Today we’d like to introduce you to Desiree Staples.
Hi Desiree, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hello! Absolutely. I’m Desiree Staples, and I’m an actress, producer, filmmaker, and writer! I’ll tell you what, if someone had told me at the young age 17, that in 12 years I’d be back in Los Angeles producing and acting in film and television…..I’d be pretty gobsmacked! But here we are! Life is an unexpected journey that never ceases to amaze!
So… long story short is that I grew up in Laguna Hills, CA, to a pretty small, calm, and lovely bubble of academia and suburban Orange County life. I also come from a family of all industrial engineers. So, of course…I did a complete 180 opposite of that (I was doomed though anyways, as math was never my strong suit!). My one escape and passion was the Theater, and that bug bit me pretty much from age 8, in my first musical “Annie,” (I did not play Annie, but one of the other main orphans, Kate, much to my chagrin…) and pretty much from then on I knew that entertainment was what I wanted to do!
But from there my journey and story has always been malleable and developing. I went to Northwestern for Theater and Musical Theater, learned through experience all about Producing in the Theater – as one of the Co-Chairs of the Annual Waa-Mu Show (now in its 90th year!), and discovered that you can work in acting roles alongside producing roles. After graduation, I performed Musical Theater & Theater professionally in Chicago and started taking film classes. The art of filmmaking totally took me by surprise and felt even more organic in the ability to work in multiple capacities and collaborate with fellow artists! And I became completely engrossed with the specific and nuanced work of acting on screen. And from there, I’ve been producing, creating, filmmaking, and acting all at the same time ever since! Through continuing to make my own content & opportunities (which I think is not only necessary but super exciting in this new age of social media and being able to share our work with the public), I co-created my own comedy pilot – “The Influencers,” EP’d the dramedy pilot “It’s What She Would Have Wanted,” both in which I act in, as well as the comedy feature “Take Me To Tarzana,” Directed by Maceo Greenberg, which I also acted in and produced.
And now, I’m very excited for my next project on the docket – “My Divorce Party,” of which I am Executive Producer and a lead actress in! “My Divorce Party” will be shot later this year, and I couldn’t be more excited to continue wearing all the creative hats!
Throughout all of these projects, I’ve been passionate about changing the game of the entertainment industry in parody of underrepresented artists both on screen and behind the scenes. Reese Witherspoon, Geena Davis, and Jane Fonda have all been such role models for me in creating the media we want to see in the world – and that means making our teams and casts inclusive in all capacities. This includes women, the LGBTQIA+ community, artists of color, the disabled community, and more. We each have to do our part in all the work we create to better reflect the world we live in and bring to light those stories that have not yet had the opportunity to be told. And this is extremely exciting to me because new voices in the room also provide the opportunity for not only better art but the power of that art, which is a greater ability to connect and understand one another.
So, I’m continuing with that mindset first and foremost everyday. And when combining comedy, along with the goal of changing the way that movies have previously been made to a more progressive, inclusive, and diverse industry – I think it’s a pretty incredible combination!
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?
Oh jeez! I mean, I think a smooth road would be totally boring! Heck no! It’s been a bumpy road for sure. But I think it’s the bumps and struggles that keep us learning, growing, and excited along the way.
I think one of the biggest struggles has been coming to terms with the rejection that the entertainment industry naturally contains and that you have to celebrate every small win! You have to love creating films, tv, and media so much that you know what you’re doing is important, and you can’t let anyone stand in your way. And finding a happy medium between criticism and flat out rejection — and how to interpret that feedback and truly improve as a filmmaker and creator is no easy task. So, I just try to start every day saying, “Ok, If I can be a slightly better human today, even just 1% better than yesterday, I’m doin’ good.” And I try to do that with my work in filmmaking as well. My goal with every film and project that I do…is for it to be just a little better than the one before. And that way, we’re always moving forward, and we’re always heading towards reaching personal and professional milestones and artistic growth!
Other than that, I think I’ve had to learn as a female Producer how to embrace and find my voice as a leader and not to apologize for being confident, determined, and driven. I think it can be intimidating that in many productions where I’ve been the only woman in the room, that I’ve got a lot of experience and I know what I’m doing.. .and I think earlier in my career, I felt like I had to pay my dues, not take up to much space, and not “rock the boat.” And so, now, I’m really motivated to find my power and voice as an artist and producer! I think, as women, we have to break out of our comfort zones to find our voices in creating impactful and necessary change. As Laurel Thatcher Ulrich once said, “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” It’s only fitting because my next film “My Divorce Party,” is very much about female empowerment and our main heroine breaking the rules and finding her voice! Art imitates life!
With all this, there’s been so much that’s rewarding! And the best thing about being a woman filmmaker has been inspiring other women through the projects, films, and independent films I’ve been a part of. I aim to help others recognize that their abilities and passions are already enough to be unstoppable founders and leaders. You just have to give yourself the permission to jump in!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a multi-hyphenate in the film and television industry – an actress, producer, & filmmaker. Acting has always been a part of my life, but it’s also been extremely fulfilling to also work behind the scenes in Producing, developing, and writing as well.
