The New Triple Threat: Actor, Writer, Producer
The New Triple Threat
The title “triple threat” in the performing arts has conventionally referred to a person who is able to act, sing and dance superbly. As technology has evolved creating a paradigm shift in how we communicate and interact in our society, the way to climb to success in the entertainment industry has evolved as well. New methods of creating work, and the ways and means to go about sharing that work, have changed the game. This has given rise to a new breed of a triple threat’s that have emerged from the massive talent-pool in Hollywood. In the past, major network producers were able to decide when your ticket was up or when your career was over (usually if you were pushing 40-years-old for women). This new phenomenon is being led by a talented group of highly motivated, incredibly determined women who are writing, producing and starring in their own work. Welcome to the new triple threat.
Women are reinventing the proverbial “good ol’ boy’s club",” by creating production companies, writing scripts and starring in their self-produced work. These talented women are being brought into the limelight and celebrated with hit-shows on streaming channels such as Netflix, Apple TV and Hulu. They are affectively leveraging social media, banding together with like-minded artists and producing shows, movies and limited series on these channels with the right amount of backing, talent and determination.
Leading the pack of famous triple threats is Tina Fey. Fey worked her way up to become the first female head-writer at Saturday Night Live in 1999. Fey was not in front of the camera until the 2000-2001 season of SNL when she debuted as co-anchor on “weekend-update” and continued with SNL until their 2006 season. After her brilliant, on-point impersonation of Sarah Palin went viral, as they say, the rest is history. Tina Fey’s current production company, “Little Stranger” has created “30-Rock” which aired 2006-2013 and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” aired 2015-2019. Both shows won multiple award in the industry, including Emmys and Golden Globes for 30-Rock.
More powerhouse-women on this triple threat list who write, produce and act in their own work are Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project), Amy Schumer (I Feel Pretty and The Amy Schumer Show), Issa Rae (Insecure), and Jennifer Westfeldt (Friends With Kids) just to name a few. This is inspiring more women to branch out in their career by making brave choices that are having them demanding the producer’s chair and calling the shots.
As a side note, some notorious men who have made this triple threat status have been Woody Allen, Mel Gibson, George Clooney, Kenneth Branagh, Kevin Smith , Zach Braff and surprisingly Sylvester Stallone (yes, Sly has written most of his hit movies).
You might be thinking that these women already had star-power before they were able to open production companies and become their own bosses. You would be correct but having star-power is not a requirement to follow in the famous footsteps of these triple threats. This is not an implication that the work is any easier than it has been in the past, but there are now many more avenues online to getting your work seen by people in the business who have connections. The power has shifted from the elite few with huge production companies to more independent filmmakers producing films and TV series. Anyone can seize the opportunity to submit their work to Netflix or other streaming channels with a chance to be picked up for a season. The impact of social media has started to level the playing field and allow the nightmare “casting-couch” approach to making it in Hollywood to slowly fade into the past. As the credit’s role on TV shows and films you will also begin to see the lead actresses wearing many different hats within the film’s production.
The wage-gap between genders that has plagued our country for generations is finally being talked about and altered by brave women who demand equality in their contracts. The wage-gap is slowly starting to close in Hollywood partly due to triple threat women taking the lead. Women were tired of playing the generic roles that were being written for them as supporting characters in films and on TV. They had the talent and fan-base to create their own roles and produce their own films. Instead of playing roles like the “housewife”, or “girlfriend” in male-driven storylines, women started creating roles for other women that were heroic and transformative in nature. Women like Tina Fey, Amy Schumer, Mindy Kaling, and Wanda Sykes have become role models as remarkably striking triple threats.
An actor no longer has to be compartmentalized as one type of an artist and pigeon-holed as “the leading lady”. If you have talent to offer in several areas of this field, finding an outlet to bring those talents to life and letting it be part of the package of who you are as an artist is key. By taking control of your career in this industry, you are not allowing your success to depend on knowing the right people or being born into a famous family.
I am not suggesting it is an easy road to succeed in this highly competitive field, even if you possess the skills to be a triple threat. It is instrumental to look at your career through a new filter, one that has you making decisions that were previously made by others in the industry. Mega-Producer and TV Writer Shonda Rhimes is now offering masterclasses online and NBC studios has an internship program where you are able to get a foot in the door as a script writer. The more research you conduct and the more you set time aside to become a well-rounded artist, the more opportunities will arise that you never knew existed. If you have determination coupled with raw talent you can work to become the new triple threat. To exercise all of your capabilities and become the next triple threat there is nothing stopping you except your own complacency and lack of motivation. Which would be good news for powerhouse, new triple threats: less competition.