We were lucky to catch up with Gail Everett-Smith recently and have shared our conversation below.
Gail, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
I began working as a professional actress in 1988. When I started acting professionally I found that it was almost impossible to find the training I needed to grow my career. I consulted the head of the drama department at the University of Central Florida in an effort to find legitimate training. I did not want to enter a college program but was wary of being scammed. That happens a lot in this industry where training is offered by unscrupulous people totally unequipped to coach. But in 1988 there was no internet courses or workshops available. Through the help I received from UCF I found a legitimate acting school.
My first week in school I received one class in on camera performance. Not enough to have a clue of what to do. My very first week I received an audition with Dan Akroyd for a role in the movie “My Girl”. When I walked into the room there were two cameras set up to record my audition….I had just that one class in front of a camera which only used one camera. I was at a complete loss what to do. Which camera do I look into or do I look at both. I was completely clueless. After that first audition things moved rather quickly towards a career I wasn’t prepared for. I tried private coaches, workshops when I could find it. The television and film industry was new in Orlando but I eventually connected with the local acting community and struggled for a few years finding training where I could.. Professional training is available everywhere now. If training were readily available in 1988 I believe that my career would have grown much more quickly. I rea;ize the value in training and i am now a Certified Acting Coach with private students. Acting technique is essential to growing a lasting career but it is equally important to learn the business side of the industry. Finding an agent or manager is not always an easy task and you must have your tools such as a professional resume, headshots and a reel of your work. Putting these tools together to present to an agent or manager for representation requires training. I still train with coaches and by attending workshops. There is so much to learn even after you land the job and are on set. There is set ettiquette, camera angles, learning the production team and the function of each of their jobs as well as learning your lines and preparing a great performance. Sometimes new actors are excited to see themselves on TV but they soon discover that it’s called show business for a reason. It is not all glamour. It requires commitment and dedication.
Gail, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
As a child my mother entered me into every dance or acting clas she could find. Performance has always been a part of my story. I sang gospel music professionally with my siblings, played clarinet in the middle/high school band and orchestra, marched as a majorette, played softball and competed in pagents and dance competitions. I was injured on the job giving a demostration in the machine shop and had a long recovery period. I began acting professionally during this time. My very first speaking role was In the Heat of The Night and America’s Most Wanted with John Walsh. I have appeared in Abbott Elementary. Sweet Magnolia, Till, Queen Sugar and more recently Dexter Resurrection just to name a few. I teach acting via Zoom and have students all over the country. I teach auditioning techniques, character analysis, script analysis, the Business of Acting and other acting techniques. I absolutely love acting and coaching aspiring actors. I dig deep into character analysis to understand their motivation for the scene. I am a demanding coach and encourage my students to explore the depths of the character to give the strongest performances. We make it fun but we really dig in! I audition typically 4-5 times a week, learning lines, developing characters, rehearsing then finally taping,, editing then submitting for the role. This is an exciting career with extremem highs, but it also comes with a certain amount of perceived rejection when you don’t land that juicy role. But it’s not actual rejection. As actors, our job is to audition. That’s it! We audition but it is not our job to choose who books the job. We may be the wrong size or height but it also may come down to other factors we have no control over. outside of our performance and the preparation we put into it. We rarely hear why we were not chosen only crickets!!!!! To continue to pursue this career we pick ourselves up and start again with the next audition. Acting is my passion and I have the same enthusiasm when coaching my students. God I love this business!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The opportunity to encourage aspiring actors gives me great pleasure. Guiding, training and mentoring provides me with the chance to give back to a community . They have given me so much. When auditions come in I will need readers to assist with the other characters in the scene. Other actors are always willing to help with the auditions without pay. I feel a part of a tight knit family of actors. We encourage and celebrate each other’s successes.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
In 2015 I developed Head & Neck Cancer and had a large portion of my tongue removed and then reconstructed. I was sure that my acting career was over. Itwas projected that I would not speak for approximately 3-4 months. When I awoke in ICU I asked if the surgery was over. The medical staff where amazed that I was speaking. But I still thought my career was over, my face was disfigured and my tongue felt too large overfilling my mouth. I had two additional surgeries to reshape the tongue because it was actually too large. At first I could not walk or do anything wihout assistance and definitely could not eat. Eventually I walked with the aid of a walker and started speaking more clearly. After 9 m0nths I had my first post surgery audition but didn’t book the role. I continued to audition and to my total surprise I began to book roles again. My career rapidly grew and my best career has been since the cancer. I am still booking acting jos, coaching and I am still cancer free today.
