Rising Stars: Meet Gisele Frame of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gisele Frame.

Gisele, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story about being an actress began at a very early age. From about the age of ten I was recruiting friends and neighbors to participate in plays which I wrote, directed and produced! We would perform for parents and even take our play to different classes in my school. Fast forward to 2013 when I retired from AT&T and began volunteering in the Roswell Nursing and Rehab Center. I was in charge of the Drama Club. Again, I found myself writing, directing and producing plays that the residents could perform in.

I grew up and lived in Albany, New York until the age of 37 when I moved to Atlanta with my husband, Jeff. While in Albany I worked full time, went to school at night, and still managed to fit in performing on multiple Albany area stages. I loved the rehearsal process, the comradery with other artists, and building a reputation as good actress who was enjoyable to work with. Favorite roles (in my younger years!) included Laura in Laura, Olivia in Twelfth Night, Constanze in Amadeus, and Shelby in Steel Magnolias.

Upon moving to Atlanta in 1995, I jumped right in, auditioning and performing in several Atlanta theatrical productions. In Atlanta, I worked with Stage Door Players, Act3 Productions, Lionheart Theater, among others. My favorite role to date is playing Amanda in The Glass Menagerie, a role I performed with three different Atlanta theaters. And theatrical life has come full circle as my most recent performance was playing Shelby’s mother, M’lynn in Steel Magnolias. LOVE that play!

With retirement from the corporate world, I have been able to now focus in the film and television world which is very vibrant in Atlanta! I spend many hours in classes, auditioning, networking, and trying to improve the craft of film acting, which is quite different from theatrical acting. It is very challenging for me, but I keep at it! I have met so many great people along the way, and of course give a big shout out to my agent, The Vault Talent Agency. My biggest wins today are a leading role in the Lifetime Movie, “Danger in the Countryside” and a speaking role in the NBC Peacock series, “HYSTERIA!” starring Julie Bowen.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Becoming a true “working actor” in Atlanta is a huge challenge. It is not for the faint of heart. There are a lot of actors vying for the same roles, so even if you are a great actor, your chances of booking the role are slim. You have to be able to just let it go after you submit your audition. I am lucky in that it is not my bread and butter. I have the means at this point to afford classes, coaching, headshots, self-taping equipment and all of the other expenses that come with this business. I feel for young people, just out of college who have to come into this field without a budget for expenses, because it will cost you. I have read that the audition/booking ratio for a non-working actor (making less than $20K a year in acting jobs), is 100 auditions for every ONE booking! So, it really is a numbers game until you begin booking often and even then, you still have to work hard at it. Having said that – this work is FUN. I love the process of getting the audition, working on it – trying to use what I have learned in classes (most recently at TWAG in Roswell), working with another actor as my reader, and sending it in – fingers crossed!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
By the time I got into film acting, my ingenue days were over. So, at this point in my film acting career, I have a certain “type” that I am asked to audition for. It is important for all actors to figure out their type. So right now, my type – the type I am called in to audition for most is that of the spunky grandma, feisty aunt, strong matriarch. I feel I can also play the smart sophisticated teacher or physician. (Once you understand your type, you should get professional headshots which showcase these types.)

What I am most proud of in the acting world is my ability to understand the characters’ objectives, listen/react to the other actors and incorporate any direction I am given.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://imdb.me/GiseleFrame
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/pFLzHh5MuHY?si=ClWXsL04gerKbTsH
• Other: https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/Gisele_Frame