“Create something for yourself.” - Chatting with television & film star Cheryl Texiera!
Kevin Ray Johnson
I am very excited to introduce you to Cheryl Texiera! Cheryl is most known for her recurring roles on Disney’s Girl Meets World (which I absolutely loved her in!) and Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Her credits also include: NCIS, The Mentalist, Raising Hope, and many others. She also starred opposite Adrien Brody in Trigger Street Productions' film: The Library Book!. In 2012, she formed CrazyChic Productions and began creating her own content.
Her Directorial Debut, Mama’s Boys, just became an Official Selection of HBO's Women in Comedy Film Festival, and her sketch/variety show, Confessions Of... The Series, was nominated for an Independent Television Award for Best Web Comedy. You may have also seen her on Fox's So You Think You Can Dance (Season One)! Cheryl studied at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and graduated from Fordham University with a degree in Psychology.
How old were you when you knew you wanted to be an actress?
Young! I was very young, around 5 or 6. After chatting with my mom, I think it was even younger, like 3 or 4.
Where did you study and are there any mentors in your life who truly helped you become the amazing artist you are today?
I've studied a bunch of places. I did a semester at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and worked under the Atlantic Theatre Company wing. Then, I opened a theatre company and got A LOT of on the job training not only in performing, but behind the scenes as well. I worked with a bunch of private coaches for singing. However, the most impactful teacher I think I ever had was my first theatre teacher at Westchester Community College, Steven Riedel. He just believed in me so much that when I left school I felt ready to take on the world - which is a huge part of succeeding in this business: Believing in yourself and that you can do it.
How do you stay motivated as an artist during Quarantine, and what does your daily routine look like nowadays?
What a great question. I love creating, so I've been writing. I also filmed a sketch appropriately called “Quaratined” (https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=216503742968277)
I love teaching acting too and have been sharing tips and tools on Instagram (@cheryl.texiera) as well as creating courses to dive into the work even more.
Cheryl Texiera and Danielle Fishel in ‘Girl Meets World'.
Your career has been so wonderful and one that I have followed for some time now. Are there any experiences that you have done in your career that stick out and will always be near and dear to your heart?
There are so many - but the one that just popped into my head was playing Kevin Dillon's ex-girlfriend on CBS's How to Be A Gentleman. I'll always think of it fondly. Kevin is such a sweetheart. Rehearsing with him was just as fun as filming. During the week, we sat and ate lunch with the crew - which doesn't seem like much, but in Hollywood it's common that people hide in their trailers during lunch time, and Kevin was so the opposite of that, just a really cool dude.
The entire production was just so fun, and everyone was welcoming to me. I remember the writers would throw out new lines of dialogue and jokes to play on the fly. It was also the first time I worked with Tristram Shapeero (director) who was so collaborative and really wanted to know what worked best for moments in the scenes. Reuniting with David Hornsby from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia was a cherry on top. That was definitely a show that got cut short too soon. And OMG! Not to mention the fabulous Dava Waite Peaslee who was the casting director. I could go on and on about that experience. So fun! So special!
2020 has been a challenging year for all of society, especially artists. What advice would you give any aspiring artist in these times?
Create. It doesn't matter if it's lines of dialogue on a piece of paper. Create something for yourself, and if you're brave enough, share it. The world needs your artistic voice, and what a wonderful time to create because you don't need a fancy budget (no one has one right now anyway). An iphone and internet connection can create something beautiful and entertaining. Share your talent!
To learn more about this fantastic artist make sure you visit her official website at - http://www.cheryltexiera.com