Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne Marie Scheffler.
Hi Anne Marie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
When I was four years old, I had an aunt ask me: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” And I was confused. “You can choose?” “Yes,” she told me. “You get to choose!” What a gift that aunt gave me, so I went straight to my true heart’s desire: “I want to be a MOVIE STAR!” “No!” She told me, “I meant: teacher, nurse, secretary, or stay at home mother.” So, that was the hurdle to overcome. And some would say the second gift my aunt gave me: “Take the bounce,” as my spiritual teachings guide me to clear that shit up.
So, with that as my young foundation, let me briefly explain me. Born in Toronto, Canada to Polish immigrant parents, who then moved us to rural Ontario, the likelihood of me living in LA, being a movie star was a bit far. Nevertheless, it was the only thing in my head, so I came up through elementary school and high school being in all the plays, writing plays too, and being the valedictorian and the high school president. And a cheerleader and in all the plays. Oh, I already said that.
I got a Bachelor of Arts from University of Toronto, mostly to get to live in Toronto so I could audition, and not live on a dirt road in rural Ontario anymore. And then I went to George Brown theatre school. I was booking film and TV gigs while still in theatre school, and basically starting to be a professional union actor. Film, TV, voice, and stage. But they told me in theatre school that I had a rare gift. I was funny.
So, after doing all the levels at Second City Toronto conservatory, I was hired to perform in the Touring Company and understudy mainstage. At the same time I was doing film, TV, lots of TV commercials, writing my own shows, studying Pochinko clowning, Le Coq clowning (just like Sasha Baron Cohen), performing in dinner theatre and hitting the ceiling that is a Canadian acting career.
My agent at the time told me: “time to get your greencard.” Which I got immediately as an alien of extraordinary ability. An actress with big TV commercial campaigns, and solo comedy shows that sold out across the fringe festival circuit in my native Canada. And of course, with my bags packed for LA, that’s when CTV (the big Canadian network) gave me a one hour television special (that still plays) and was courting me to have my own TV show based on that comedy special. That’s exactly when I got pregnant. So, I pumped the brakes and told my new husband we could move to LA when the baby was a bit older, and more importantly, when his first child was old enough to travel back and forth to LA on a plane alone.
We had a second child and I wrote another one woman show called Suddenly Mommy. And there was, just like before, lots of attention from film and TV executives in Canada to make it into a TV series. But I wanted the bigger market: Hollywood. Afterall, my 4 year old me knew I came down here to planet Earth to be a movie star. And Canada doesn’t do movie stars. Unless they go to LA.
So, I told my husband, “it’s time for the big LA move.” That’s exactly when he asked for a divorce. I guess not everyone wants to move to LA, apparently. Truly, I think a lot of that change of heart for him had to do with him having his first child in Canada and not being able to wrap his mind around being so far away. We’d move with our two children, but his first child would be living in Canada with his first wife.
This meant I was going to LA on my own and making the boys two homes: Mom’s house LA, Mom’s house Toronto. But every lemon makes lemon drop martinis so I wrote MILF Life Crisis. And this became the show that triggered all the excitement. I began selling out this show and now have two sequels: MILF And Cookies and Whole MILF. I have the TV properties being looked at and the movie properties in development. Not to mention the comedy albums, comedy specials and web content. I am also releasing The Book Of MILFs this year.
I sell out MILF Life Crisis in 500 seat theatres, and also play it in smaller comedy clubs, and I plan to have the comedy special out by Mother’s Day 2025. I guess I accidentally created a career about all the stages of a woman’s life. My first comedy special Not Getting It is about not getting married, not getting laid, and not getting how you can have it all. Then Suddenly Mommy is about motherhood, being a stepmom and a wife. The domestication of the independent woman is not easy. And with MILF Life Crisis, and my subsequent MILF shows, it’s a celebration of a woman who is mature and whole and complete, and finally free to be herself. I rename and reclaim the term MILF to mean a mother who is incredible, lovely and fantastic. The M can stand for Me. It doesn’t have to stand for mother. If you are a woman who is nurturing, you’re a MILF.
So, yes, my 4 year old self knew I was destined to be a movie star. But then life happens. So it’s taken me a bit longer to get to my career goals than I thought, but I am well on my way. Even arrived, some would say. And I keep exploring what I am going through in life. My comedy comes from mirroring back to society what we are going through in an authentic way. Like who knew the world would be so surprised that a woman can finally be herself at my age, which is whatever, but if we have learned anything from Jane Fonda, it’s that you can work forever. And besides, MILFs age at half speed. Our 50 is really our 25. So I plan to live to 207 and look 103 and a half years old.
Women and men both are equally as powerful and fabulous. Women are the miracle makers. We make babies, we nurture, we default to love. Men do too, and we are all in it together, equally. Let’s balance this male female thing out already. I’m glad it’s taken me the long road to be a movie star, because now I can do the best authentic comedy possible.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Women in comedy is, surprisingly, not a given. I remember being told by many men in hiring positions that women aren’t funny. Because men want to see a woman being beautiful, not being funny. So, with a big dream in my heart, and a big comedic talent, I needed to find my place in a man’s world.
This meant I had to be attractive, skinny, sexy, f@#%able. But not get f@#%ed. What a ridiculous situation. So, I made fun of it. See my comedy special. It’s truly about me shining the light on the sexual advances of male producers while I was working as an actress, and being so naive and small town that I figured it was just that guy’s way of telling me he loved me and wanted to marry me. https://youtu.be/6CzcOIZWZ80?si=qn9USKOcN2pyxHAB
Just living what every woman in the entertainment industry is living. But thankfully, it’s changing.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
A dear friend recently said to me: “Anne Marie, in your own comic way, you’re an organizer of women. You’ve taken a social observation of divorced women and ran with it.” So that’s in reference to the MILF brand, I’ve created.
To go back, I am an actor who writes. I take my lived experience and turn it into comedy. I’ve done it since I began my career. I exaggerate my life and make it funny, vulnerable, authentic, honest and empowering. My character is comedy- she always ends up winning, in a pollyanna kind of way. Maybe not the big prize, but it’s always a empowering, aspirational ending.
I’m known for positive messages, good comedy, empowering myself and therefore all women.
I’m proud that I have taken comedy to the highest level- I punch up. I’m proud that I can take something like divorce and make it an opportunity to celebrate this “gift”. I am very proud of taking the MILF term and renaming and reclaiming it to mean Mothers who are incredible, Lovely and Fantastic.
I believe what sets me apart is this unique comedic take where I make fun of the situation in an innocent kind of way. To quote The Mercury News: “A perky blond, she pokes fun at her own cheerleader image and bubble-brained logic with pinpoint precision- so much that it takes a long time to realize the intelligence under her Barbie-doll exterior. She’s like a young Betty White- another actress who’s a lot smarter than the characters she plays. If I had time I’d see her show again.”
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I’m truly spiritual. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a nun. My father said no, so I kinda let that go, but I have always sought the highest spiritual truth of my life. I am a dedicated yogi (hot yoga forever), I chant nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and I listen to channels like Abraham Hicks, The Council and my most favourite: Lori And The Light. Also, I am a single Mom who has raised two boys. Still raising…
Contact Info:
- Website: https://annemariescheffler.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annemariescheffler
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annemariescheffler/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/AnneMarieScheffler
- Other: https://milflifecrisis.com/
Image Credits
photo credits: Tim Leyes except MILF And Cookies photo credit my iphone on a stand
