Sarah Moliski, affectionately known as the “Princess of Vertical Dramas,” chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about her career in the acting and casting industry. She is best known for playing the role of the female villain in most of her projects.
Helen Keller once said: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched — they must be felt with the heart.” A person who embodies this quote is Sarah Moliski.
Vertical drama space
On being a part of the vertical drama space, she enthused, “Oh my gosh, it has been a wild ride. It has been really cool.”
“I was one of the actors that started in the space when it was really embarrassing and cringy, and nobody wanted it on their IMDb pages. Now, big wigs are getting involved and so are all the major players, so it has been really exciting to see the changes,” she observed.
“Also, it has been nerve-wracking because as an artist and a creative, it makes you question if you will have a job tomorrow. We have AI now, so there’s a lot to it, but I’m so grateful I’ve made really cool projects,” she noted.
“I’ve made amazing friends, and I’m very happy that I didn’t listen to a lot of friends of mine who were like, ‘Girl, there is some really bad acting in verticals.’ At the time, I didn’t find it embarrassing, I just needed a job. Fast forward to today, we work on so many projects each month, and they come out in a fast turnaround rate,” she elaborated.
‘The Next ReelStar’
Moliski enjoyed being a part of “The Next ReelStar” on ReelShort, where she served as a judge. In that reality competition, constestants from Mister USA competed for a role in a vertical drama. The winner wound up being David Wesley where he starred opposite Jesse Morales. “Jesse is such a great actor, a dear friend, and a lovely human,” she said.
“That was really cool, especially to be a part of a reality show on ReelShort, which was the first of its kind,” she admitted. “The fact that the whole show blended reality with the vertical world was really smart because in my opinion, I don’t think AI can take reality away because it’s authentic and it’s live action. Kudos to executive producer Sammie Hao for spearheading that.”
“Overall, being a judge for ‘The Next ReelStar’ was really fun to do… even though I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings with my critiques, but the producers did want me to give them some drama and for the villainess in me to come out,” she said with a sweet laugh.
“All of the Mister USA were really great. I still follow them on Instagram, and I would love to work with some of them in the future, in some capacity,” she added.
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, at a time when streaming, technology and social media are so prevalent, she said, “To be a part of the digital age right now is very exciting. It’s quick… extremely fast-paced.”
“It’s also a little intimidating because as a creative, you don’t feel like it’s ever enough,” she admitted. “In this digital age, you never have enough followers, you are never in enough shows, or you are not making enough… I think if you take yourself out of the situation for a little bit, you can look back and say, ‘hey, wait… I have achieved a lot.’ So, that’s really exciting!”
“Specifically, I dip my toes in a lot of different fields. Most recently, my endeavors are executive producing with a production company. I started with some really famous actors in the vertical space. It’s called FMA, and we just had our first show launch on RealShort, and it’s original horror series and it’s crazy. It’s called ‘Models vs. Werewolves’.”
‘Models vs. Werewolves’
Moliski stars in “Models vs. Werewolves” on ReelShort alongside Alexa Reddy, Bella Mraz, Rebecca Stoughton, and Sophie Swiszcz. Legendary actress Dee Wallace also makes a cameo appearance in it.
The synopsis is: Five young models go to an Airbnb in the woods for a full moon that comes once every five hundred years. What starts off as the perfect girl’s trip quickly becomes a nightmare as a pack of ancient werewolves are awoken by the new moon.
“This series is a very different style but there are many familiar faces in the show,” she admitted. “This is something that I’m trying to do right now with my team… We have about 50 shows of original content ready to shoot. ReelShort was excited to partner with us, and that was really exciting for us all,” she said.
“Obviously, ReelShort is amazing, and they believe in our projects. We shot ‘Models vs. Werewolves’ and now, it’s out,” she said. “We are also pitching different ideas to different apps.”
Moliski on taking on the role of producer and casting director
Moliski also opened up about taking on the role of the producer. “We have traditional verticals that everybody is used to, the normal tropes and the formula, and then, we have things that are a little more cutting edge,” she said. “So, it’s a really good mix of things. Then, we are working with Felix Merbach, Rebecca Stoughton, and Eric Guilmette. We have a really good team behind us and we are a good unit.”
“So I’m excited to dive into producing and creating my own content, basically,” she said. “I work as an actress, so you can hire me as an actress. Obviously, I’m very known for my vertical villain roles, which is great, and I love doing them.”
“Then, I also work as a casting director for all the apps, pretty much. I have a production company who is non-exclusive to anybody. I will work with anyone who wants to fund and who has a similar vision with me,” she added.
Advice for young and emerging actors
For young and emerging actors, she said, “My advice for young and emerging actors is that you don’t have to try as hard as you think you do to impress or make a connection.”
“Usually, you’re enough just existing,” she noted. “You don’t have to put all that extra toppings and layers on to make someone see you. That would be my advice as an actor, with my casting director hat on.”
“As an actress, I would say really try to not be somebody else, just be yourself with that role as much as you can, and that reads better on camera, that reads better in rooms, that reads better when you’re interacting,” she observed.
“So, remember that you are beautiful and perfect… and just focus on yourself and try to keep yourself in this enclosed little safe cocoon and don’t get sidetracked with other people’s bullshit,” she elaborated.
“Don’t listen to the naysayers because everyone is going to hate you, so do what you what,” she added.
Stage of her life
On the title of the current chapter of her life, she revealed, “Throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing if it sticks.”
Superpower of choice
If she were to have any superpower, it would be to read other people’s thoughts. “I think I would like this because it would help me make my next move accordingly based on what people are interested in,” she said. “It might be a boring superpower but it’s strategic… that’s how I see it.”
Success
Regarding her definition of the word success, Moliski shared, “Success, for me, is being able to follow my dreams. Success is not necessarily monetary value. It’s not having the biggest house in Hollywood Hills. It’s definitely being able to work with humans that understand me and see me for me and appreciate it, and just being able to create and letting that be my life.”
“Whatever it is, even if it’s like I’m not making the biggest rate on something, if I’m proud of who I’m working with and what I’m working on, that literally fills my cup so much,” she acknowledged.
“So, if it’s even me casting a project and giving people jobs, that is a success to me, and I love that feeling. If I have a fan reaching out to me that they watched my vertical drama and it resonated with them, and they empathized with my villain character, that is a success as well,” she explained.
“If I can touch somebody across the world or close by, that is the ultimate feeling because it brings me joy and contentment in life,” she added.
Message for her vertical drama fans
For her vertical drama fans and supporters, Moliski expressed, “If I don’t read your DMs right away, it’s because I have actors and tons of humans wanting a job.”
“I also tend to stay off social media sometimes because of mental health reasons, but just know that I see you and I understand that if you guys didn’t watch my projects, I would be irrelevant. I wouldn’t have a job. I wouldn’t do any of the things I love to do. The fan support means the world to me,” she elaborated.
“I genuinely love you and appreciate you guys watching everything that I do,” she said. “Also, please remember, that we as actors, we go through the same things that you guys do… we all bleed the same way. Remember that you are not alone in whatever it is that you are going through.”
“Know that most people that you see and admire online are also dealing with their own things… so remember, you are not alone, and we are all in this together,” she concluded.
To learn more about actress and casting director Sarah Moliski, follow her on Instagram.
