Today we’d like to introduce you to Ronni Saxon.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in Minnesota, where I knew from a very young age that I wanted to work in entertainment. I wanted to create. I wanted to make people laugh, and I wanted to be part of providing that magical feeling that you get while escaping to worlds and stories other than your own. I started acting in the Twin Cities and quickly found myself heading to the west coast. Yes – I took the annual pilgrimage to Burbank for Pilot Season and (for the first few years, at least), I lived at The Oakwoods. Once I started college, I spent summers in LA, diving into unforgettable internships at places like Comedy Central and John Wells Productions. Learning the diverse ropes of a network and its specific shows versus a production company was an invaluable education.
After graduating from The University of Minnesota with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and Cinema Studies, I made the official move across the country and started how so many people in entertainment do: as a production assistant. From pilots with Kevin Smith and Bethenny Frankel to a hefty handful of Comedy Central Roasts, it was my eventual position at “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” that led to six incredible years of growth, hard work, and, after becoming a producer, the honor of being recognized by my peers with two of my very own Emmy Awards and a Webby Award.
I’m now adding more hyphens to my professional title by the day. I’m enthusiastically navigating my way through this ever-changing entertainment landscape, working in front of and behind the camera and microphone, on stage, and in front of my trusty laptop.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
While I’m incredibly thankful for all the years that I was at “Ellen,” I’m glad that I decided to begin a new chapter for myself. It was daunting to take the leap of leaving a steady job with a salary, a reliable schedule, and a family I’d been in the trenches with for so long, but leaving that nest has allowed me to expand and explore my experiences and community more than ever before, and has re-instilled my confidence and commitment to my passions. I’m appreciative that my professional identity is now a culmination of so many wonderful things rather than sometimes feeling defined by a single program.
There’s nothing smooth about this topsy-turvy industry that’s captured my heart since day one, but that’s part of what makes it so fun. While some people grow up knowing exactly what they want to do, some of us have an amalgamation of passions that come together to create a uniquely beautiful and unpredictable career. I may thrive on the structure of a daily production schedule, but I’ve learned to adapt to not necessarily having that transfer to my everyday routine. In my line of work, there’s a lot of trials and a lot more error. A lot of investment with no promise of return. It’s a big leap to commit to a life that isn’t your typical 9 to 5, but this is what sets my heart on fire (in a good way). So, here I am. It’s this winding road and the excitement of all of the possibilities ahead that make this industry so magical. I have a good feeling that the best is yet to come.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Since deciding to depart from “Ellen,” I’ve returned to what originally drew me to this industry – performing. I’m now a proud multi-hyphenate: actor, voice actor, improviser, writer, producer, singer, comedian, and professional glitter sprinkler. I’ve also been having the time of my life creating characters while working my way through the program at Groundlings – I’ve officially completed the Improv Track and am looking forward to starting sketch writing soon! Over the holidays, I also booked my first animated voiceover role. Bringing a cartoon British boy (I know, right on brand for me) to life for a holiday commercial was pretty surreal. Additionally behind the mic, I’ve been writing and performing original music with my group Reign or Shine. We released our first single in 2022 and look forward to dropping more of our melodies soon!
My passion for production has also led to opportunities in special events. From planning, coordination and execution to PR and red carpets, I’ve worked more than one hundred events from LA to New York, collaborating with industry leaders and top teams. From my days assisting with Comedy Central Roasts, it’s been a treat to return to this facet of production in multiple capacities on everything from intimate gatherings to iconic Oscar parties.
Working in entertainment has been such a huge part of my life, and knowing that my motivations have been and will continue to be for my enjoyment and that of those getting to experience my work with me is something I hold dear. While the accolades I’ve earned thus far are something I’d never dreamed of, it’s notable achievements like these that can be reassuring in a field that can be unsteady. What makes me most proud of bringing my own statues home though isn’t the titles or the hardware that now lives on my bookshelf but the fact that the work I’ve done has been recognized and applauded by people I admire and am now lucky enough to call my peers.
My enthusiasm, meticulous attention to detail, and ability to improvise on set and on-site have proven to be some of my strongest assets. Between those, my experience, and my overarching passion for all things entertainment, I’m excited to see where my producing, writing, and performing skillset will take me next! That’s one of the most exhilarating things about this industry – there isn’t a pre-determined path. My goal is to continue learning, collaborating, and laughing along the way. If I can do that on a daily basis, I’d call that a win.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
At the end of the day, you have to love what you do. The love that I have for all the ins and outs of this wild industry is undoubtedly what continues to propel me toward a lifelong career. This love encompasses a wonderful combination of gratefulness, kindness, teamwork, humility and perseverance. Although my math skills don’t reach far beyond tipping and sale percentages, these other qualities added together should equal “success.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ronnisaxon.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/glitteronni
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ronnisaxon/
- Twitter: IMDB LINK: https://imdb.me/ronnisaxon
- Other: https://reignorshinemusic.com/
Image Credits
Bing Putney Bradford Rogne Michael Rozman
