Maddy Curley is absolutely fascinating to me. As an actress, writer, and producer -- she has continued to get back up with tenacity in a world of constant rejection. There’s something admirable to that and definitely something to learn from her insights. Maddy competed as a Level 10 gymnast for about 6 years before her coach allowed her to compete at the Elite (highest) level. She ended up winning Elite Nationals that year. You may know her from the gymnastics film called Stick It. Today we chat about what it took to write and star in her new movie on Netflix called Chalk It Up.

 

Some things that blew my mind:

• There’s 7,000 people that are trying to get agents to get in the game for a certain role. Out of that, there’s 1,000 submissions for the role. Out of that there’s 250 people who get to try out. And one person walks away with the privilege to give people that release from the real world.
• “Stick It” was shot in 51 days with a budget of $28 million. “Chalk It Up” was shot in 12 days with a budget of $150k!
• Maddy is an advocate for change when it comes to body image in Hollywood. In our world, we embrace the “functional aesthetic”. That’s not so much the case in Hollywood. Her insights on how she deals with this constant battle were really enlightening.

 

Show Notes:

• (4:00) - “To give people that release from the real world is one of the coolest experience you can have.”
• (7:22) - Element of luck vs Something you can work at
• (11:00) - Dealing with constant rejection
• (16:00) - Shooting a movie in 12 days with a budget of $150k
• (16:48) - 26 drafts to Netflix: The “why” behind Chalk It Up
• (19:20) - Lessons from writing over the years
• (20:40) - Process behind joke writing
• (24:48) - Personal themes and experiences in fiction writing
• (28:15) - Interning with Oscar winner Bobby Moresco
• (30:20) - Becoming your character
• (36:34) - “Talent, desire, and a never give up attitude”
• (37:20) - 3 things you think about more than the average person
• (38:00) - Dealing with body image as a CrossFitter in Hollywood
• (42:11) - Going through 12 jobs in service of your passion
• (46:50) - Using movies and tv shows as a vehicle for change
• (51:26) - Racism

Resources we may have talked about:

• Maddy Curley IMDB
• La La Land
• Full Out gymnastics movie
• Nobody Wants To Read Your Sh*t
• Brene Brown Interview
• Bobby Moresco
• Redeeming Love
• The Purpose Driven Life
• The Alchemist

 

How you can connect with and support Maddy:

• Leave a 5 Star Review on Netflix for Chalk It Up
• Chalk It Up on iTunes
• Instagram: @maddycurley

 

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