I recently was interviewed by my hometown newspaper. Thank you Brandy Nance and Rob Gilligan, from the Emporia Gazette and congrats to Spence and Patrick!! So glad to be in the company of you guys. If you'd like to read the whole article"Making it in LA", click here
Adam Jefferis, son of Nancy Quandt and Jan and Janet Jefferis, moved to Los Angeles in 2003 after graduation from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a BA in theater arts. He grew up in Emporia and attended Village Elementary School and he got his start in acting in ESU’s homecoming musical “Oliver!”
“While in school I did my first feature film,” Jefferis said. “It was a low-budget independent film called ‘Almost Normal.’ After doing the film, several instructors in the theater and film department encouraged me to move to Los Angeles to pursue a professional acting career. That was nearly eight years ago. Time flies and I still feel like I’m on summer vacation sometimes.”
Jefferis’ most recent work includes the world premiere of “Break the Whip” at The Actors’ Gang theater. “Break the Whip” is the first chapter in a series of plays they are continuing to work on with aspirations of touring the series around the world.
Jefferis said he trained at iO West (LA’s Best Improv Comedy) and has been performing there for five years. In 2010, he landed eight commercial gigs, including two national spots (Weber Grills and Hot Pockets), a Comedy Central promo for David Hasselhoff’s Roast, three international spots (Esprit, Mercedes and Nissan) and two viral/internet commercials (Subway and Burt’s Bees). Most recently he booked a worldwide L’Oreal commercial.
“I’m keeping busy with commercial auditions, call backs and bookings,” Jefferis said. “I perform long-form with improv at iO West with different groups. We get a single suggestion from someone in the audience and do a series of scenes, games and monologues culminating into a 30-minute performance. I’m also work-shopping a new play with the artistic director of The Actors’ Gang, Tim Robbins. On top of all that, I’ve been meeting and working with some of television/film’s top casting directors in acting workshops.”
Jefferis said he never thought he’d do theater again.
“So when I found The Actors’ Gang five years ago, I knew I had found something special,” he said. “I’ve been so grateful for this creative outlet and consequently have come to call this place home. My commercial career is just getting started and I’m enjoying working as an actor and getting paid to do it. I’ve worked on a few TV pilots and several independent short films and look forward to more of that work very soon.”
There are many things Jefferis enjoys about theater and film.
“With theater, I enjoy the rush of an audience’s laughter, seeing them on the edge of their seat, hearing an occasional sniffle or gasp, and of course, the roaring applause at the end of the show,” he said. “With film, I enjoy the collaboration on set that makes it all happen. It’s awesome.”
With any career, the industry comes with its challenges.
“Juggling ‘survival jobs’ and my acting career,” Jefferis said. “I managed to stay positive with the moral support of friends and family. I have been so lucky to be working as an actor as much as I have the last couple of years, but I’m always wanting more.”
Jefferis’ favorite moment was his first commercial booking.
“I was ‘taft hartley’ed into the Screen Actors Guild,” he said. “Was flown first class to Dallas to shoot a commercial for Sonic Drive-in. While in Dallas, we happened to be in town for the U2/Muse Concert...a few of us managed to get backstage passes to the concert for free. Wow, welcome to the high life indeed.”
Jefferis’ most memorable role was this past summer when he played Tranio in “Katie the Curst.”
“Better known was ‘Taming of the Shrew,’ it was our annual family Shakespeare in the Park play,” he said. “We do a different adaptation every year and this was the first project ever in my career I got to put my tumbling skills to use. And it was my first Equity contracted show The Actors’ Gang.”
Jefferis offered advice for others seeking to enter the film/theater industry.
“Patience and persistence is the most important thing I’ve learned,” he said. “Everyone’s journey in this industry is different. You must create your own path and decide what makes you happy and go with that.”
Adam Jefferis, son of Nancy Quandt and Jan and Janet Jefferis, moved to Los Angeles in 2003 after graduation from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a BA in theater arts. He grew up in Emporia and attended Village Elementary School and he got his start in acting in ESU’s homecoming musical “Oliver!”
“While in school I did my first feature film,” Jefferis said. “It was a low-budget independent film called ‘Almost Normal.’ After doing the film, several instructors in the theater and film department encouraged me to move to Los Angeles to pursue a professional acting career. That was nearly eight years ago. Time flies and I still feel like I’m on summer vacation sometimes.”
Jefferis’ most recent work includes the world premiere of “Break the Whip” at The Actors’ Gang theater. “Break the Whip” is the first chapter in a series of plays they are continuing to work on with aspirations of touring the series around the world.
Jefferis said he trained at iO West (LA’s Best Improv Comedy) and has been performing there for five years. In 2010, he landed eight commercial gigs, including two national spots (Weber Grills and Hot Pockets), a Comedy Central promo for David Hasselhoff’s Roast, three international spots (Esprit, Mercedes and Nissan) and two viral/internet commercials (Subway and Burt’s Bees). Most recently he booked a worldwide L’Oreal commercial.
“I’m keeping busy with commercial auditions, call backs and bookings,” Jefferis said. “I perform long-form with improv at iO West with different groups. We get a single suggestion from someone in the audience and do a series of scenes, games and monologues culminating into a 30-minute performance. I’m also work-shopping a new play with the artistic director of The Actors’ Gang, Tim Robbins. On top of all that, I’ve been meeting and working with some of television/film’s top casting directors in acting workshops.”
Jefferis said he never thought he’d do theater again.
“So when I found The Actors’ Gang five years ago, I knew I had found something special,” he said. “I’ve been so grateful for this creative outlet and consequently have come to call this place home. My commercial career is just getting started and I’m enjoying working as an actor and getting paid to do it. I’ve worked on a few TV pilots and several independent short films and look forward to more of that work very soon.”
There are many things Jefferis enjoys about theater and film.
“With theater, I enjoy the rush of an audience’s laughter, seeing them on the edge of their seat, hearing an occasional sniffle or gasp, and of course, the roaring applause at the end of the show,” he said. “With film, I enjoy the collaboration on set that makes it all happen. It’s awesome.”
With any career, the industry comes with its challenges.
“Juggling ‘survival jobs’ and my acting career,” Jefferis said. “I managed to stay positive with the moral support of friends and family. I have been so lucky to be working as an actor as much as I have the last couple of years, but I’m always wanting more.”
Jefferis’ favorite moment was his first commercial booking.
“I was ‘taft hartley’ed into the Screen Actors Guild,” he said. “Was flown first class to Dallas to shoot a commercial for Sonic Drive-in. While in Dallas, we happened to be in town for the U2/Muse Concert...a few of us managed to get backstage passes to the concert for free. Wow, welcome to the high life indeed.”
Jefferis’ most memorable role was this past summer when he played Tranio in “Katie the Curst.”
“Better known was ‘Taming of the Shrew,’ it was our annual family Shakespeare in the Park play,” he said. “We do a different adaptation every year and this was the first project ever in my career I got to put my tumbling skills to use. And it was my first Equity contracted show The Actors’ Gang.”
Jefferis offered advice for others seeking to enter the film/theater industry.
“Patience and persistence is the most important thing I’ve learned,” he said. “Everyone’s journey in this industry is different. You must create your own path and decide what makes you happy and go with that.”
RSS Feed