My Gimpy Life Gets Funding for Season Two
Watch My Gimpy Life Season One here
Teal Sherer, an actress with a disability who was tired of waiting on Hollywood roles, created one for herself last summer when My Gimpy Life premiered to critical acclaim on YouTube. And thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign, the award-winning comedic web series will return for Season Two.
“People with disabilities are rarely seen and heard in TV and film, and it’s been so rewarding to take control and create my own show,” says Teal.
My Gimpy Life, which is written by Gabe Uhr, chronicles the awkward adventures of a disabled actress trying to navigate Hollywood in a wheelchair. Loosely based on Teal’s own life, past episodes show her squeezing through a crowded restaurant on a blind date and auditioning in a dirty alley because of an inaccessible casting office.
Teal became a paraplegic when she was 14 years old due to a car accident. Since then she’s wanted to play a leading lady and has starred in plays, commercials, an NBC sitcom pilot, and some films. It wasn’t till she played the memorable character “Venom” in Felicia’s Day’s hit web series The Guild, that she realized the impact an online show could have.
Photo by the Bui Brothers
Earlier this year, My Gimpy Life was nominated for four International Academy of Web Television Awards and won two of them. Teal took home “Best Female Comedy Performance” and Sean Becker, Director of My Gimpy Life, won for “Best Director.” Plus, Complex Magazine recently recognized the show as one of the “25 Best Web Series Right Now.”
"My Gimpy Life has also become academic which is something that I didn’t expect,” explains Teal. “Colleges are using it in their Disabilities Studies and New Media classes, which is pretty awesome. I recently did a screening and talk back with the students at Queen's College, New York, which was a lot of fun.”
When Teal couldn't find financial sponsorship for a second season, she called upon her audience for help. She used the popular crowding funding website Kickstarter where she raised almost $60,000 from 883 backers. Executive Producers Steven Dengler and Russell Winkelaar gave one third of the money. Dengler and his company Dracogen, Inc. are the reason that Teal was able to do a first season.
“I am so thankful to each and every one of our supporters. Because of them, our show will continue. We had our first production meeting last week and I can’t wait to make more episodes,” says Teal.
For more information check out http://www.MyGimpyLife.com and follow the show on Facebook and Twitter.