The Megan Carver Story
by Megan Carver
Actress, Filmmaker, Producer, Podcaster
I had been in New York for two years, and wasn’t getting any auditions. I thought maybe I needed a change in representation in order to be sent out more. I had a meeting with a talent manager — I performed a monologue, and chatted with him for a bit about my type and brand. I felt good about my work and what I brought to the table. At the end of our meeting he said…
“Can I be honest with you? You’re very nice. And very funny. But there’s just nothing in the market for a 30-something brunette comedienne like you.”
I was devastated. Maybe this is why I wasn’t getting auditions. There were no parts for me. I even thought about giving up acting. But then, I got mad. I realized that it wasn’t this person’s place to tell me whether I could or could not work in any market. That was up to me. So I got moving.
I wanted to create work, to fill this so-called void, so that no one else would have to hear that there wasn’t a place for them in the entertainment industry.
- I wrote a feature film, a webseries, and a musical. All with female or gender-fluid leads.
- I started my own production company with an amazing friend (Adventuress Films). We focus on providing opportunities in front of and behind the camera for people in the minority.
- I created a comedic podcast with my husband reviewing movies (So I Married a Cinephile). We watch movies considered classics and review them from two perspectives: Cinephile and Cine-newbie.
I got back into acting class, and started networking with casting directors. One year later, my production company just finished filming it’s first music video for a well known musician. My scripts are getting some great traction and I’m organizing a reading of my feature film. And I was recently cast in an Off-Broadway musical with an open run: The Office, A Musical Parody.
I linked arms with those who supported me and reminded me that everything I needed to succeed was already inside of me.
The point is I didn’t let someone convince me I was disposable. I took a bad conversation, and used it fuel me to take the steps needed to move forward. There were some very dark times, and I’m sure there will be more dark times in the future. That’s just the nature of this business. But, I didn’t give up.
Since she was little, Megan wanted to be an 80’s rockstar with tutus and cut-off lace gloves. But that wasn’t in the cards for her, so acting became her next passion. As the drive to be a storyteller grew and was cultivated in constraint, Megan became a writer, and was thrilled to find she took to it like a duck to water. Musicals, screenplays, webseries, you name it. Favorite genres: comedy, romance, superhero, and anything with bad ass women involved.
Along with a for love acting and writing, her mission is to bring more work to those who are underrepresented in film.
Megan lives life by 3 simple rules: Work hard. Be kind. Stay classy.
