When she was 22 years old in the summer of 2017, Juliet Fessel left her hometown of Rockville, Maryland, for Long Beach, California in pursuit of her dreams. As an artist with many talents, she knew Los Angeles would be the best place for her to find success. She has accomplished so much in the two years since her move, so I sat down with her to discuss her experiences thus far.
HC: Hi Juliet, would you like to introduce yourself?
JF: I’m Juliet Fessel! Some people know me as Squid or other nicknames, but I’ve kind of coined my full name as my trademark.
HC: Did you always know you wanted to be an actress, artist, and model?
JF: I’ve always known I wanted to be an artist. Later in life, I found that acting and writing were the primary sanctions of art that make me feel the most fulfilled! Modeling just comes with acting in a way.
Photo Credit: @Julietfessel on Instagram
HC: Let’s talk about the Girls Have Fun music video. What was it like working with Tyga, G-Easy, and Rich The Kid?
JF: They were all really nice! They joked around with all the girls on set a little bit. But the girls communicated with the casting director, producers and each other more than the stars. There’s a lot of down-time on any set, so it’s kind of funny – you get a room full of 100 models/actresses lounging around, fully made-up, waiting to shoot, just talking to each other about our goals and whatever else. Especially when posting anything about/from the shoot is banned, which it almost always is. It’s nice to unplug with a bunch of strangers once in a while.
HC: What was it like working with the other models?
JF: With so many girls on set, you’re bound to get so many different personalities! I’m the type of person to try and make friends wherever I go, but not everyone is like that, and I respect that! Some girls are just there to work. Some are new to the industry, so they’re really bubbly and excited with a lot of questions. Others are actually personal friends with the artists, or they’re “Instagram famous” or whatever else clout-wise, so they talk about those experiences… but mostly everyone is just friendly and chill with each other. I’d say the overall vibe is definitely empowering because we all feel good about the fact that we’re being paid to look good and basically just be ourselves, and they never make us do anything we don’t want to. Like, if a girl isn’t comfortable in a certain outfit or she doesn’t want to dance on camera, that’s totally fine. Everyone just has fun.
HC: Anything else you’d be willing to share about your experience shooting this video?
JF: I will say that this video is actually kind of an anomaly in my body of work. I’ve done so many different kinds of interesting acting gigs, but just because of the big names attached to this project, it’s almost become what people automatically associate me with, as if it was my own passion project. It’s strange: when people find out I’m an actor they say “what’s the biggest thing you’ve ever done?” And I say “to you or to me?” Because to me, it’s the short film I was the lead in… or the comedy pilot I wrote, produced, and starred in myself… or perhaps the supporting role I got in a feature film recently that no one may ever see. While to everyone else, it’s this video. I am so grateful for the experience, opportunity, and exposure. But as an artist, it was one of my least significant roles ever. I’m aware the project is lacking substance. So it’s funny when people congratulate me on it like it was some feat.
HC: It’s really interesting to hear that perspective. Would you like to tell me more about the short film, comedy pilot, or your role in the feature film?
JF: Sure! The short film was shot in Philadelphia over a Summer. It was the first real narrative speaking role I ever booked, so it’ll always have a special place in my heart. The comedy pilot is a passion project between me and one of my closest friends here in Long Beach, who also moved to LA from MD to pursue entertainment industry dreams. I actually didn’t even get back into acting for the first year or so that I was here. I wanted to spend some time networking, settling in, and building my brand. So my friend and I co-wrote, co-produced, cast, co-directed and shot a short comedy film entirely on my phone. It’s currently still in the editing phase and admittedly looks amateur, but I’m just so proud that we did it. Clips from this project are actually featured in my current reel, which has booked me other bigger roles now that I’m acting seriously again. I landed a supporting role in a dramatic feature indie film and can’t wait to attend the premiere. I’ve been doing a lot of stuff that isn’t out yet, which makes me feel optimistic about booking even bigger work in the future.
Photo Credit: @Julietfessel on Instagram
HC: Can you tell me about your biggest dream or goal?
JF: I’ve been working on a novel for the past six years. My goal is to finish it, publish it, adapt it into a screenplay, and turn it into a feature film. From there, ideally, I’d like to continue writing books and movies. I’d also like to continue acting, whether that’s in my own films or others. Both writing and acting bring me great joy. Ultimately, I want to create media that brings joy and inspiration to others too.
HC: Wow — I can’t wait to see it someday! Do you have any advice for anyone who wants to chase a dream similar to yours?
JF: Trust yourself. Don’t trip over rejection. Learn constantly. It’s not all glamorous. And with any form of art, do it because you love everything about it with every ounce of your being. Do it because you have passion and a message. Do it because it makes you feel empowered or free or fulfilled. Don’t do it if your goals are superficial/material – to get rich, be popular, have nice things, etc. There are easier ways to obtain wealth.