MadTV series regular, recurring on Mad Men, star of all those “epic” parody movies, Playboy model, and genuinely stellar human, Crista Flanagan is one of my very favorite creatives!
Keith and I were supporting a friend of ours at a standup comedy show at some hole-in-the-wall club. I had been an industry judge for a very fancy comedic showcase recently and as soon as Crista took the stage, Keith grabbed my hand and said, “She’s gotta do 15 Minutes of Fem!”
He was right, of course, and he charged up to her after the show to tell her as much (that he was right about this), and she followed through, did the showcase, WON the showcase, and went on to land development meetings at major networks and in huge casting offices… and the rest of her trajectory is clearly awesome. And still in progress!
Crista has been a guest of our in-person classes and online mentorships. She has also contributed brilliance to Self-Management for Actors. She’s just awesome and I’m super happy to share her with y’all!
You can check out more about Crista Flanagan at http://cristaflanagan.com.
What has inspired you most? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
This SMFA Master Class weekly call was recorded on August 26, 2012.
Just WOW. So much good stuff on content creation, BEING a creative entrepreneur, being “an option,” and “being open to what is actually happening.”
I adore Crista. So glad you do too! <3
Do something now ! Dont let fear stop you ! Great interview ! Hopefully I will work with you soon Crista ! Woohoo Excited to further my dream and willing to put the hard work into it- 3 years of auditioning was great to learn from.
Isn’t she the coolest?
oooo I so related to the not recognizing something as a job because it didn’t come through struggle and rounds and rounds of auditions. So many times i’ve got a job because of a contact, a friend, or it “fell” into my lap, and then I don;t appreciate it or see at as a “real” job because I didn’t have to “prove myself” to get it. That’s so screwed up and great to be aware of it and change that.
Also loved the concept of making the casting director look good. Totally takes the pressure off of having to “book the job”. Really inspiring.
Yes!! 🙂 So much to love about this convo. And it’s so healthy to rewire that “it’s not of value unless I struggled to get here” setting. Yay!