Writing started when I was little. I just wrote what was on my mind and that gave any little daily stress a way to the exit door. But once I became an adult, I didn't realize I was interested in screenwriting until I became more involved in film. But let's back up a bit....
In all of my childhood years, I have moved around the East Coast between both my Brit born parents. I managed to do well in school despite moving from one school to the next every year. Life was good, especially with a nice warm cup of English tea in my hands no matter where I was. I learned to not get attached to friends because they were temporary. My high school years were my darkest moments despite English tea and despite everything else being good. Living in a town that didn't get me and I hated being in. Now the thought of living in a country town scares me. The only obvious person in the whole town that was going somewhere in life without a doubt was a kid one grade higher than me. His name was JJ Redick. Yes, the Pro Basketball player. I remember sitting in someone's living room planning my escape from what I called "The Middle of Nowhere." E News came on the TV and it really did feel like I was back in time somewhere in the 1970's and the only thing that brought me back to civilization was E News. Watching what was happening in Hollywood and the movie business brought some light in my eyes and I just sat there and transported myself. Until someone said in a thick country accent with tobacco stuck in the side of his cheek "You look like you belong there. Not here." then he said "Do you want to be there?" I could barely decide how I wanted to come across and I just said with conviction "Yes!" But at the same time, it felt like it was light years away. For some reason, Hollywood felt like it was the land of dreams to me.
Seemed like forever went by before 11th grade became 12th grade then I graduated and took off. I left unscathed and even without any tattoos. Was never my style. If you are thinking if I went to LA at this time, the answer was no. I went back to where I was born which was Virginia Beach, VA then to Maryland and from there I planned on moving to LA but felt the timing was off so I decided "Ok, how about I go to Miami first for maybe a year then move to LA." One year became 7 years. I am so very thankful and blessed that I almost feel like crying thinking about how I could have very well made the wrong decision about moving to LA too soon. My family started in Miami Beach. That is when my life truly started. I met the love of my life on the set of Miami Nights, which was only one year after I moved to Miami. Thank you to a girl I met as a cocktail waitress at the Biltmore Hotel. She is the one who introduced me to my future husband. We met at Pier 7 in Coconut Grove. He was filming a scene on a small yacht for the TV show that ended up airing on ABC. I worked other gigs in film including being on set for Michael Bay on Pain and Gain. Mostly, I worked on the TV show Burned Notice on a consistent basis for either a girl at the bar or just someone in the background. Then a few times on Drew Barrymore's show Charlie's Angels.
A few years later my husband and I moved to Trinidad & Tobago for one year and we worked with Mohan Jaikaran who owned the TV station WIN TV. It was such pleasure meeting him and his wife and children. He invited my husband and I to his home and we always had long chats in his office talking about all the ideas for the TV station. My husband had his own show for a while that I worked on as well. The Jeff Benjamin Show! When concepts and ideologies are looked at from a global perspective. Join us on WIN TV. You haven't seen TV until you've watched The Jeff Benjamin Show. This was one of my favorite experiences, living in Trinidad. I find out that I am pregnant and so we move back to Miami Beach. A year later, our second child came. Then after Hurricane Irma and being scared out of my mind in my condo with my little family. We could feel the winds making our building sway. Miami Beach was locked down and bridges were closed. After that scare and all is clear like nothing ever happened, I see on TV "Hollywood! Come visit us! Or move here!" Ok, it wasn't exactly that. It was a cheesy commercial about moving to Hollywood. I looked at my husband and said "We're going to Hollywood!" as if I was on a game show. We packed our stuff and decided to do what you are supposed to do which is drive across country and experience the journey. It was a beautiful two weeks. Three months after settling in, I realized I was pregnant.. again. I find a doctor and he said "yep, you are about three months pregnant." Ok, he said it more in weeks. I just can't remember the exact week. So my husband and I would joke and say he hitched a ride to go to LA with us. I'm so glad he did and he was born on the West Coast! He was a month old when I started The Los Angeles Film School. 5 years later my baby girl was born. My first boy and girl was born in Miami Beach and my last boy and girl was born in LA. Just when I doubted myself on whether I can do anything in film because I want to be a good mother too I realized there are other filmmakers who also have four kids. Look at Christopher Nolan and his wife Emma Thomas with four children too and just making it happen! Inspiring. But you know who I was first inspired by? When I was living in Miami and had my first born child, I was working as a makeup artist at SOHO Beach House at the Spa. I was hired a few times by Baz Luhrmann and his wife Catherine Martin who was around for their project with the new Hotel FAENA and of course Miami Art Basel. They were inspiring to be around and they were very kind. They were very busy but still very kind. I felt bad I had to cancel my last makeup job with them because my baby girl needed me. She cried too much for me and I just couldn't bare to leave home. Plus, she wasn't feeling well. So I called my makeup artist friend and asked if she could take my place that day. The moment you realize you would do anything for your babies and cancel anything for them.
I credit my husband for making me realize what I really wanted to do and to acknowledge my natural talent he calls it. If it isn't him who reminds me who I am, I would be lost in this world. He signed me up for film school and I never looked back. After getting my Bachelor's degree in Entertainment Business at LAFS in Hollywood, a year later I started Academy of Art University for my MFA in Screenwriting. If I'm being really honest, I cannot wait to graduate because all I want to do is create.
Was it in my destiny? I mean after all my mother always said she named me after Lauren Bacall. A few years ago, I grew fond of Janet Gaynor who was the first woman who won an Academy Award. She is someone I admire and think about when I want to stay on track with my film goals. Ironically, at the end of her life and three months later, I was born. But what is a little odd, my husband and I bought our first house in Hollywood Hills this year. My thought was to put a picture of Janet Gaynor in my foyer. Why not, I live in the Entertainment capital of the world. Anyway, after getting a packet in the mail welcoming me to the neighborhood. I read the rich history of where I live and guess who? Janet Gaynor lived in my neighborhood during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Serendipity.
One thing I have learned and to keep in mind when creating is that the company you keep can be the culprit of adversity. So only be around people who are worthwhile of your time. If you have a project, be picky. You want your work to show and reflect your best self. But you can only get better by doing.