Emily Tyndall is best known for her role as Trish in the blockbuster movie “Napoleon Dynamite.” She is also an accomplished musician — her album “Journey” comes out soon — and has appeared in several other movies, including her latest, “Forever Strong.”
Emily took some time out to chat with me about her career, hanging with Napoleon and living in Utah.
Scott: Growing up in Utah – it’s not exactly New York City – how was it getting into the acting business?
Emily: Being in Utah has had its pros and cons as far as acting goes. There is much less pressure, fewer people to compete with, the majority of auditions are for morally wholesome projects/products (at least as far as I’ve come across), and I’m surrounded by a very strong support group (most of my family and best friends live here). On the other hand, there are much fewer opportunities, LA/NY agents are reluctant to represent someone who does not live there, and LA/NY casting directors are reluctant to audition/book talent who does not live there. Nevertheless, I’m gonna’ keep at it!! I am hopeful that opportunities will continue to come and that even though I don’t live in NY or LA, I will be able to travel there for auditions and work. Oh! Having my web-site, www.emilytyndall.com, has been crucial for my acting career. I have connected with people all over the world because of it. In that sense, as long as I am willing to travel for jobs, where I am based matters much less!
Scott: You studied ballroom dancing from an early age and it was one of the reasons you met your husband, how much of you now is because of those early dancing years?
Emily: Practically 100 %! I absolutely love those memories! I can’t count how many times I wrote (and still write) in my journal, “I LOVE dancing!!!” To top it off, my husband Spencer feels the same way! Dancing inspires us! I wouldn’t be married to Spencer if it weren’t for those years and years of dancing together. Even my current work with Disney would be non-existent if I hadn’t trained in dance. My experiences with dance have created a chain of events that have enriched my life beyond what I could have ever imagined!
Scott: Talk about how you landed the role of Trish in Napoleon Dynamite?
Emily: My agent told me about the audition. I first read for Deb, the scene where she shows up at Napoleon’s door selling glamour shots and caboodles full of boondoggle. “Would you like to look like this? Because right now for a limited time, glamour shots by Deb are 75% off…” Of course I had no idea what the whole movie was about but I could assume from the boondoggle and caboodles that it should have an 80’s feel. So I wore a hot pink sweater and used a pink claw to push my hair into a big wave on the top of my head, but I took the scene very seriously. I got called back and got to read for the director, Jared Hess. He liked my performance, but thought I fit the look of Summer and Trisha better. So I read for both of them. For Summer, I read the speech she gives to the school encouraging the students to vote for her for president—about chimney-changas and it being “summer all year long!” For Trisha, I read the scene where Uncle Rico gives her the Bust Plus flyer. My only lines were, “Yeah” and “Ok.” I guess I was pretty convincing with those two words because I got the part of Trisha! Haha–ok I’m not sure what exactly tipped the scale in my favor, but I’m just glad they cast me! I have never read a script as genuinely funny as Napoleon Dynamite! I feel extremely blessed to have had a part in such an original and hilarious film.
Scott: What was filming like on that shoot – take me through one of the best days on set?
Emily: Filming was a blast! It’s hard to choose a day so I’ll just share the first one. When I arrived in Preston, I couldn’t find anybody from the crew…Preston seemed like a deserted little ghost town. The production office was a scrappy old building filled with cobwebs and clutter. Finally Tina Majorino’s mom, Sarah came along and helped me find the crew. I was promptly shown to my room at the one and only motel in Preston. I sat on my bed for a moment and tried to believe that I was actually in Preston to film a movie. How exciting! I was then taken to the set which was outside in a simple subdivision. I went into the makeup/hair trailer and met Daniel, the hairdresser and Steve, the makeup artist. The first thing Daniel did was cut thick bangs in my hair! Haha! I hadn’t had bangs like that since I was 3 years old!! Then Steve put on my makeup. Jerusha (Jared Hess’s wife) helped me find an outfit (half of which, by the way, came directly from my collection of hand-me-downs that I donated for the shoot!) and then I walked down the sidewalk to where the cast and crew were filming.
