Mary Neely Explained

Mary Connor Neely
Birth Date:April 10, 1991[1]
Birth Place:Los Angeles, California, U.S.[2]
Alma Mater:UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television
Years Active:2010–present

Mary Connor Neely (born April 10, 1991) is an American actress, writer, director, and editor.[3] She rose to prominence during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic with a series of self-filmed lip-sync videos reenacting scenes from well-known musicals. She published her videos on Twitter (see below) to broad acclaim. Neely also appeared in the 2020 remake of Valley Girl and directed the 2017 short film Pink Trailer, which premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival.[4] [5]

Early life

Mary Connor Neely was born on April 10, 1991, in Los Angeles, California, to Mark Neely, an actor, and Mary Neely (née Johnson), a commercial producer.[6] Her parents divorced when she was young and she was raised equally between them.[7] Neely is an only child.[8] Her paternal grandmother is a survivor of the Holocaust.[9]

Growing up in Los Angeles, Neely has described it as both “really interesting”[10] and “odd”.[11]

Though both of her parents exited entertainment when Neely was in elementary school, a lot of their friends were “crew people” which led Neely to grow up in the industry but as she described, “it wasn’t glamorous.”[12] Neely lived in 13 different houses by the time she was 18 years old[13] in the Glendale, Altadena, Pasadena, South Pasadena, Santa Monica, and West LA neighborhoods of Los Angeles.[14] She cites the exposure to so many different kinds of people and places as a catalyst for her interest in performing.[15] Neely started acting in community theater productions at age eight,[16] saying her love for musicals was akin to a religion.[17] During summers in high school, Neely attended drama programs at UCLA and Carnegie Mellon.[18] Neely graduated from The Archer School for Girls in 2009 https://www.facebook.com/archerschool/posts/10158445862822728 before studying acting at UCLA's School of Theater Film and Television on scholarship.[19]

Career

During her junior year at UCLA, Neely was scouted by a commercial casting director at a barbecue and began auditioning while still enrolled in school.[20] In 2012 Neely was cast as "Kitty" in Eli Russell Linnetz' Afterglow, a short film also starring Sawyer Spielberg and Paul Sand. She graduated from UCLA in 2013 with a major in Theater and a minor in Scandinavian culture.[21] Upon completing her degree, the faculty of the theater school awarded her the Judith and Milton R. Stark scholarship, given based on artistic merit.[22] Neely has been cast in over twenty national commercials,[23] most notably as goth daughter Debbie in Pepcid's The Burns Family campaign alongside Richard Riehle[24] and as the bubbly Tide Pods Waitress, which ran in the U.S. and Canada from 2015 to 2019.[25] Frustrated by the lack of nuance written into female TV and film roles, Neely began creating her own projects, learning how to edit using YouTube tutorials.[26] Neely's first short film, The Dresser, was nominated for the Golden Egg award at the Reykjavík International Film Festival.[27] A comedy about Sofia, a young actress grappling with her control issues by trying and failing to hook up with a co-star, Neely wrote, directed, edited, produced, and starred.[28] She then made Wacko Smacko, an eight-episode web series based on The Dresser that follows Sofia as she fumbles through ordeals with dating, friendships, and family while trying to develop an acting career in Los Angeles.[29] Neely again wrote, directed, produced, and starred.[30] The series was licensed to the YouTube channel Snarled[31] and was well-received, with over 500,000 views.[32] One critic said of Wacko Smacko, “Neely’s storytelling is raw and real, and her character Sofia is, thankfully, imperfect and nuanced, a person with aspirations who also occasionally shoots herself in the foot, and is by no means a one-dimensional female stereotype.”[33] In 2017 Neely was hired to direct and edit Pink Trailer,[34] a short film that follows two young women, Julie and Lucy, as they housesit for Lucy's grandmother https://cools.com/mary-neely-film-director but keep getting visited by a foreboding neighbor.[35] Neely blended comedy with hints of horror to accentuate serious discussions about mental health and growing up.[36] The film premiered at the South by Southwest[37] film festival and opened Palm Springs ShortFest[38] to positive reviews, Refinery29 comparing it to Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird.[39] In 2019 Pink Trailer played as a pre-feature short before Olivia Wilde's Booksmart at the Oriental Theater in Milwaukee.[40] In 2018 Neely directed and edited her first music video, Margaret,[41] for LA band Pinky Pinky.[42] Deemed a “masterpiece” by Paper Magazine,[43] the video[44] stars Teresa Ganzel as a lonely, pill-popping, Chardonnay-drinking mother of a teenage girl.[45] Neely described it as a “dark version” of the 2003 Fountains of Wayne music video for Stacy's Mom.[46] In 2020 Neely appeared in MGM's remake of Valley Girl, was chosen as one of Adweek's Creative 100[47] and named a New Face at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal.[48]

