Chelsea London Lloyd of OR DIE TRYING met with the talented Sigi Gradwohl, actress and content creator, to discuss her journey in Los Angeles and her upcoming production of BAD JEWS.
Name: Sigi Gradwohl
Job Title/Company: Actress
Favorite Film: Mean Girls; and If you ask 7 year old Sigi: The Sound of Music. She couldn't watch Mean Girls.
ODT: Are you from Los Angeles originally? If not, where?
SG: I was born in Israel and lived in LA and San Diego as a kid; my family relocated to New York when I was in high school and I would now consider myself a New Yorker. Because...obviously :).
ODT: Tell us about the moment you decided to move to L.A.; what was that like?
SG: I decided to move to LA after my acting teachers from the London Dramatic Academy advised me to pursue a career in TV comedy since my voice was too raspy to endure Broadway. Low and behold, I listened, and here I am pursuing TV comedy. I knew my purpose. But I also knew my raspiness!
ODT: What made you decide to pursue a career in the film industry? How did you start?
SG: I've been acting my whole life, often at home as the baby child needing attention, and throughout high school where I worked with a fabulous director who ended up being a lifelong mentor. I feel like every part of my personality was made for a career in the industry, and as each year passes, I become more and more aware that this makes so much sense.
ODT: Any stand-out moments on your journey that you'd like to share?
SG: My most memorable role thus far has been producing and starring as Anne in The Diary of Anne Frank. Another highlight was when the writers of Girl Meets World created a role with me in mind -- the most fun thing ever is to play a role written for you! I also loved improvising on set of After Lately with Sarah Colonna, who is absolutely hilarious. Try improvising with comedians and not cracking a smile -- my cheeks literally burned! I also had the honor of co-starring in Girls Are Assholes, a hilarious web project that went viral - 1M views and counting. Very proud of that.
ODT: What is your favorite part about the film industry?
SG: The people you meet, the people you impact who impact you back. It's a cutting edge and intense business but you will not find people who have more fire, heart, and chutzpah.
ODT: Chutzpah...love that. What have been some of the more challenging moments for you as a woman in the film industry?
SG: There are too many of us competing for the same role, and too many roles written for men by men. The industry is shifting, though, and I love all the headway that strong women are making each day in the business.
What motivates you? What dreams are you fighting for?
SG: I eventually want to have my own show. If I could write and create it that would be ideal but not necessary. My biggest motivator? My true, raw, undying and unwavering love for ACTING. Literally, the craft of acting, in and of itself. This is more than enough. Through every role, I discover and shed new complex layers of myself. It's a fascinating process, to take on a new person's story and bring that to life.
ODT: Tell us about a passion project of yours/a moment when you created your own opportunity in LA.
SG: I raised money to finance my own production of The Diary of Anne Frank, as it had been a dream role for over a decade and my grandfather knew Anne personally; he was in her class. Bringing a production to life that I was historically tied to and having the opportunity to pass on her legacy -- along with the legacy of my grandparents -- was a bigger dream than I could ever have imagined and felt like my one true mission as an actress. The rest will be bonus! Well, maybe.
ODT: What's up next for you?
SG: I'm currently co-producing the production Bad Jews with my best friend Hilary Curwen. I'm thrilled to play Daphna, who is, like me, from a third-generation of Holocaust survivors. We open June 30th at Theatre of NOTE.It's my favorite play. I couldn't be more thrilled to share this story with the world!
"BAD JEWS follows Daphna Feygenbaum, the self-proclaimed most devout Jew in her family. When her less observant cousin Liam arrives to claim a treasured family heirloom, bringing along a surprisingly non-Jewish element in the form of Melody, a hilarious and devastatingly funny battle of Old Testament proportions ignites. "