I’m experienced in both short-form and feature film content. I produced the feature film “Take Me To Tarzana” distributed by Gravitas Ventures in 2021 which stars Jonathan Bennett, Maria Conchita Alonso, Samantha Robinson, Oliver Cooper, and more. “Take Me To Tarzana” also won a Golden Remi Award at the Houston Worldfest Film Festival.
My dramedy pilot “It’s What She Would Have Wanted” was selected and shown at LA Shorts, Mill Valley Film Festival, St. Louis International Film Festival, and is a part of this year’s 2021 Tribeca Creators Market. My comedy pilot “The Influencers,” that I co-created co-wrote, and produced won the Audience Award for Comedy Short form content at the Reel Independent Film Festival in Hollywood, and has been selected in over 20 other festivals in the US and Internationally (including Santa Monica Webfest – Best Ensemble Cast – Winner). I also Produced the Web-Series “Stupid Cupid,” that was one of the projects supported by NY Media/NY Life.
I’m a member of SAG-AFTRA, a co-creator of the Female Filmmakers Forum on Clubhouse, and the Co-President of Northwestern University’s Entertainment Alliance – NUEA West, and a proud Northwestern Alumni.
In terms of my proudest moment & what sets me apart from others is that I’m always striving to be creating innovative, new and original, and groundbreaking projects, and I’m willing to work as hard as it takes to get there.
I’m really excited about our current WeFunder campaign for “My Divorce Party” – the film! This film I am Executive Producing and a lead actress in. “My Divorce Party” is a female driven, fresh, and hilarious film with heart and empowerment at its core – in the same vein of the comedy films “Bridesmaids,” “Booksmart,” and “Girls Trip.” It is written by, directed by, produced by and stars all women artists. We are currently raising financing for the film on Wefunder here: https://wefunder.com/my.divorce.party.the.movie and will be shooting the movie later this year! We are currently looking for investors and partnership opportunities and we have some very exciting and unique investor perks for this project!
Having gone from producing micro-short films and 48 hour-film challenges only 4-5 years ago to now producing and acting in a major motion picture, that’s an incredible accomplishment. And to be producing this film with an entirely female team and story/script that’s exalting female comedic voices, changing the game of parody of representation, and committed to diverse & underrepresented artists in front and behind the camera – that’s really the dream and my proudest moment to date. And such an exciting time for me in my career to be working both on the producing side and acting side of this film as “Xan,” our protagonist- who must come to terms with her faults and impending divorce, with the goal of becoming through this hardship a better version of herself. She’s able to do this with her friends by her side and lots of laughs & debauchery! Sometimes laughter is the best medicine…I know that’s true for my own personal life.
How do you define success?
This is a great question, especially in an industry like entertainment, where there are so many highs and lows, and peaks and valleys.
I think success is very much personal to each and every person and their individual goals, but I think I define success by putting into reality something that seemed unreachable and reaching an extremely high percentage of your potential in being the best version of yourself. And, I don’t say our absolute highest potential, because we can’t be perfect all the time, right? So, let’s say if I’m able to achieve between 87% -92%ish of my potential on a given day, I’d consider that success!
Going back to accomplishing what seems impossible – every film or television project that I work on was at one point just a seedling of an idea in a writer’s mind- and to put something that intangible into fruition and existence as an art form is such an incredible and fulfilling feat! I think also making sure your work aligns with why you’re interrupting the silence of the universe and what you’re contributing to the world is extremely important as well. There’s a million things you could say or create, so why this one? And I try to lead with that question in all my goals and projects going forward. I want to increase visibility for underrepresented artists and turn well-known concepts and social norms on their heads in the same vein as comedy cult classic female-driven films like “Bridesmaids” and “Trainwreck” have. I want to continue the exploration of comedy & complex stories within underrepresented communities in leading roles and characters. And so I think success is getting the opportunity to do what you love while also being a part of making change you believe in, and also having the ability to balance those professional goals with friends, family, and quality time- that’s success. And that’s what I strive for everyday!
Thank you for taking the time to interview me!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wefunder.com/my.divorce.party.the.movie
- Instagram: @desireestaples
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/desiree.staples.7/
- Other: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm4009230?ref_=hm_prof_photo
Image Credits
My Divorce Party Poster – Chargefield Key Art (John Godfrey) + Javier Ruiz Blue Blazer/Yellow Shirt Three Pictures – Adam Hendershott Desert Photo with one shoe off/facing backwards – Javier Ruiz Orange Shirt “feed me tacos and tell my i’m pretty”/Blue Blazer – Joanna DeGeneres Pink Dress and green gate – Brian Li Dark Green Shirt/shrub in background – Brian Li It’s What She Would Have Wanted Poster – Youthana Yuos