Neely had supporting roles in Sony's live-action/animated musical fantasy comedy film Lyle Lyle Crocodile and Netflix's romantic comedy film Happiness for Beginners, in 2022 and 2023 respectively. In 2024 Neely was cast in The Room Returns! starring Bob Odenkirk as well as the 20th Century Studios feature Swiped starring Lily James, the latter of which is set to premiere in 2025.[49]

Coronavirus Lockdown Project

During the initial lockdown of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, Neely, isolated and living alone, decided to record herself on an iPhone, reenacting love duets from classic musicals like Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, Grease, Hamilton, among others. Doing so involved her lip-syncing both male and female parts on-camera, wearing a variety of wigs and costumes as well as editing each video.[50] Her efforts resulted in media attention, performance offers, and widespread praise, including compliments from broadcast TV showrunners Krista Vernoff, Warren Leight and Mike Schur plus Broadway luminaries Lin-Manuel Miranda[51] and Andrew Lloyd Webber.[52] The last in Neely's video series was Belle, the opening number from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Neely plays over 40 characters[53] and choreographed the number in and around her apartment building https://nerdist.com/article/beauty-and-the-beast-one-woman-performance-belle/. The finale gained one million views on Twitter in six days,[54] Nerdist writing, “The song begins, and so does the beautiful chaos that is her-self proclaimed 'magnum opus.' It’s magic”.[55] After wrapping up the initial thread of love song covers in April, Neely came back in May with a full song-by-song reenactment of The Sound of Music to raise money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. After meeting her $7,000 fundraising goal in one hour, Neely managed to raise $25,000[56] for theater performers seeking COVID relief.[57] The New York Times and The Washington Post[58] included Neely's quarantine created videos in their Best Theater of 2020 roundups, the former claiming, “For a few heroic weeks, she was a one-woman incarnation of musical theater itself”.[59]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleCredited as
ActorWriterDirectorEditor
2010Queen of the Lot
2012Afterglow
2014The Dresser
2014Two Bit Waltz
2017Pink Trailer
2020ASMR
2020Valley Girl
2022Lyle Lyle Crocodile
2023Happiness for Beginners
2024The Room Returns!
2025Swiped

Television

YearTitleCredited asNotes
ActorWriterDirectorEditor
2015Good at LifePilot
2018The Good CopEpisode: "Did the TV Star Do it?"
2022Episode: "Did You Believe in Miracles?"

Web

YearTitleCredited asNotes
ActorWriterDirectorEditor
2012Westwood Girl10 episodes
2015Wacko Smacko8 episodes
2016Welcome to the Shadow Zone5 episodes
2017Ya Killin' MeEpisode: "All Movies are Threeboots Now"

Music Videos

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominated WorkResult
2014Reykjavik International Film Festival Golden Egg AwardBest ShortThe Dresser
2018South by Southwest Film Festival Grand Jury AwardNarrative ShortPink Trailer

