Today we’d like to introduce you to Sadie Katz.
Hi Sadie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was raised in Orange County, CA. I fell in love with the stage during a talent show in kindergarten. I would write scripts on my mother’s old green typewriter missing an “E”. I performed in community theater and school plays. As a teenager, I became a Jehovah’s Witness. By nineteen, I was married. A few years later my son, Griffin was born. One of the most empowering experiences was nursing my son at three months while doing the tech for a show I directed “Cold/Tender” which went on to win OC Weekly’s Play of the year beating out South Coast Rep and other prestigious theaters. Soon after, I decided to leave my religion and get divorced. I left all my friends and family at twenty-three. I was now a single parent to a nine months old son, Griffin. I continue directing and writing for my local community theaters and multiple junior college theatre departments. I also acted in several productions and decided to fulfill my dream of moving to Los Angeles and pursue acting.
After moving to Los Angeles with my son, I sat in my empty living room and sobbed out of gratitude and happiness. Not knowing anyone in the industry – I went the tradition route doing extra work. I would always drive home with a lump in my throat wanting so badly to actually get to be part of a cast of a film. I continued studying at The Victory Theatre Meisner, I also was learning The Eric Morris method through Mark Majarian. I realized I needed a reel and started submitting being cast in student films. I was super grateful to work with the hardworking students at UCLA, USC, Los Angeles Film School, etc. After working for copy, meals and credit and completing my reel, I knew it was time to put myself out there. In the meantime, something quite amazing happened. I met the prolific producer Glen A. Larsen. I was his assistant at a convention in London. I’ve never met a funnier, more eccentric human being ever. On a train to go to Paris he asked me to read a script. I did and gave him several notes. Glen said no one ever gave him anything but positive feedback- with my husky voice and feisty attitude he thought I was a modern day Carole Lombard. He asked me to continue working as his personal assistant in Los Angeles. I accepted happily. I read his scripts, gave him notes, went to meetings listening to David Hasslehoff, Brian Singer, Lee Majors and so many other talented successful individuals. I pitched a tv show to Glen and to my surprise, he loved it! We worked on a treatment and bible for the series.
On my 25 birthday, I was alongside Glen pitching to the heads of ABC, NBC. It ultimately didn’t get picked up but I realized I wanted to continue writing for TV and Screen. I met Mark Jones the showrunner of the A-Team and writer of multiple 80’s shows. He also created the wildly successful, silly franchise Leprechaun. We wrote a true crime script together and then wrote a thriller Scorned that Anchor Bay picked up and starred Anna Lynn McCord and Billy Zane. My acting career wasn’t taking off- the tears I cried, the countless hours and hours of driving through Los Angeles oftentimes having to bring my son who was under five to auditions and callbacks. I laid in bed thinking if I just got cast in one indie film, I would never want anything more. After ten years of pounding the pavement at the age of thirty- I was cast as the lead in a rom-com about a man dating in Los Angeles Nipples & Palmtrees. It’s ending up having a limited theatrical run. The after party of the premiere was shared with another female lead in a different film from our same production company, Darryl Hannah. That moment of seeing myself on a big screen in an actual movie theatre was surreal and wonderful. Thereafter I was cast in Chavez Cage of Glory alongside Steven Bauer, Danny Trejo and Robert Miano. The film was in over 500 theaters and had a huge marketing campaign with 100 billboards, buses and even commercials. Driving my son to junior high, we’d pass five billboards. He was always so supportive of me and it was exciting for him to see that things were happening.
My first experience in horror was House of Bad with director Jim Towns which went on to win awards. More importantly, it was my introduction to the wonderfully supportive horror community. I also think that doing horror was exactly what studying acting and making choices is about – every choice in a scene should be a matter of life or death! Then something really amazing happened that I’ll forever be grateful for, I was cast as the lead antagonist in the horror franchise Wrong Turn 6. I got to shoot in Bulgaria and play a really complex outrageous character. Which led me to other horror films filming in several other countries Germany, Italy, Paris, London as well as other states in the U.S. Immediately after filming WT6 – I decided to direct a documentary The Bill Murray Experience which was a lot of fun and stress as a first-time filmmaker. BME went on to win at festivals including The American Documentary Film Festival in Palm Springs. I hustled promoting the doc which I was beyond grateful to have an award named in my honor, The Spirit of Sadie Katz Hustle award as well as getting distribution by Gravitas Ventures. I also wrote another screenplay that I also starred in called “Clown Fear” which was distributed by Sony. I’ve continued working on indie and horror films.
Currently, I’m looking forward to working again with director Thomas Churchill as well as Producer/Writer Binh Dang in charge of the Lionsgate Video acquisitions. I’m also very excited and right in the middle of pre-production on a script I wrote with Anthony Leone (Hacksaw). I’m also launching the news and pop culture podcast Partial Nudity Podcast with co-host Lacretia Lyons.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Tom Cruise once said that making a film was like going to war. Ron Howard has said that each film will break your heart on a certain level. Maybe it’s a slight exaggeration… But even being in indie/genre films, writing, producing and directing. I can relate. It’s an uphill battle with a lot of fun times as well as times where everyone is figuring out to “save the film”. Rejection and uncertainty in the business paired with having to make a living wage and be creative can at times be overwhelming. You also really have to self-motivate constantly and spend a lot of your own money…on headshots, publicity, red carpets, websites, etc… You are your own small business a lot of actors don’t realize it but you will! It’s tough and it’s constantly the idea that you can not give up even when you really want to.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
In anything creative what sets you apart most is bringing your most vulnerable self to your performances. There’s only one of you, I’m not always confident but I try to bring the rawest version of each character no matter the budget or part, I try to always give 150 percent.
How do you think about happiness?
Besides career stuff. Raising my son. Who is nineteen now and living in Hollywood on his own and is a contemporary artist. Her was my greatest joy and I’ll always think of myself as a mom above all. He’s also the most unique soul I know. My fiancé Myles Reiff who’s also in entertainment – and our two cats Audrey Hepburn and Delilah. I love snuggling by the fire with a glass of wine thinking how grateful I am to have so much love around me. I also really love cooking because I get to lose myself and shut off my brain. I also love to eat my creations! COVID has left us mostly homebound but going to drive-in theaters has been a nice surprise. I love traveling so much. I love being in countries where English isn’t the first language but yet making friends who barely speak my language but I’ll forever have them in heart.
Contact Info:
- Website: sadiekatz.me
- Instagram: instagram.com/sadiekatz
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/sadiekatz
- Other: www.instagram.com/partialnuditypodcast, www.imdb.me.com/Sadiekatz
Image Credits
For the image of me laying on the bed (Image one) HMU: Beauty by Autumn Skibinski and Photography by: Mackenzie Lenora The rest have been cleared for use promotional images.
