Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Gateley.
Emily, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started off as a dancer, and through dance I met a photographer who wanted to shoot with me. I discovered that I really loved being in front of the camera. From there, I took some modeling classes, did a few runway shows and lots of collaborative shoots. I really fell in love with the artistic process and being able to make people’s visions a reality. To make a long story short, through all of this I was essentially catapulted into the acting world and quickly discovered that this was where my passion truly lied. From the moment I performed my first ever monologue, I knew that this was all I wanted. It then became my goal to move to LA upon graduating high school. For my junior and senior years, I was signed with an agency in Seattle, WA and I did as much work as possible while finishing school. I moved here to LA two weeks after I walked across the stage at graduation, and I haven’t looked back. I signed with my manager, and an agency, and not a day goes by that I am not eternally grateful to be able to wake up to my dream city.
Has it been a smooth road?
I have the most incredible, supportive, and loving family a girl could ever hope for. I also have had incredible mentors along the way. I know I would have ended up here one way or another, but they have given me so many opportunities and made it possible for me to pursue my dreams. There have absolutely been obstacles and challenges thrown my way. Sometimes life gets messy, but I am grateful for every challenge or difficult situation I’ve found myself in because I truly think that everything in life serves as something we can grow from. I definitely get homesick. It’s both liberating and terrifying to be in a big city, a thousand miles from home, and to be on your own for the first time in life. Last spring, I lost someone incredibly important to me. My grandmother passed away, and I’d never truly lost anyone like that before. My grandma was an incredible woman. I got my love of performance from her, and not a day goes by where I don’t think of her. I miss her terribly, but I know that she’s still here with me. She has always inspired me, and I will forever be grateful for all of the beautiful memories I have of her.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am an actor. I take stories and characters and I help to bring them to life. Sometimes I laugh by thinking about the fact that its kind of like when I was a little kid, always playing pretend. Now I get paid to play pretend! In all seriousness though, I am so in love with acting. It’s a beautiful and raw process of creating art. A brilliant performance has the potential of having a lasting impact on people, or even just an individual. To be able to make someone feel something so intense, or to be able to inspire someone, or give them comfort or a sense of understanding, maybe even just make them smile – it makes my heart swell.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see the film industry only growing. Who knows what brilliance will come out of the next 5-10 years? It’s kind of impossible to predict, and I think that’s one of the best parts. Creative minds come from everywhere, they just need a chance to shine.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilygateley/
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