From rural girl to Hollywood star

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Published on Thursday, August 4, 2016

Submitted photo. Tammy Gillis, a Manitoban actor who grew up in McCreary and star of the upcoming film Menorca.

By Tony Eu

Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press

What do the small rural town of McCreary and Hollywood have in common? Tammy Gillis. The Dauphin born, McCreary raised actress has acted in many different short films, TV series and feature length films. She’s most well known for her roles as Kelly in the TV series Supernatural (2011), Claudia Powell in the TV series Motive (2013), her lead role as Jenna Scott in Unleashing Mr. Darcy (2016) and now as the lead role in the upcoming film Menorca. 

Gillis grew up right here in Manitoba, in the rural community of McCreary. Now, she spends her time in the North American film centers of Vancouver and LA. Years since she moved away from rural life, Gillis says that the biggest thing about visiting home is how quiet it is and that “things are slower in a small town.”

“I was really fascinated with the travelling theatre show from Manitoba Theatre Centre that came to my hometown every year,” Gillis said. “My friends and I would line up for hours to be able to sit in the front row and watch.” Her fascination with acting led to involvement when a new teacher by the name of Darlene Grimstead arrived in McCreary and started up a drama club. “I jumped at the chance to be a part of it and performed in the productions each year in high school,” Gillis said. Continuing, she commented, “At that time, I never considered being a professional actor. I didn’t know it was possible.”

At the point in time when Gillis was attending school there, McCreary didn’t have a drama course, only the drama club started and ran by Mrs. Grimstead. Each year, she would pick a play and then cast for it. Although Gillis can’t remember the name of the play, her first role was as Grandpa. In her grade 12 year, she played the role of Hotlips Houlihan in M.A.S.H.

“I had just come out of a serious relationship and where I thought my life was heading suddenly changed.  For the first time, I took the time to think about what I really wanted and what I wanted to pursue,” Gillis said about how she started getting into professional acting. “Up to that point, it had been more of a hobby. That was when I decided to give acting a real shot,” she continued. At that point in her life, Gillis was a restaurant manager in Clear Lake and she started using her one-day a week off to drive into Winnipeg to take acting classes. “After the season was over, I moved to Winnipeg and continued to take classes and really focus on moving my acting career forward,” Gillis said.

Though she started in theatre acting, Gillis’ real successes have been in the film/TV industry. When asked about the difference between acting for theatre and acting for the screen, Gillis said, “To me, the difference is that acting for film/TV is more intimate.  It’s smaller, more contained, you don’t show as much.  Trust that if you think it, the camera will catch it. The more acting I’ve done, the more I’ve learned to trust that.” She continued, adding, “I love the fast pace of film and TV.  You have to be on your game.”

Although lots of people see coming from a rural background to be a handicap, in Gillis’ case, she sees it as an advantage. “A huge benefit coming from my rural background was the work ethic my parents instilled in me,” Gillis explained, “My dad had a full-time job and was also a farmer. My mom had a full-time job and was raising three kids. Things don’t happen on their own, you have to work for it and I believed that if I put in the work, it would happen.”

When asked about any challenges she might have faced because of her rural background, she responded with, “I’ve never really thought about things in that way. I am who I am and that is what I’ve got to work with.” 

Continuing, she said, “If I do the work, am creative and make smart choices, I have just as good a chance as anyone else.” 

As for the challenges of acting in general, she said that the biggest one is managing your thoughts, being able to “believe so strongly in yourself and your creativity and to keep moving forward, no matter what.” To further answer the question, she shared one of her favourite quotes. Often attributed to David Ackert, a contributor to the LA Times, the quote reads:

“Actors are some of the most driven, courageous people on the face of the earth. They deal with more day-to-day rejection in one year than most people do in a lifetime. Every day, they face the financial challenge of living a freelance lifestyle, the disrespect of people who think they should get real jobs, and their own fear that they’ll never work again. Every day, they have to ignore the possibility that the vision they have dedicated their lives to is a pipe dream. With every scene, they stretch themselves, emotionally and physically, risking criticism and judgment. With every passing year, many of them watch as the other people their age achieve the predictable milestones of normal life - the car, the family, the house, the nest egg. Why? Because actors are willing to give their entire lives to a moment - or that interpretation that will stir the audience’s soul. Actors are beings who have tasted life’s nectar in that crystal moment when they poured out their creative spirit and touched another’s heart. In that instant, they were as close to magic, God, and perfection as anyone could ever be. And in their own hearts, they know that to dedicate oneself to that moment is worth a thousand lifetimes.”

For anyone looking to get into the professional side of acting, Gillis has this advice, “This is a profession. You must treat it like one. Educate yourself – take classes, read plays, read scripts, read books on the industry, read articles online. Act. Practice on-camera and off-camera. Work on your voice. Keep your mind and body positive and healthy. Create. Don’t let rejection get you down. Be hungry. Work hard. And don’t forget to take time to enjoy life!”

As a closing remark, Gillis said, “Thank [you to] everyone in Manitoba for their continued support. It’s really incredible and I am very grateful for it.” 

Menorca, a Farpoint Films feature film, was shot in Manitoba and Spain last year and will be playing in film festivals and theatres later this year. For more information, check out her fan page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/TammyGillisOfficial), her website (www.TammyGillis.com), or her Twitter (@RealTammyGillis).