Meet Nell Teare: Director/Writer/Producer/Actress

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nell Teare and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nell, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
I think I would call it a mantra. “Have perfect timing.” As a young artist, I worried about missing my big chance. Every audition or project that I didn’t book felt like a monumental failure. In looking back on all the things I’ve created that didn’t go the distance or the times I wasn’t selected, I find the moments that taught me most about my character as an artist. To me, having perfect timing means more about opening up the narrow view of expectation. I succeeded in ways that I never imagined I would and so my perceived failure was simply not meeting some some specific goal I had created for myself. This mantra is about letting the people and experiences in my life guide me to my next success and mostly to enjoy the process.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Reading these questions brings so many thoughts and stories to mind about who I am as an artist and what characteristics define me. But the thing that sticks out to me at this moment is that when I lived in New York, I would let the walk/don’t walk signs dictate my route. Sometimes I would get every walk sign and it was fast and direct, but other times I’d walk back and forth, zig-zagging my way up or downtown. On those walks, though, I’d always find places and things I’d never seen before. I feel like my career path has been similar to those zig-zag routes. The no’s in my life feel more like don’t walk signs in retrospect. Every time I didn’t achieve my immediate goal and would have to re-route, there was some other opportunity waiting that for me that I could never have imagined. A huge don’t walk sign brought me to LA and ultimately to directing. This year, I will premiere my debut feature, Bolivar. It has been a zig-zagging route, but I am very excited to share this film with the world.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh this is fun… I pick them up from LAX and they are starving, so we go to Gjelina on Abbott Kinney for Pizza and wine and then walk around and shop a little. We go home relax and then get dressed for dinner at Osteria La Buca on Melrose. After that, we find some live music somewhere (Bronson Bar, TheEscondite) and it’s a late night. The next day probably starts with brunch at Republique, followed by the beach or The Museum of Jurassic Technology, and then dinner on the picnic tables at The Malibu Fish Market. Somewhere in there, we see a play downtown and at some point have coffee on Larcmont. Never enough time.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Though I have been blessed by the love and support of many people throughout my life, my father definitely gets this dedication. My father is resilient, passionate, brilliant, resourceful and above all kind. I have never in my life questioned whether or not I was loved and that is because of him. Being an artist is as exhilarating as it is terrifying, and the subject nature of what we do is a constant borage on the psyche. Knowing that you are loved makes all the difference. So I dedicate this Shoutout to Barry Teare, the executive producer of my life.

Website: www.nellteare.com

Instagram: @nellteare

Linkedin: Nell Teare

Twitter: @teare_nell

Facebook: @nellteare