1) Why did you decide to get into this industry?

I started working as an actress when I was seven years old and I fell in love with filmmaking! I had been on a one-woman tour in the Pacific NorthWest, singing my little heart out, when a talent scout saw me. She asked if I’d ever considered acting, so I took a class and that was it! I knew from that point on that I wanted to be an actor. When I was a teenager, I came to the realization that if I wanted to make it, I needed to start making my own content. And here we are, eleven years after my first producing project!

 

2) What’s a defining moment in your life?

There’s been a lot of defining moments along the way, a lot of them personal that I’ve kept close to me. Career wise, I think the moment I decided to take the plunge and direct a feature film when I was 24 was the most defining. I proved to myself what I was capable of and grew my confidence along the way.

 

3) What is your biggest concern with the future?

I guess my biggest concern is being too focused on work. As I get older, I’m learning how to make more time for fun adventures and to not take it all so seriously.

 

4) What is a successful moment in your career so far?

I think every film and tv show I’ve done is a win. This industry is filled with competition. So any chance I get to perform, direct, or produce, is a major win! This current film is probably my biggest move yet. “To The Beat! Back 2 School” has put me on a very small list of female directors who have directed both the original and sequel in a film series. I feel lucky to be among that crowd of women.

 

5) What advice do you have for other women in the industry?

Go for it. Do the thing you’ve been wanting to do. It’s rare to have something you really want to make get a green light or to even be given the chance to pitch it, so go out there and do it yourself! As “The Handmaid’s Tale” taught us, Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. It may not be a real latin phrase, but it’s something I’ve definitely told myself a lot over the years.

 

6) What, if anything, do you collect?

Oh man, I love collecting. When I was a kid I was all about beanie babies and Pokemon cards. As a teenager, I spent hours on eBay collecting cameos. Now my biggest obsessions are old cameras (favorite being my Canon A-1) and books. I have a copy of “Pride and Prejudice” from 1949, a 1931 copy of “Bambi”, and a 1943 copy of “Wuthering Heights”. Those are probably my favorites.

 

7) What are you working on next? In addition, if people want to find out more about you, where can they find you on social media?

My instagram and twitter handles are @jillianclare. You can search for my page on Facebook! I have a couple films in development at the moment that I’m super excited about so stay tuned!