Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Mcfly.
Hi Elizabeth, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I made my life debut in Athens, Greece in the late 90s. I knew who I was from a very early age. Whether it was convincing my brother to perform my choreographies with him or shooting short horror films with my friends on school field trips, I knew I liked to create and express myself through art, and I was good at it, too. I come from a dancing background; I grew up taking ballet, jazz, hip hop, and tap lessons. Later on, with the rumor of a TV show I was obsessed with getting remade in Greek, the acting seed was planted and quickly blossomed a strong passion for acting. I convinced my parents to take me to an agency (it took a whole year), where I started booking a few commercials. Funny enough, wanting to live my Hannah Montana dreams, I didn’t tell my friends about it for a long time. Recently I found a text that I had sent where I “confessed” that I lived a double life. What a silly thing to do.
Soon enough, musical theater started being a “thing” in Greece. I auditioned for the Sound of Music when I was 16, although they were specifically asking for kids up to 12 years old. I taped my non-existent chest, just in case, and made a collage that included a picture of me now, next to a picture of me when I was 12, to show that I’ve barely changed, as well as a picture of the eldest 3 Von Trapp kids from the movie, to show that they were the same height and they were also 18+ playing younger. I had arguments, and I made them! The casting director was very amused by the effort but also by my talent and song choice (“Cat’s Meow” from Barbie Princess and the Pauper in case you were wondering). She ended up casting me in the ensemble, and thus I had my first professional on-stage experience for the whole winter season while maintaining good grades. (overachieving eldest daughter style).
This determination and stubbornness, despite the adults around me discouraging me, led me to finally ‘escape’ Greece. I moved to Paris the week after I finished high school, after accepted a contract to perform for Disneyland Paris through an audition. It felt like a miracle. I made it out of a country where I felt like a fish out of water and was making a living from performing full-time at only 18. My horizons started to broaden in the three years I lived in France. I learned to adapt to a new culture and met people from all over the world. Then, after multiple attempts, I was offered a contract for Hong Kong Disneyland. I lived there for two years and had some of the highest highs and lowest lows (thanks, Covid) of my life. Somehow, I made it out of the global pandemic almost sane enough and with enough money for one year of studies in New York. I chose the Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute, and what a journey that was. I grew so much as a person and an actor. Now, I am at last where I want to be and slowly but surely planting my roots in the New York market.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Everyone knows it’s hard to break into the entertainment industry. Many know it’s very hard to do so if you don’t come from money. Unrelatedly, immigrating in the States in any capacity is known very difficult. Now, imagine trying to immigrate in the US, as an artist, with -let’s say- very limited financial means. It has been a soul-sucking challenge that I have to think twice before expressing the effects it has had on me. I’m scared to jeopardize my position in a system that is nonetheless stacked against me. I’m scared to share that with the world in fear that they might find my vent insensitive, out of touch, when I undoubtedly have some key privileges, such as being white and conventionally attractive. Despite hesitating, I almost always end up giving in to the need to communicate how energy-draining these struggles have been. Sometimes, I leave the conversation feeling seen, sometimes not. It’s bittersweet to find pals that can relate because I wouldn’t wish that to anyone; to be able to relate to the burden of navigating this system. Sometimes I wonder if I would feel lighter had I been a single case study type of thing. If I had to think of a positive outcome of this journey, it would be that it has transformed me into me resilient go-getter and a tough cookie. Qualities that are required to make it in this field. I got the nerve, I got the empathy, I got the baggage, and I bring them to the table, and I bring them into the art. So I will leave you with that; and if I ever find the perfect formula with which international artists can sail across this journey, I will be sure to write a book about it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I recently had the chance to star in my first short film here in the States, The Undoing, which was selected for the Night of Horror International Film Festival. It was a set experience that reminded me why I like what I do. People who are not a part of the entertainment industry oftentimes don’t know that an actor’s job is to basically do job interviews, and auditions, all the time. Most of our careers have to do with the business side of things, marketing ourselves, networking, etc. So it’s nice to be reminded that hey, this is what you do this for. The Undoing is written by Jeremiah Lewis and directed by Cameron Gallagher, and it’s available on YouTube. I really liked working with the cast and crew because we had one thing in common, being our love for the horror genre and especially this more recent subgenre they call “elevated horror”. Naturally, if you were to ask me right now, I would say being on an A24 studio film is on the top of my career bucket list. I love how their movies tackle life issues everyone can relate to, but in a more stylized way and with breathtaking cinematography. They also really let their actors shine. Toni Collette’s performance in Hereditary and Mia Goth’s delivery in X took me aback.
Another thing I want to get back into is theater. Before I started training at Strasberg, I said I only wanted to do Film and TV. I was just so scared of theater despite having done live entertainment for most of my career up to that point. After however diving into The Method, I developed a different kind of love for the craft. I particularly enjoy small, intimate venues; the adrenaline you get from receiving energy from a live audience is unmatched.
What matters most to you?
“Nothing matters, so anything can.” is a quote I live by. It is the perfect balance between nihilism and over-obsessing about the purpose and meaning of everything. I think in philosophy, they call it optimistic nihilism (?) Cause it’s true we are dust in the wind on a floating rock, but that can be liberating, and we can choose what matters to us. For me I have found the following things matter; details, structure, patience, unity, community, emphasis on connection, systemic change, selfless acts of kindness, sunsets, the Earth, art, sharing resources, friendship, celebrating small victories, animals, love, harmony, laughter, freedom, sustainability, mental health, game nights, karaoke, poverty eradication, safety, fitness, healing, beauty, vulnerability, spotify playlists, balance, at home dinners with friends, growth, universal healthcare, allowing yourself to be a beginner, curation, A24, gratitude, equity, redistribution of wealth, Nicole Kidman’s AMC commercial, dreams, openness, tolerance, intolerance of the intolerance (look into Karl Popper), candles, pleasure, authenticity, girlhood, black lives, trans rights, interior design that makes you feel cozy and safe, self expression, Paris fashion week, connect 4, lighting design, confidence, history, the tv show Dark, resilience, escape rooms, bodily autonomy, memories, iced oat milk pistachio latte from blank street coffee. These are just some that popped into my head.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/
elizabethmcfly - Youtube: https://www.youtube.
com/@elizabethmcfly935/videos - Other: https://youtu.be/
Q1A9bvlGo58?si= TniVhLhY9fiFKKE-
Image Credits
Stefnoiir
