Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Julie Cavaliere of Very Cavaliere Productions Is Helping To Shake Up The Entertainment Industry
An Interview With Ming Zhao
I think the industry is already changing. It’s been interesting to see over the past few years. Equity and representation are certainly the biggest changes- but I feel there’s still a way to go. Especially in terms of how women are portrayed on screen. And especially if the characters aren’t white. Not to mention how there are still so few women sitting in the director’s chair or running production. The numbers are still so low. I was sitting in a meeting fairly recently where I was the only woman, and I was giving my opinion on a script, and one of the guys in the room interrupted me to compliment my shoes-I mean, they were fabulous but still..what a wild moment and a reality check.
As a part of our series about Inspirational Women In Hollywood, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Julie Cavaliere.
Julie Cavaliere is an award-winning writer, director, producer, and actor based in New York. She began her career working for the legendary Scott Rudin and quickly accelerated her experience in the industry as a producer. She worked with top executive producer Morris S. Levy’s M.E.G.A. Films on such hits as Affluenza with Nicola Peltz, Grant Gustin, Gregg Sulkin, and the award-winning Cop Show starring Colin Quinn, Jerry Seinfeld, and Amy Schumer. She recently launched her production banner — Very Cavaliere Productions, which strives to tell stories centered around the human experience from unique, often overlooked points of view. She was featured in Inc. Magazine — ‘3 Tips for How to Be Your Own Best Boss.’ Her next collaboration is with Simon TaufiQue (Ricky-World Premiering at Sundance 2023) on a narrative podcast series about economic mobility and a dark comedy about postpartum that she will write and direct. In partnership with Meta, Julie has co-created an anthology series titled Reimagined In VR, which premiered at the prestigious Venice Film Festival in 2022. [Read Guardian Article]. She is the writer and director of the premiere Volume Nyssa, which tells a story about fear conditioning, and is set to be released on Meta Quest in early 2023. She is currently in production on Volume II, and in pre-production on Volume III with a vision of continuing the series in order to explore lesser-known fables, myths, and folktales from around the world through a gender-inclusive lens. As a filmmaker, she wrote, produced, and starred in the short film Puppet Me. Austin Film Festival named Julie as one of their Screenwriters to Watch in 2022, and the film was nominated for Best Short at several festivals. The production company came about as a way for Julie to bring all of her experience and artistic sensibilities under one umbrella and to tell stories about complex, funny, out-of-the-box female-identifying characters who don’t conform to exhausting archetypes. Her goal is to be the change either by helming the creative directly or supporting other emerging creatives trying to tell their stories who have been previously overlooked. Her acting credits include Person of Interest, starring Taraji P. Henson; Blindspot starring Jaimie Alexander; Lost Girls: Angie’s Story directed by Julia Verdin. Most recently, she appeared in FBI: Most Wanted series on CBS, and she wrote and performed a sketch featured on Elizabeth Banks’ WhoHaha’s, hitting over 56,000 views on YouTube!
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up in an apartment in Queens, NY. It was a mix of urban and suburban, so it was fairly quiet, but we went outside to play with other kids in my neighborhood while the adults sat outside and played cards vs. having any kind of organized playdates. Do people still do that? I hope so. It was one of my favorite memories growing up. That and the food in Queens cannot be beaten.