That day I met Haylie Duff (Summer Wheatley) and Jon Gries (Uncle Rico). Also on set was Jon Heder (Napoleon) whom I had already met at college. After some waiting around (typical for a day on a film set), they were ready to shoot my scenes. Haylie and I were going to film the scene where Uncle Rico gives us the Bust Plus flyers. “Action!” We started walking down the sidewalk chatting about important girly things like bedazzlers, jewelry, and hair products. Uncle Rico pulled up in his van and delivered his lines and of course, the flyer! Uncle Rico was hilarious—just his serious expression killed me! After a bunch of shots we took a break.
As I sat on the lawn, Jon Heder came up to me and said, “Hey Emily, what do you think?” He handed me the drawing of my face that would be used later in the shoot. “Oh. My. Gosh.” I laughed. “It’s hilarious! It’s hideous! It’s perfect!” Yes, this was the drawing that took him “three hours to shade the upper lip”. Jon had been sitting on the lawn drawing that picture the whole time we were shooting. It’s ironic that his character, Napoleon, is such a terrible artist because Jon is actually an extremely talented artist who majored in visual art at BYU.
During the break, Jared told us stories from his childhood in Preston. Everything Jared said made me laugh because he could imitate the painfully awkward moments of life so well. Truth is stranger than fiction which is one reason ND was so funny and successful—Jared mirrored so much of it from real life and real people. Jared re-enacted the situations way better than any of us actors!! It was hilarious!
Well, after a nice break in the shade, we started filming again. It was a very hot day—actually, so hot that somebody fainted—but don’t worry, they were ok. After filming was done for the day Haylie and I drove a block away and ordered pizza at a little green restaurant. Everyone who walked in validated the characters in the script. In fact, everyone in that town validated the truthfulness of the script. Preston seems to exist in a little bubble isolated from the rest of the world and content to be that way.
After dinner, Haylie and I returned to our motel rooms which were next door to each other. We talked and laughed a lot every day! I loved working with Haylie, she reminded me of my best friend Rachel. We were very comfortable around each other and that made the whole shoot so fun. I loved getting to know experienced actors from LA. Jon Gries (Uncle Rico) and I jammed out on our guitars—he taught me how to play Blackbird! Tina, Haylie, Jon Heder and I practiced our dances and Happy Hands routines at the local gym. Haylie and I went to Bear Lake one day, watched her sister Hilary Duff on TV as “Lizzie McGuire” another day, bought snacks at Preston’s only grocery store, went to the local park for fireworks and even had sleepovers…hehe…being alone in a motel is only fun at first—I realized I’d rather be with friends!
Scott: Tell us the truth, was Jon Heder enjoying the perm?
Emily: Haha. I’m gonna’ go with a yes on that one. He, along with everyone, took their roles so seriously—even though the characters seemed slightly ridiculous. That made the characters so great—and likable. Everybody had fun doing whatever it took to make their character more believable: Kip’s braces and mustache, my thick bangs, Uncle Rico’s toupee, Deb’s side pony tail and puffed sleeves, Efren’s wig, everyone’s outdated clothes, and of course Jon’s pants, moon boots, “Endurance” style t-shirts and last but not least, the perm—which he had to get more than once because it started to grow out during the filming. So you’ll notice that at some parts of the movie, his perm is tighter. Oh yeah, he was loving the perm!
Scott: You were obviously thrilled when it took off, but what’s it been like to see some of the actors turn into big names in Hollywood, specifically Jon Heder (Napoleon)?
Emily: I just can’t believe that I was able to be a part of the same thing that brought Jon Heder and the other filmmakers such success. How cool is that?! It has been so fun to see Jon’s name in movie after movie. I’ve talked with him and he has told me what it is like to be recognized everywhere he goes. I experience a little bit of that, but not nearly as much as he does. He told me that people always ask him to do the Napoleon dance. I imagine that could get old after a while. I am not sure whether acting is something Jon always wanted to do—but nonetheless, it has become a successful career for him. So I am very happy for him! Based on some conversations with him, I don’t think he loves getting too much attention from strangers on the street—but I’m sure he’s accustomed to it by now.
