Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Producer Ceci Cleary of BlueWater Lane Productions Is Helping To Shake Up The Entertainment Industry

Always surround yourself with people that know more than you know. Network as much as you can. Don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know something. Take whatever job is offered to you in the business. Don’t take anything personally. It’s a tough business.

As a part of our series about Inspirational Women In Hollywood, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Ceci Cleary.

Ceci Cleary is a producer, actor, former professional athlete, and currently serves as the Development Executive of BlueWater Lane Productions. Her work currently includes producing “40-Love” (2021), “To Leslie” (2022), and developing “The Flamingo Thief” (2022).

Taught by the “Jaws” crew, the original big waves surfers in Hawaii, Cleary was one of the first women in the world to kitesurf in Hawaii, becoming the first woman in the world to be photographed kite surfing. Cleary also participated in the US Olympic trials for windsurfing in 2004.

With nearly 2 decades of film industry experience, Cleary, a SAG/AFTRA member, has been credited as an actor, stunt double and location scout, currently working as a producer with directors Michael Morris and Fred Wolf to name a few.

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 Connecticut as an only child. From an early age, I was always fascinated by film. I would get all the neighborhood kids together, figure out what everyone was good at, and produce scripts that I wrote. I had kids who did lighting and a kid who was really into engineering, so he made the sets and controlled the curtains and the technical side of things. From 12 years old, I knew this was my path.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

After college, I became a professional big-wave windsurfer. In Hawaii, I was practicing every day, competing, really putting in the work. I was taught by the “Jaws” crew, the original big waves surfers in Hawaii, and became one of the first women photographed kite surfing.

I lucked out — I started doing stunt work on films. I got my SAG card and was acting. When I was on sets, I just wanted to learn more and go behind the camera and really do the work. If I didn’t land a stunt or acting job, I’d ask if I could work in production to learn more. No one could believe I wanted to work as a PA to learn, but I did it.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Following the end of production for “40-Love,” my team and I were getting ready for another project. We had everything set up — actors, production offices, crews. We were about to start shooting. Due to COVID concerns, the lead actors left the project and we were left scrambling.

Over a 48 hour period, my producing partners and I had to read 11 scripts and find the perfect one to save the crew. We were lucky enough to find “To-Leslie” and be in pre-production on it 2 weeks later. It was really a miracle.

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?

Before I started working with my team, I really thought I could figure this all out. I thought “I have the script, I have the money, I can do this.” I spun my wheels for six months. I should have known that a script and money don’t mean anything in Hollywood. You need the people, the team.

I really sat around for 6 months, getting nothing done. How did I think that I could do this on my own with no connections?

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Ben O’Dell works with Lionsgate. I couldn’t have achieved what I’ve done without him and his support. And Peter Block. Wonderful mentors.

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?

Don’t give up. I don’t know any successful person who hasn’t failed. You just get up, lick your wounds and move on. Everyone I know has failed at one point in time. The successful people just keep moving and learn from failure. You can’t give up.

Network. Figure out who you know. There’s always a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy and that one guy will get your foot in the door.

But most importantly, don’t get discouraged.

What drives you to get up every day and work in TV and Film? What change do you want to see in the industry going forward?

My passion. It can be challenging, but there’s nothing more rewarding than telling stories that matter. Or telling stories that make people laugh. Once you see that you can do it and see all the people that come together, it’s magical. We’re creating art. Every project is a piece of art.

The relationships also drive me. I’m friends with everyone I work with. I get to get up every day and spend time with the most creative people and make magic for the world to see.

Although I love everyone I work with and cherish every relationship I make on set, I want to see more women in positions of power, especially in this industry. Women only account for 30% of all working producers. Additionally, a new study concludes that, on average, male-owned independent production companies receive more than seven times the amount of funding received by female-owned independent production companies. There has been change, but we have a ways to go.

In front of the camera, I would love to see less ageism and sexism. More tolerance overall.

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 very excited for the future. We have a lot of exciting projects in the works and I’m intrigued to see where we go from here.

I would also like to partner with some larger production companies. I work for years at a time on these films — from development, pre-production, production, manage post-production, coordinate marketing and sales. It’s nonstop. It’ll be nice to merge with another company that has more resources and create great things.

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?

Everyone should be respected. Everyone should have a voice. Everyone should feel represented.

Diversity allows the world to see that we are all one and connected. It gives the message that everyone is seen, respected, and heard. If the younger generation is exposed to diversity, real change can occur.

Everyone watches TV and film — it’s a really good forum for change.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

1. Always surround yourself with people that know more than you know. I tried producing a movie on my own for months before I asked for help. I hired producing partners who had been working in the industry for 20 years — and now, not only is that movie (40-Love) released, we’re also working on other projects.
2. Network as much as you can. I was introduced to Ben O’Dell, Peter Block, and a lot of other people in the business. Once I started going to them and asking them questions, everything turned around. I wouldn’t have been able to do it on my own.
3. Don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know something. I know and am good at a lot of things, but there are so many things that I don’t know that others do. Admitting it makes me a better leader and a better producer.
4. Take whatever job is offered to you in the business. Everyone starts somewhere. It’s okay if it’s not your dream job. I started as a body double, an actress, and a location scout. I would do a little bit of everything — if I didn’t get the stunt job I wanted, I would find another job. It may not have been what I wanted to be doing, but it led me to where I am today.
5. Don’t take anything personally. It’s a tough business. I’ve had actors leave projects right before production started, movies that were rejected from film festivals and conflicts on set. None of it had to do with me. It’s the industry we’re in. Brush it off and move on to the next project.

Can you share with our readers any selfcare 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.

Self care is very important. Taking a step back and taking care of yourself before you burnout or crash will make you a better leader and healthier overall.

I’m on sets for 18 hours a day. When you spend all your time focused on something as big as a movie or tv show, you don’t always have time to take care of yourself. I make sure there are people around me that look out for me and the people I work with every day. I have a nurse that comes to set to administer IVs — the hydration and vitamins make sure I can keep coming back to set every day, better than ever.

I also get regular massages and have a daily yoga and meditation routine. It’s the little things and routines that keep you healthy and energized day in and day out.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Treat everyone how you want to be treated. Kindness and Humanity are free.

All the people I work with — department heads, directors, teamsters, staff — It’s one big family. It’s important to be a leader, but also to be kind.

You are a person of huge 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?

It’s pretty simple — tolerate all different walks of life. It would be wonderful to inspire a movement where everyone had no judgment, regardless of race, color or sexual orientation. I think that’s something that would help the most people and can inspire a younger generation to learn tolerance.

Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!

I would love to have lunch with Denzel Washington. Years ago, when I worked on his set as a body double, I was so impressed with how he ran his set. Although I never met him, I watched it all from the sidelines. He had such a diverse set and was so kind to everyone he came into contact with. It was amazing to watch — it comes from the top.

I would also like to have lunch with Clint Eastwood. He ran his set in the same way Denzel Washington did.

Mark Whalberg also runs his set in the same fashion. He’s very kind to people and does a lot of philanthropic work, especially in the New England area, where I’m from. I’d love to pick his brain — I mean he went from Marky Mark to Mark Whalberg, you know

Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?

Instagram — @40lovethemovie

This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!