Today we’d like to introduce you to Jillian Reeves.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in South Carolina and majored in Theater at the University of South Carolina. I moved to Chicago after graduation to pursue my MFA and began working in the awesome Chicago theater scene for five years before I made my way to Los Angeles. I’ve lived here for more than ten years now and have been blessed to work consistently as an actress in commercials, tv & film.
I began creating my own content when I started traveling the world and exploring other cultures. I’m excited to be expanding into the film space having just written & directed my first short film under my production company Look Ma Entertainment. My film, Broken, aims to shine a light on the difficulties families have getting help for loved ones living with severe and persistent mental illness. It’s a subject that’s close to my heart and an issue that countless families deal with everyday. I’m very excited for it to hit the festival circuit this year!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into your story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As the great poet Langston Hughes wrote, ‘Life for Me Ain’t Been No Crystal Stair’ lol! You’ll never hear me say chasing your dreams is easy…but it’s worth it. Life is full of challenges and I have definitely had my share but I truly believe life is how you respond to them. Generally, I’m so focused on looking forward I rarely think back and consider the struggles.
I grew up in a rural part of the south and am from very, very humble beginnings. In layman’s terms, we was po’. Lol! I’m from a HUGE family which is beautiful but with so many loved ones, you learn very early that loss is a part of life. When you lose people very close to you, as I have, it’s not easy but it does make you appreciate the people you love that much more.
In high school, I became a mother of twins. Yep, Twins! When I think back on those days I’d say struggle is putting it mildly. My college and grad school years were definitely not typical but I managed to juggle school, work, motherhood and still chase my dreams. Which now looking back, as admittedly I rarely do, is pretty awesome. Hollywood has its own set of obstacles to overcome but if you can raise twins, you can pretty much do anything, lol.
The challenge that inspired my latest film was centered around mental health. When a member of my family was suddenly diagnosed with a severe mental illness I entered a world with a set of challenges I never new existed. After taking classes and volunteering at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) I heard essentially the same stories and challenges play out time and time again. Stigma, ignorance (my own and others), medication compliance, outdated laws, absurd barriers to treating the most vulnerable among us and countless other issues spurred me to write my short film Broken. It is a homage to the families that are suffering because of loved ones falling through the cracks of our broken system. It has been a labor of love that was self-funded and subsidized by crowdfunding through Indiegogo. To say creating this piece was challenging would be an understatement. It has been SO much more work than I imagined but it’s worth every minute. To learn more or to help support the film visit our website Broken.Movie.
Please tell us about Look Ma Entertainment.
I originally started my company to support my acting and travel vlogging goals but it is growing into so much more. As a mental health advocate I love having the opportunity to use film to advocate for causes that deserve our attention. In addition to an extensive festival circuit run, my goal is to organize screenings around the country (especially in minority and religious communities) to raise awareness, educate and de-stigmatized the notion of mental health treatment. We are actively seeking partnerships and sponsorships to help bring this goal to fruition. Advocacy through entertainment is the goal for my company and upcoming projects.
When not in production on travel or film shoots, I coach and consult with other actors, artists and content creators to help push their projects to the next level. Whether that is forming a strategy to turn an idea into reality, taking an existing project to the next level, fine tuning an audition, or just getting them ‘unstuck’ and out of their own way. I love helping people go after and achieve their dreams.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I was out playing with my friends one day when another kid approached us very rapidly on his bike. He yelled, “Move out of the way!” Everyone scattered to let him pass through. Some of my friends ran to the left, some ran to the right and they were all yelling at me to join them. I stood in the middle trying to figure out which side I should run to …if I go to the right will it seem like I’m following this person …if I go the left will the people on the right be mad at me?? About six seconds into making my decision, I got run over by that bike. True story. They say that actions have consequences but I can confirm – inaction has consequences as well, lol!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jillianreeves.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theonlyjillian & https://www.instagram.com/themoviebroken/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsthemoviebroken
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jillianreeves & https://twitter.com/the_moviebroken
- Other: https://broken.movie
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