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mary Neely - IMDb . IMDb . 7 December 2020 .
  2. Web site: About - Mary Neely . maryneely.com . 2020-04-26.
  3. Web site: Chieffi. Tarah. An actress is filming incredible one-woman performances of Broadway shows from her apartment, and even Lin-Manuel Miranda is a fan. 2021-07-02. Insider. en-US.
  4. Web site: Mary Neely IMDb. IMDb.
  5. Web site: 2018 SXSW Film Festival Selections: Narrative Shorts [Video] ]. SXSW . 7 December 2020 .
  6. Web site: 'pink trailer' is a nostalgia-soaked short film about being in your 20s - i-D . i-d . 7 December 2020 . 'pink trailer' is a nostalgia-soaked short film about being in your 20s .
  7. Web site: SXSW Selected Filmmaker, Actress, and Writer: Mary Neely — Pink Things . Pink Things . 22 March 2018 . 7 December 2020 .
  8. Web site: SXSW Selected Filmmaker, Actress, and Writer: Mary Neely — Pink Things . Pink Things . 22 March 2018 . 7 December 2020 .
  9. Web site: Mary Neely Twitter .
  10. Web site: 'pink trailer' is a nostalgia-soaked short film about being in your 20s - i-D . i-d . 7 December 2020 . 'pink trailer' is a nostalgia-soaked short film about being in your 20s .
  11. Web site: How Mary Neely + Her Musical Theater Videos Became a (Beloved) Viral Hit . backstage.com . 7 December 2020 .
  12. Web site: 'pink trailer' is a nostalgia-soaked short film about being in your 20s - i-D . i-d . 7 December 2020 . 'pink trailer' is a nostalgia-soaked short film about being in your 20s .
  13. Web site: 'pink trailer' is a nostalgia-soaked short film about being in your 20s - i-D . i-d . 7 December 2020 . 'pink trailer' is a nostalgia-soaked short film about being in your 20s .
  14. Web site: Getting To Know Mary Neely . Something You Said . 7 December 2020 .
  15. Web site: SXSW Selected Filmmaker, Actress, and Writer: Mary Neely — Pink Things . Pink Things . 22 March 2018 . 7 December 2020 .
  16. Web site: MARY NEELY: INTERVIEW — Unclear Magazine . Unclear Magazine . 27 March 2018 . 7 December 2020 .
  17. Web site: Woman reenacts Broadway love songs to feel less alone in quarantine . America . Good Morning . Good Morning America . 7 December 2020 .
  18. Web site: How Mary Neely Became a Viral Quarantine Star With Musical Theater Videos Hollywood Reporter . hollywoodreporter.com . 7 December 2020 .
  19. Web site: Archer School for Girls Facebook . The Hollywood Reporter.
  20. Web site: How Mary Neely Became a Viral Quarantine Star With Musical Theater Videos Hollywood Reporter . hollywoodreporter.com . 7 December 2020 .
  21. Web site: EP (60) Mary Neely: Exploring strong female storylines through film and creative projects as an actress, writer and director — Andrea Lynett . Andrea Lynett . 3 July 2018 . 7 December 2020 .
  22. Web site: Scholarships and Fellowships - UCLA School of TFT . UCLA School of TFT . 7 December 2020 .
  23. Web site: How Mary Neely Became a Viral Quarantine Star With Musical Theater Videos Hollywood Reporter . hollywoodreporter.com . 7 December 2020 .
  24. Web site: Pepcid Complete TV Commercial, 'The Burns Family BBQ' Featuring Richard Riehle . iSpot.tv Realtime TV Advertising Performance Measurement . 7 December 2020 .
  25. Web site: Tide Pods TV Commercial, 'Waitress' . iSpot.tv Realtime TV Advertising Performance Measurement . 7 December 2020 .
  26. Web site: SXSW Selected Filmmaker, Actress, and Writer: Mary Neely — Pink Things . Pink Things . 22 March 2018 . 7 December 2020 .
  27. Web site: Mary Neely Finds Beauty in the Details From Music Videos . COOLS . 8 May 2018 . 7 December 2020 .
  28. Web site: Mary Neely Finds Beauty in the Details From Music Videos . COOLS . 8 May 2018 . 7 December 2020 .