My father was a profoundly creative and funny person who was always joking and making us laugh, and my mother was a lover of the arts and creativity but also had a very pragmatic side to her. She wouldn’t spend $100 on a doll house because 1) we couldn’t afford it and 2) she couldn’t imagine spending that money on plastic and cardboard. But what she did do was help me make my own. For two months, we would sew and paint and glue boxes together until we built a custom house that was better than I could’ve imagined. Those kinds of experiences got me thinking outside the box (or dollhouse) and I started seeing the potential of something vs. what it was at face value.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
My dad died suddenly when I was 15, and my mom passed away, also suddenly, about 6 years ago. When my dad died, I think I developed a sense of mortality that most of my peers didn’t have. I understood how temporary everything is, and I didn’t want to spend my life doing something I didn’t love. When my mom died, though, I idled a bit. I was tired of fighting and felt like I had nothing to say- I was exhausted. It took time, but one day I woke up and wrote for 8 hours straight. I went from having nothing to say to wanting to say everything all at once. I had let go of so much fear and weight just by sitting idle for a bit. That’s when I began to pivot and combine all of the aspects of what I do. Grief is a lifelong process and they say that it is unexpressed love so although it will always be with me, I’m grateful that I found a way to channel it.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I don’t know if it’s the funniest, but when I was a brand new intern for a famous producer. I was somehow allowed to attend a mixing session for a very high-profile project. I was tasked with getting a variety of different coffee drinks for everyone, including the A-list director whose work I adored. I tried my best, but I was so afraid of messing it up, and there are a lot of different possibilities when it comes to frappuccinos! The director came by and asked if I had a certain variety that I hadn’t accounted for. I wanted to die. I started sweating, and the producer shot me a look. The director must’ve seen my face drop because he VERY quickly pivoted, picked up a random drink, and said that it was exactly what he was looking for and how much he hated any other kind of drink besides the one he was holding. He later came up to me quietly and told me I was doing a great job. Besides making me laugh (and also sweat a little), when I look back on this story, I mostly remember this director’s kindness. He could’ve easily made a fuss and had me run back out, but he realized what the cost would be for me and decided instead to drink some vanilla whip cream coffee. When I work with people who are new to the business, I always try to create an environment of support and respect- you just learn better that way.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
I think it’s a matter of reframing failure. Don’t get me wrong, it still feels awful when something I’ve invested energy in doesn’t work out, but I’ve gotten a lot better about focusing more on the process vs. the outcome. Improv and performing in the theater was a great way for me to learn this lesson. When you’re on stage, everything is part of the performance. There is no such thing as a mistake. In life, I think it’s about collecting lessons and about the process of what you’re doing versus the end result. When I studied with Ron Leibman, he would always say to work on the process when you are preparing as an actor, not the end result. I think you can wind up in a lot of surprising places if you let go of an end result. In my case, it’s how I wound up working on a project in VR!
Every industry iterates and seeks improvement. What changes would you like to see in the industry going forward?
I think the industry is already changing. It’s been interesting to see over the past few years. Equity and representation are certainly the biggest changes- but I feel there’s still a way to go. Especially in terms of how women are portrayed on screen. And especially if the characters aren’t white. Not to mention how there are still so few women sitting in the director’s chair or running production. The numbers are still so low. I was sitting in a meeting fairly recently where I was the only woman, and I was giving my opinion on a script, and one of the guys in the room interrupted me to compliment my shoes-I mean, they were fabulous but still..what a wild moment and a reality check.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
I’m currently collaborating with Michaela Ternasky-Holland on a VR anthology series for Meta that we co-created. I wrote and directed the first episode, which just had its world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival and will be released in early 2023. I’m also excited to collaborate with Simon TaufiQue (Ricky-World Premiering at Sundance 2023) on a narrative podcast series about economic mobility and a dark comedy about postpartum that I’m writing and directing.
We are very interested in looking at diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture and our youth growing up today?
Very simply, it makes stories better. The more different kinds of people, backgrounds, and experiences we have in the writer’s room, in the director’s chair, and on screen, the better the stories will be. The more children see it, the more accepting they become of others and, ultimately themselves.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
The main thing I wish someone had told me is that my understanding of so many different aspects of the industry would be an asset and that I should lean into it. People originally told me to hide that I was an actor when I had my producer or writer’s hat on and vice versa. It was such bad advice. I understand so much about character and dialogue when I write because of my acting background, and when I produce, I always come from a story-first mindset. When I’m on set or on stage as an actor, I understand that I am only one element of a huge production, so not only am I prepared, but I come to the set as a collaborator. It took me a while, but I figured out how to combine everything that I do in a way that has become creatively satisfying.
Can you share with our readers any self-care routines, practices or treatments that you do to help your body, mind or heart to thrive? Please share a story for each one if you can.
I’m a big face mask person, and a short meditation in the morning has been beneficial for me. But honestly, sometimes (last night), you just have to throw on comfy clothes (spiderman sweatpants), eat junk food (mochi donuts), and watch a classic movie (Clueless- Paul Rudd is a gift).
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My husband is French, and I overheard a conversation he had once with his great-aunt who he was very close with. He asked how she was doing, and her response was, “ je suis le courant,“ I follow the current. I thought it was one of the most profound things I have ever heard. And in her voice, there was genuine joy and peace. I try to live my life with that in mind- moving forward while seizing opportunities, shaking off failures, and staying open.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I think my role as a creative is more to look at the world through my lens, make observations, ask questions, and amplify other voices doing the same. I hope that people can come to their own conclusions from there. We’re often spoon-fed with many thoughts and ideas, and I don’t want us to lose sight of nuance and complexity when forming our own opinions. It’s essential to have that in storytelling, and it is vital to have it in how we view the world.
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
