apart here. Not everyone feels the same way. I feel fortunate to have the friends that I do now.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I finished two films in the past year. In “Bob N Weave,” starring Nancy Bellany, I play a compassionate nurse. I met Nancy doing standup. She is an extraordinarily kind and talented woman, and I truly enjoy working with her. I’m looking forward to seeing the finished film.
In “Don’t Talk About the Children,” currently making the rounds in the festival circuit, my character is an extremely manipulative mother of two who hides behind a mask of empathy and spiritual self-care. It was an interesting and challenging project to work on during a pandemic, all of the actors filmed their parts in isolation from one another.
Since I started doing standup, I’m known for my dry wit and sparkly red boots. I’m currently developing a show with my producing partner, José Oyola. He and I grew weary of seeing the same interchangeable, derivative, uninspired routines. We want to showcase unique styles and voices you won’t find anywhere else. I’ve also been writing and producing a series of comedic shorts with my husband, Fred, inspired more or less by seeing Scott Thompson’s live Buddy Cole act, then binge-watching multiple seasons of Kids in the Hall. We’re working with Ted Garvarkavich and Mary Bold of Ragtag Pictures.
What are your plans for the future?
I’d like to expand more on the work I’ve been doing. I’ve come to really enjoy writing, whether it be for standup or film. I’m also looking forward to finishing the shorts that Fred and I have been collaborating on. If you ever want to test the strength of your relationship, do something creative with your partner.
I’m planning for more beach time and hiking with my poodle. We try to take her to Zuma Beach every New Year’s Day, but post-booster chills smote us down this year. I’d like to see more of California. There’s such a diversity in the landscape.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.nicoleblessing.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenicoleblessing/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicole.blessing.actor/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicoleblessing
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfHYLA7XmuSUYQ8mRuHnpdA
- Other: https://www.imdb.me/nicoleblessing
Image Credits
Alisa Banks Veljko Vex Dronjak