  29. Web site: Mary Neely Finds Beauty in the Details From Music Videos . COOLS . 8 May 2018 . 7 December 2020 .
  30. Web site: Mary Neely Finds Beauty in the Details From Music Videos . COOLS . 8 May 2018 . 7 December 2020 .
  31. Web site: Snarled network develops full channel bouquet Deals News Rapid TV News . Clancy . Michelle . rapidtvnews.com . 7 December 2020 .
  32. Web site: Mary Neely Finds Beauty in the Details From Music Videos . COOLS . 8 May 2018 . 7 December 2020 .
  33. Web site: Mary Neely Finds Beauty in the Details From Music Videos . COOLS . 8 May 2018 . 7 December 2020 .
  34. Web site: SXSW 2018: Mary Neely talks Pink Trailer - Solzy at the Movies . Solzy at the Movies . 7 December 2020 .
  35. Web site: SXSW Selected Filmmaker, Actress, and Writer: Mary Neely — Pink Things . Pink Things . 22 March 2018 . 7 December 2020 .
  36. Web site: Pink Trailer by Mary Neely Dark Comedy Short Film . Short of the Week . 7 December 2020 .
  37. Web site: 2018 SXSW Film Festival Selections: Narrative Shorts [Video] ]. SXSW . 7 December 2020 .
  38. Web site: Opening Night Good Vibrations Palm Springs International Film Festival . psfilmfest.org . 7 December 2020 .
  39. Web site: Binge-Watch The Most Exciting Woman-Directed Films At 2018's Palm Springs Shortfest . refinery29.com . 7 December 2020 .
  40. Web site: Booksmart The Oriental Theatre, Milwaukee's Historic Movie Palace . MKEFilm . 7 December 2020 .
  41. Web site: Pinky Pinky Won't Be Pigeonholed . PAPER . 7 December 2020 .
  42. Web site: pinky pinky are the rising queens of l.a. garage rock - i-D . i-d . 7 December 2020 .
  43. Web site: Pinky Pinky Won't Be Pigeonholed . PAPER . 7 December 2020 .
  44. Web site: Pinky Pinky - "Margaret" (Official Video) . YouTube . 23 February 2018 . 7 December 2020 .
  45. Web site: Pinky Pinky Won't Be Pigeonholed . PAPER . 7 December 2020 .
  46. Web site: Pinky Pinky Won't Be Pigeonholed . PAPER . 7 December 2020 .
  47. Web site: 10 Creators Shaping Culture in Quarantine and Beyond . adweek.com . 7 June 2020 . 7 December 2020 .
  48. Web site: Just for Laughs Announces Its 2020 New Faces . Wright . Megh . Vulture . 7 December 2020 .
  49. Web site: Grobar . Matt . 2024-06-11 . Lily James’ Bumble Movie Confirmed For Hulu Launch As 20th Unveils First Look Photo . 2024-08-08 . Deadline . en-US.
  50. Web site: How Mary Neely Became a Viral Quarantine Star With Musical Theater Videos Hollywood Reporter . hollywoodreporter.com . 7 December 2020 .
  51. Web site: How Mary Neely Became a Viral Quarantine Star With Musical Theater Videos Hollywood Reporter . hollywoodreporter.com . 7 December 2020 .
  52. Web site: Andrew Lloyd Webber Twitter .
  53. Web site: How Mary Neely + Her Musical Theater Videos Became a (Beloved) Viral Hit . backstage.com . 7 December 2020 .
  54. Web site: How Mary Neely + Her Musical Theater Videos Became a (Beloved) Viral Hit . backstage.com . 7 December 2020 .
  55. Web site: This One Woman BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Performance Is Incredible . Nerdist . 7 December 2020 .
  56. Web site: Mary Neely, Your Favorite Broadway Lip Sync Artist, Is Just Getting Started . The Daily Beast . 7 December 2020 .
  57. Web site: Fundraising for Broadway Cares and programs and affiliates of Broadway Cares . Classy . 7 December 2020 .
  58. News: Peter Marks. December 9, 2020. The Washington Post. Best theater of 2020: Sondheim's birthday, 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' Mary Neely, 'The Amen Corner' and more.
  59. Web site: Best Theater of 2020. Elisabeth Vincentelli. The New York Times. December 1, 2020. 7 December 2020.