Gail Rastorfer
actor - writer - coach

All I ever wanted was to be was an actor.  I took art, dance, voice lessons and read voraciously as a kid and somehow convinced my parents that I should get a BFA in Musical Theatre....which I did. After I graduated I continued to hone my craft with classes, reading and research. My training and teachers seemed to intimate that my skilll would be enough; that being versatile was a huge asset; that my headshot, my resume and my audition would be enough to consistently get me the job. This was not the case for me. I did get work BUT not the work I knew I was capable of and as I grew 'older' and out of the ingenue roles I found I was trying to be what the casting folk 'wanted' me to be.

After working for a Venture Capitalist for a few years, I started opening my eyes to a different way to approach my craft. I started working for Acting Studio Chicago, one of the top acting schools in the city of Chicago. I also had the privilege of assisting award winning Casting Director Jane Alderman and gained perspective from the other side of the table. I began studying commercials and TV and the art of the headshot. What was my 'business plan' beyond auditioning and finding work?  What was my 'mission' as an aritist and as a person? I took an honest look at myself and how people perceived me and decided to concentrate on those commercial (yet authentic) aspects of my product. I strived to make more specific decisions on how I presented myself when I walked into a room; to let everyone know (clearly and specifically) who I was.  

By the end of 2005 my consistency and specificity started winning me more work and respect. For the last several years I have been living between Chicago and Los Angeles expanding my acting resume to TV series and Film while simultaneously helping students and veterans alike gain better insight into the business of the business and their product. Now let me help you do the same.