Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Meet Holly Nugent -- Bride #1, Helen Everett

When the casting process began with Emmanuelle, Connie and Maria reviewing pictures and resumes, it was Emmanuelle who pegged our first key role -- she selected the actress to play the part of Helen Everett (aka Bride #1, better known as "The Future Bride" from the title). Helen is the catalyst in this film, and it is her visit to the bridal shop -- along with best friend Katie and mother Joan -- that the story revolves around.

We knew we needed someone who could play sweet, nervous, intimidated, and frustrated all while trying on couture gowns. She has to be able to play off of a kooky and cynical best friend as well as a demanding and opinionated mother. But she also has to be magnetic AND understated behind those two strong characters while not turning to mush in the background. Tough stuff.

When Holly Nugent walked into the room, we all collectively sighed, especially AD who wrote in his notes that she IS Helen. Holly was a breath of fresh air in her sunny yellow dress and positive personality. While we might have considered another "dark horse" actress with a strong visual presence, the more we looked at Holly's screen test, the more we were convinced she could pull it off. Yes, Emmanuelle had the eye on this one.

Holly Nugent was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and graduated with a BFA in Musical Theatre from The Boston Conservatory after attending PCPA's Two Year intensive Actor Training Program and ACT's Young Conservatory. After graduating from The Boston Conservatory, Holly continued training in improv and sketch comedy and began focusing on building a career in theatre and film in the San Francisco Bay Area. She currently serves on the ACT Alumni Board of Directors, and is a member of Ray of Light and The Royal Underground's Theatre Companies. Recent theatrical credits include Emma Carew in "Jekyll and Hyde", Woman 1 in "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," and DeeDee Dulce (the wedding singer) in "Tony and Tina's Wedding." She also recently won the award for Best Actor of the San Francisco Seven Day Film Festival for her work in the film "Look Both Ways". Holly currently resides in San Francisco with her loving husband, Arik, and the other joy of her life, her dog Annabelle!

Find out more about Holly at www.HollyNugent.com.

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