Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Gallagher.
Mary, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was in doing improv comedy at Chicago’s Second City and after graduation, my best friend (writer Michael Markowitz) got a job out here writing for television. A few months later I moved myself, my cat Gus-Gus, and my Beatles collection out to Toluca Lake. Three days later the Northridge earthquake hit. Welcome to L.A.!
I was always seeking out an agent and/or manager, but it was usually never because of an agent or manager that I started to get auditions. It was always because of someone I connected with on a personal basis. I was dog-sitting for a producer on Friends for over a year before I asked if I could send him my headshot. About a week later, I was called in for an audition. I booked the part and remember being on set and the producer saying, “I have to admit, I had no idea if you could act. I just knew you took really good care of my dog.”
I kept auditioning and doing stand-up. I did stand-up for ten years and was hosting three nights a week at The Improv on Melrose. I worked with Bob Saget, Brian Regan, Sarah Silverman, Maria Bamford, Jim Gaffigan. One night Jerry Seinfeld walked in and I got to bring him up onstage. Oh my God, I couldn’t believe it. I was studying comedy by how Jerry did things. His work ethic inspired me and I knew I was committed to being in comedy for the long haul. I had just read that he and Larry Miller would run the track doing their sets at Fairfax High School the night before their first appearance on late night TV. I wanted to get on late night TV and run the track just like they did.
I kept working and at one point my acting career really took off. I booked a two-year campaign for Lean Cuisine, a feature film with Jodie Foster and a TV series all in the same week. I thought, boy, this is how it works when it rains it pours. I had just gotten married and then I booked a lead in an NBC series with Rob Reiner. I got to spend a couple of weeks asking him about my favorite movie When Harry Met Sally. At one point, during one of our rehearsals, we were all having so much fun that I fell to the ground rolling back and forth.
The NBC pilot never made it to air and then I had my daughter. I was in love with being a mom. Acting and comedy were not going anywhere and I knew my daughter was my focus. I kept auditioning but I wasn’t booking anything, but I didn’t care. It just meant more time with my daughter. I took ten years off without stepping on a stage to do stand-up.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
A couple of years ago my marriage broke up and since I had taken time off to be a stay-at-home mom, I knew I would have to reinvent myself to renter the workforce.
So I started doing stand-up comedy again. I worked harder this time and really focused on preparing a six-minute set for late-night TV.
My goal was to be on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. I had been at The Second City in Chicago as a student when he was there, and I have always loved him. I was temping, doing stand-up at night, figuring out how to pay my bills, divorcing, writing scripts, going to my auditions., but I remained focused on the goal of getting on Colbert.
In December of 2017, I posted on social media I’d get on late night TV within the next year doing my stand-up. So ballsy! I had never done something like that, it seemed boastful and easy to be mocked if I never achieved it. One month later, I got booked on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. I took my daughter out to New York to watch me film my set live. And right before I left, I ran my set while running the track at Fairfax High School.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am an actor (marygallagher.tv) comedian, writer, and cartoonist. I also write and illustrate children’s books and teach confidence to kids through cartooning (myfriendmary.com).
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Keep getting up after you fall down
Contact Info:
- Website: marygallagher.tv
- Instagram: @myfriendmary
- Twitter: @myfriendmary
- Other: myfriendmary.com
Image Credit:
Scott Kowalchyk, Sascha Knopf
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