Mary Kay Riley Deconstructed in Denver

Mary Kay Riley'YOU FIND YOUR WAY IN LA' REFLECTS MARY KAY RILEY AS SHE DECONSTRUCTS HER JOURNEY FROM BEHIND THE CAMERA TO FRONT-AND-CENTER AS A COMMERCIAL BOOKING MACHINE.

FROM THE DESCRIPTIONS OF HER FIRST FILMIC EXPERIENCES ONE MIGHT THINK SHE WAS DESTINED FOR A CAREER BEHIND THE SCENES. WHILE AT PENN STATE, PURSUING A DEGREE IN COMMUNICATIONS, SHE ‘DID SOME FRINGE STUFF’ RUNNING CAMERA FOR FILM STUDENTS, EVENTUALLY TAKING A JOB WORKING FOR A PBS AFFILIATE AS A CAMERA WOMAN. THE ON-CAMERA BREAK CAME WHEN AFTER THE URGING OF A FRIEND SHE AUDITIONED FOR AND SECURED A SPOT ON THE REALITY TV SHOW 'THE NEW PARTRIDGE FAMILY’. ALTHOUGH SHE DIDN’T BECOME THE NEXT SHIRLEY PARTRIDGE SHE HAD A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE WHILE FILMING IN LA AND DECIDED A CAREER THERE MIGHT BE HER DESTINY. IN A FORD EXPLORER PACKED TO THE BRIM, SHE DROVE CROSS COUNTRY TO BEGIN AN ACTOR'S LIFE IN LA.

ALTHOUGH SHE MADE SOME LA CONNECTIONS WHILE FILMING ISOFTPF, IT TOOK SOME TIME TO ENTER THE GAME. SHE BEGAN TAKING ACTING CLASSES, BUT IT WAS WAS ABOUT 2 YEARS BEFORE SHE EVEN AUDITIONED, AND AT THAT, THE ONLY JOBS SHE COULD AUDITION FOR WERE NON-UNION (A DEATH SENTENCE IN LA). WHILE WORKING CATERING AT A PARTY THROWN BY A BIG LA AGENT, SHE SUMMONED THE MOXIE TO ENGAGE HIM IN CONVERSATION AND ANGLED FOR HIS REPRESENTATION. THOUGH CHARMED (WHO WOULDN’T BE?.. SHE POSSESSES A DISARMING MIXTURE OF VIGOR AND GRACE), HE WOULDN’T TAKE HER; NOT WITHOUT SOME CREDITS, AND SHE WAS AFTERALL A NON-UNION ACTOR IN A PLACE THAT KNEELS AT THE ALTER OF SAG. BUT WITHIN NO TIME, MARY KAY HAD MANAGED TO SECURE MEMBERSHIP IN THE UNION AS WELL AS SOME CREDITS IN RESPECTABLE COMMERCIALS. FINALLY SHE WAS ABLE TO ATTRACT THE BIG AGENT’S SUPPORT AND SHE EVENTUALLY FOUND HERSELF REPRESENTATION AT AKA.

WHILE THERE, SHE REALLY BEGAN TO EMBRACE HER NICHE AS THE APPROACHABLE, ‘MID-WESTERN’, MOTHER FIGURE AND BECAME A BOOKING MACHINE FOR NATIONAL SPOTS SELLING ANYTHING FROM CARS TO CAT FOOD TO BAKED BEANS.

AS FOR THE DECISION TO LEAVE LA: MARY KAY WAS STILL CONSISTENTLY BOOKING NATIONAL SPOTS, BUT THE LIFESTYLE OF LIVING IN HER CAR AS SHE TRAVELED FROM FIT MODELING GIGS, TO CATERING JOBS, TO ACTING AUDITIONS SHE REALIZED, 'IT'S NO WAY TO LIVE'. ALTHOUGH SHE HAD MISGIVINGS ABOUT LEAVING BECAUSE SHE WAS EXPERIENCING SOME SUCCESS, A REVELATION CAME THAT SHE DIDN’T NEED TO STAY IN LA TO CONTINUE ACTING. PRODUCTION WAS MOVING IN TO OTHER AREAS; NAMELY PITTSBURGH; HER HOME TOWN, AND NEW MEXICO; HOME TO HER SISTER. SHE SET OFF ON A ROAD TRIP AND HAPPENNING TO COME THROUGH DENVER, SHE REALIZED SHE MIGHT HAVE THE BEST OF ALL WORLDS IN OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY: LIFESTYLE, HEALTH, AND CONTINUATION OF HER ACTING CAREER THROUGH THE COMMERCIAL WORK IN DENVER, THE ART RICH THEATRE COMMUNITIES OF DCPA, AND THE BIGGER PRODUCTION SOUTH OF THE BORDER IN NM. THE DECISION CAME FULL CIRCLE WHEN  SHE SECURED A ROLE ON A NEW MEXICO PRODUCED PILOT ‘RECONSTRUCTION’, AN IRONY SINCE SHE NEVER BOOKED A PILOT IN LA.

TRUTH BE TOLD: WE'RE OVER THE MOON ABOUT MARY KAY. SHE'S ENERGETIC, BEAUTIFUL AND GIFTED. WE'RE THIRLLED TO WELCOME HER TO THE DBT FAMILY AND SEE HER THROUGH MANY YEARS OF SUCCESS.

MARY KAY RECENTLY APPEARED AS 'MISS MATCH PLAY' IN THE LATEST (AND MOST HILARIOUS) OF COLORADO LOTTERYS' SPOTS.