It is crazy how much he has done in the past three years! He’s worked with Will Ferrill, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Jon Lovitz, Billy Bob Thornton, Sarah Silverman, Ben Stiller, Reese Witherspoon, Mark Ruffalo, Steve Buscemi, Catherine O’Hara, Kathleen Turner, Kevin James, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Amy Poehler, Jenna Fischer, Mila Kunis, Jeff Bridges, Zooey Deschanel, Shia LeBeouf, Jeff Daniels, Diane Keaton…don’t worry–I didn’t know all of those off the top of my head—I cheated and used imdb.com. Anyway, I’m proud to know him–go Jon!!
Scott: I read you were an artist for Disney, doing animations for movies such as “Meet The Robinsons” and “Chicken Little.” Must be a pretty cool gig?
Emily: Oh yes!!! It IS WAY cool—I work with some of the most talented, funny, passionate, and creative people. Amazingly, they are all extremely humble as well. I couldn’t be happier. I started out as an intern artist six years ago–learning to do concept art, textures, and build 3D objects. Since then, I have had the opportunity of taking on many additional roles: lead texture artist, lead game designer, renderer, choreographer, dancer, voice-over actress, casting director, motion capture actress, background painter, cinematic artist, etc. Working for Disney Interactive Studios is awesome because we are encouraged to really show off! Everyone celebrates work well done and so we all are striving to improve ourselves every day. Here’s some samples from my co-workers: www.avalanchesoftware.blogspot.com.
I also love having an inside scoop on what’s happening at Disney. We get to see feature animations before they come out—and seeing them is considered work because you know, we have to see the films in order to make games about them. Speaking of work—Disney pays me to draw, color, dance, pretend, play video games, look through fashion magazines, dance, watch YouTube videos, check out celebrity fan-sites, browse online clothing stores…and oh, did I mention dance?? I LOVE dancing! Hehe. Just had to throw that in there again. I wish I could tell you what game we are making right now, but I can’t. Sorry! …Boy do I feel cool having such “confidential” information!
Scott: Your latest movie is “Forever Strong” with Sean Astin and Gary Cole. What was being apart of that film like?
Emily: It was really awesome! Sadly, I never actually got to meet Sean Astin or Gary Cole. However, I still had a great time. This film did not have a huge budget, but it was a significantly greater budget than the previous films I have worked on. That makes a big difference behind the scenes. Everything runs smoothly, crew members are happier and everyone is more comfortable. I had my own room in the honey wagon! That was a first–loved that!! Plus I immediately felt welcomed into the group. Ryan Little, the director, was like a fun older brother. I was excited to work with him because I had heard great things about his film Saints and Soldiers. While on set, I made friends with Jeremy Earl, who was one of the few Utah-based actors with a large role in the film. I also chatted a bit with Sean Faris and he seemed very cool–very dedicated.
Scott: Who are some actors you’d love to work with?
Emily: Meryl Streep!! She amazes me! Nicole Kidman, Renee Zelweger, Julia Roberts, Anthony Hopkins, Téa Leoni, Jack Black, Toni Colette, Bill Murray, Steve Carrell, Keira Knightley, Kevin James, Leah Remini, Rachel McAdams, Michelle Pfeifer, Amanda Bynes, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Kate Winslet, AnnaSophia Robb, Kristin Chenowith, Christianne Noll, Holly Hunter, Marisa Tomei…etc. etc.
Scott: What’s next for Emily Tyndall?
Emily: I’ll be finishing up this video game for Disney [title confidential] around September which will be a guaranteed hit! This has been the best project I have ever worked on! I want to create a “making of” DVD because the whole process has been so hilarious! I feel like I have been laughing for the past 6 months straight because I work with such funny people! Meanwhile, I also plan to send out my CD, Journey, to music producers as well as fans who have requested it. Then I want to start working on some of my own songs—possibly collaborate with some friends. And of course, I will continue to audition for shows and projects in Utah, LA, NY and wherever else any intriguing projects may be! I post all my latest news here: www.emilytyndall.com and people can sign up on my mailing list for updates as well.
Scott: Is Utah a place you think you’ll always be or do you think you’ll ever venture to L.A. or New York?
Emily: It’s hard to know, but even if I always live here, I will definitely venture to LA, NY or elsewhere for work. Even though Utah is my home, it doesn’t mean I need to be home all the time, right? Watch out world, here I come!!!
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