Today we’d like to introduce you to JoAnne McGrath.
JoAnne, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was a creative child. I always painted and made things. I would write little stories and make random costumes (One time, I made a robot costume out of two paper grocery bags). I was a huge fan of cartoons. I really wanted to be an animator. I also remember seeing a show on TV called “That’s Entertainment”. It showed a clip of Gene Kelly in “Singin’ in the Rain”. I was hooked. I loved the movies. I wanted to do that. I never felt like I could tell anyone though. I didn’t grow up around the industry. So it seemed like a far off dream. I had my painting. That was how I would show my creativity.
In my late 20’s, I was living in Nashville, TN, where a lot of musicians were fighting tooth and nail to follow their dreams. I found this very inspiring. It brought up all the desire to try acting. Nashville was a great place for musicians, but there weren’t busloads of actors arriving every day. The internet was barely a thing yet. So there were no YouTube, “how-to” videos for me to learn how to get my acting career off the ground. So in 1998, I decided to bite the bullet and move to Los Angeles.
Has it been a smooth road?
Upon announcing my acting pursuit to a friend as I was leaving Nashville, she jokingly said, “Have fun waiting tables.” This felt like a cruel way to say, “Not only do I not believe you’ve got what it takes, I’m also projecting financial hardship onto you.” Whether she meant that or not, it hurt. So at 28 years old, I arrived in Hollywood with a plan to become an actor and to never wait on a single table. By the time I was 31, I realized waiting tables is an incredibly flexible job for actors. But it was hard to shake the feeling of failure when I hadn’t yet achieved acting success.
Another challenge was when those around me who only saw the odds against me and not the possibilities before me. I can’t tell you how many times people told me the unlikelihood of my succeeding. The thing is, as an actor, you know the odds are against you getting the part. That;’s just how odds work. It is a business with a lot of rejection. So you have to work every day to keep your self-confidence strong. If those closest to you are tearing you down, this job becomes even harder.
I decided to go back to school to learn about film making and get my bachelor’s degree. I started working at a production company where they constantly told me to drop out because I would get nothing out of higher education. However, they weren’t paying me enough to warrant quitting school. I briefly had a mural painting business (yes, I was still painting). It felt like financial freedom was finally happening. Once I graduated this would free up my schedule for auditions and making my own movies.
A recession hit. The mural business flat out disappeared. I had a mountain of student debt. I needed a job. I begrudgingly went back to waiting tables. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree. I was making minimum wage plus tips. I had been in Los Angles for ten years and hadn’t even gotten my SAG card yet. That’s the actor’s union card. It’s a requirement to work on any of the network shows or big Hollywood film productions. Having one meant you were finally being taken seriously. I kept hearing that girl’s words in my head, “Have fun waiting tables.”
I pressed on. I had no choice. A friend needed some background actor’s for a pilot she was shooting. Always willing to help out other creatives, I agreed. She wanted to confirm I was SAG. Heavy sigh. I was not. She said, well come to the shoot anyway. I thought, “Yeah, I’m just in the background. No one will notice.” A few weeks later during post-production. They called me up to get all my information so they could “Taft Hartley” me. Basically, that meant they got me my union card. I was finally SAG!
My world didn’t turn on a dime that day. I had to hustle like crazy for money and I had to squeeze in auditions and shoots wherever I could, oftentimes at the detriment to my sleep. Luckily by now, the internet had flourished and submitting to casting calls went from sitting on my apartment floor with hundreds of headshots, envelopes and a Backstage West newspaper to submitting electronic photos online. The system had gotten easier, but the odds were still steep. The thing is, I decided a long time ago, even if the odds are one in a million, I’m one… I’m one.
A few years ago, I was feeling miserable and unfulfilled at my day job working in a corporate gym. I had been through the ringer with a horrible boss. I woke up one morning, not knowing what I was going to do that day. As it turns out, that would be the day I would quit my job. I didn’t have another job lined up. I had no savings to live on. I just did it. I knew I wanted to act for a living and now I had to.
It’s still a challenge and I still have to hustle for money, but now I unabashedly get to do what I love. I get to act. I’ve had the opportunity to work on some great projects like the feature film, “The Cleaning Lady”, directed by Jon Knautz and the pilot episode of the TV series “Caretakers” written by my good friend, Andrew Scully. I’ve written, produced several shorts of my own including “Scar Tissue,” which I wrote and directed and “Past Tense” in which I acted as well as writing and directing it. Both films have been honored with award nominations at various film festivals. l won best actress in two of them.
Currently, I host my own show on YouTube called “Call Me a Cab”. It’s a show about tasting wine without intimidation. I have on guests that I have met throughout my acting career; some from in front of the camera, some from behind. Oh and I even animate on the show. So that’s a checkmark for the childhood bucket list. I have such a good time making the show that it feels almost effortless. I think that’s why it’s getting some attention from wineries that want to be featured as well as industry execs that are taking an interest.
It’s been a long and challenging road but when I turn around and look at it, I’ve actually been following my dreams the whole time. And that feels pretty great. I’ll continue to do whatever it takes to keep pursuing this acting thing. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had in my life. I’ve even played a server a couple of times on TV. So as it turns out, I did have fun waiting tables after all.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://joannemcgrath.com/
- Email: joanneacting@gmail.com
- Instagram: joannemcgrath99
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUOpsT5qpWup_aScJxWnMlw
Image Credit:
Kat Touhy (headshot)
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