Check Out Maggie Wagner’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maggie Wagner.

Hi Maggie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi ! I’m Maggie Wagner and I come from New York City .  I had the typical “upper west side ” childhood. I went to private school and summer camp so I had a bit of an edge when it came ti opportunities . I’m pretty sure that when children are exposed to the arts at an early age they just accelerate !

I have always wanted to be a performer . So the fact that I lived in Manhattan and was exposed to literally every Broadway show and musical was a huge help . I started taking baby acting classes at the YMCA when I was about 9 . after that  I was hooked ! To this day ( and now I am an acting coach too ) I tell whomever I meet to stay in class !

I attended Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs and it is there that I discovered my ” superpower”  I found out that I had a knack for comedy after starring in the college production of ” Prisoner of Second Avenue”  I literally was stunned by my own abilities   Because I had no idea at that time that what I was born with was something rather rare .   After that I went in for serious acting training at The Neighborhood Playhouse then on to HB studios where I was encouraged  to “go for it . “And I did … in 1985 I hit my first professional equity contract in The Philadelphia Company’s production of ” To Gillian on her 37 th Birthday” .

It would be many years before I moved to Hollywood . but 
In 1986   I met Sally Kirkland in New York who became my mentor ..When  Sally was cast in the film ” Anna” . I was also cast in a small role. This turned out to be my first significant” break ” It was my first “Sag” film! Everyone saw it because Sally was nominated for an Oscar !  That led to me meeting the director Daniel Adams who starred me in this first film ” A Fool and his Money”  that was also Sandra Bullocks first film ! Thanks to Daniel and Sally my life truly changed . I started to meet all the New York casting directors and before long had starring roles in various low budget films.  in 1989 I left for L A.

In 1990 my uncle Mark Rydell was directing a movie called “For the boys “for 20th Century Fox. He cast me in a small role and I ended up getting Two weeks of work. It was my first co-starring role in a Hollywood film. Not only was I in a big Hollywood movie but I got to work with my uncle Mark Rydell. I was in seventh heaven, not long after that I was cast on the TV series “Dream On” on hbo . Life was really going great.

Pretty soon the reality of being in Hollywood hit. And for many years there, I was struggling trying to get work so I returned to New York in the mid 90s and once again things started to change for me. I met a director named John Gallagher, who started to cast me in all of his films. He cast me in a film, called “The Deli” With many of the people that would go onto star on the Sopranos. John and I had a wonderful relationship and we worked on about nine projects together. Every time I moved to a different city things totally changed for me. I think that when things start to get stale someplace you’ve got to move that is the key to the whole business of show business.

In 2005, my brother Andrew Wagner wrote a film called the Talent given us about my family. The film went on to be a huge underground hit and even got into the Sundance film festival by 2005. I was back in LA again and many more Breaks came my way including starring in a film directed by Daniel Baldwin called “The Wisdom to know the difference. ” Although the movie never was released, it actually won many awards at film festivals, and I even ended up winning best supporting actress, so it was Another break for me thanks to Daniel!

And in the Last 20 years or so I have been acting nonstop in movies. I even managed to do about five or six horror movies in 2024 my friend Maura Campbell and I did a documentary/feature film called “Maura and Maggie get callbacks to play themselves”The movie has won many awards, including the Kaiser Permanente thrive award at Cine quest in San Jose, California

This year I I appeared in three plays in Manhattan. Most recently at the tank Theatre in “Catholic school girls.” I am also a lifetime member of the Actor Studio, which I became a member in 2004. I’ve also been an acting coach for over 30 years

I don’t know what the future will bring, but I’m very excited and I feel like the moral of the story is to never give up if you feel like you have something to offer this world . One thing that is always been true is that people have never discouraged me from being an actress. I will say that it’s not for everyone because it’s so awfully competitive, you must keep believing in yourself and that you can really give people a lot of joy and happiness, and I do ….and I have

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 has not been a smooth road whatsoever. The struggles along the way include many times and months, where I went without work and had to do whatever I could to make money. My suggestion to young people trying to break into show business is to have other things to fall back on, obviously. But keep your eye on the prize. I created several venues of work for myself, which included everything from being an assistant to a movie stars to focus groups to anything I could to make money . I even did extra work for many years and I really recommend doing it if you are not working as a principal.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an actress and I’m not really sure what I am most known for. At this point, I would say I’ve been in several successful projects, including.
Working girl
For the boys
One fine day
The Talent given us
Maura and Maggie get callbacks

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Yes, I have advice for finding a mentor. Go to places where people that know more than you are like the Actor Studio volunteer your time. Work for free. I never took money for work when I was in my 20s when I was working for a movie star or somebody that could help me.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: Actressmaggiewagnerofficial
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17BTaFMKCs/
• Other: 213-324-8086