Imogene Coca

Inspiration always comes in many powerful forms. For me, the most powerful tends to be from other human beings who have preceded me in this business. I’m inspired by and eternally grateful for the work that they did, as women, to pave the way for women like myself. I can’t even imagine what they were up against. They certainly were up against a lot more than myself, as the business was so very much run by men during the talkies and into the early days of television. Hell, it sort of still is in some regards. Well, not entirely. The ladies are moving on up and I’m always so proud to hear of powerhouse producers and directors just creating.


My first favorite lady that I want to pay tribute to is the always funny Imogene Coca.

My first manager, while I was still in college, used to describe me as a young Imogene Coca. Like most people my age I responded, “Imogene who?” And I was berated for my lack of knowledge of her presence in early television. Like a good student, I immediately did my research. Upon first glance, I had to know everything about her. Her large eyes, petite frame, dancer-like physicality, and ever so expressive face made me believe that I was staring back at myself. She was I or I am she. Doesn’t matter. She quickly became my comedy god and I her idolater ready for consumption.

Imogene Coca was one of the absolute first women to be a televised comedian. She worked alongside Sid Caesar in his Your Show of Shows. While on the show she worked with such writers as Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, and Neil Simon; and performed often with Carl Reiner. She was by far my favorite comedy partner to Caesar and in my humble opinions, so much funnier. She steals every scene with a simple look. She was hilarious. Unfortunately, there is very little out there of her.

Here’s a perfect example of her physicality, her expressions, and her ability to make you laugh without having to say a word. And the entire time you can’t keep your eyes off of her.



Her resume was as petite as her frame. She had few successful television productions and made an attempt to go out on her own with The Imogene Coca Show, which lasted only a season. You may recognize Coca as the loony aunt in The Brady Bunch and once again, the loony grandmother in National Lampoons: Vacation. Yup, she was the one strapped to the top of the van.

She was hilarious.

Lady Love

The art of a good blog is to have a niche. A niche that inspires you to inspire others. A blog that inspires you to write everyday, sometimes multiple times a day. I have so many things that I always want to talk about and yet I still can go months without a proper post. Why does this end up being such a struggle? The blogs that I love and click on thousands of times are the ones that focus on one thing, and one thing only. The Sartorialist focuses solely on inspirational fashion from regular (and not so regular) folks. Garance Dore does the same. And every day you can guarantee that I will click onto their site, well over 50 times, just to see if they've added anything new. Fashion is probably my second passion, (if you don't know already, acting is my first) that may be the reason for my obsessive compulsive desires to click the minute I get home, the minute I wake up, right before I need to get out the door (inevitably contributing to the reason why I'm usually late). So ... where does this all lead me? What is the niche in which I wish to write and write and write until my eyes go crossed and my fingers are burdened with exhaustion? Drum roll please .......

Women. Women in film. Women filmmakers. Women who are out there everyday, paving the way for women like myself to have the opportunity to perform for my living. Women who own their own production companies. Women who are writing their own content that chooses to empower our role in society. Women who are filming their own stories as they see them through the camera lens. Women who are casting and giving the jobs to other women so that we can continue to have a powerful and fruitful stamp, not only in the world of cinema, but in the world. Period.

I want to dedicate my time here, on this blog, to writing about my discoveries, my struggles, my successes, my let downs, my triumphs, my true inspirations; in the hopes that it'll inspire more and more women to do the same. To take control of creating more opportunity for themselves, and for other women to work and be fulfilled in this business. Because, let's just face it, there just isn't enough of us out there. There's no need to complain about this. There's only a need to take action. To simply do.

As the brilliant spiritual guru, Eileen Caddy, so eloquently professed. "Stop sitting there with your hands folded, looking on, doing nothing. Get into action and live this full and glorious life. NOW. You have to do it!"

My hands are not folded in my lap, they're on my keyboard. I'm no longer just thinking about writing this blog, I'm writing it. And the what's the reason? Because I'm constantly inspired by the brilliant women that I'm surrounded by. I cannot wait to start writing about ALL of them. I cannot wait to start writing about YOU.