Emily Peachey is an actress from Virginia who has had a strong passion for dancing, acting, and the theater from a very young age. A graduate of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Emily took a double major in both Communications and Broadcast Journalism.
Although she dabbled with the concept of becoming a lawyer, Emily soon realized that her true calling was in entertainment after all and in 2014 she was a supporting character in a movie titled “The Fault in Our Stars” which was a smash hit at the box office. From there, Emily turned to acting as a profession and has since landed roles on HBO, MTV, and more.
She has worked alongside lauded performers Dakota Fanning, Ewan McGregor, and Holly Hunter—an academy award winner—among others. Emily’s most recent project is a movie called “Tar” where she will work with Graham Greene—an actor who has been nominated for an Oscar—and Timothy Bottoms, a Golden Globe nominee. Emily is also working on “Hot Girl Problems” which is a Funny or Die short.
Emily recently discussed her career, her forthcoming projects, and her aspirations for her future as an actress.
Creative arts, characters, and films
Meagan Meehan (MM): You grew up in Virginia, so what kind of opportunities did you have to explore the arts when you were a child?
Emily Peachey (EP): Choosing to pursue a career in the arts growing up outside of DC was definitely unconventional.
I grew up very creative and gravitated toward those who were as well. My art teacher in elementary school as well as my middle school theater teacher, both fueled my creative fire and got me involved in art classes and improv troops. I also traveled a lot for opportunities. My mom would drive me to an acting class three hours away every Monday night, so I could pursue my passion.
When I was in high school, I would often fly to New York after school to audition and fly back the same night, doing my homework on the plane.
MM: What prompted your interest in becoming a lawyer and what area of law were you considering entering into?
EP: It has always been a career path that has interested me; both of my parents are lawyers, so I grew up around it.
I love debating and public speaking so several college professors and my guidance counselor thought it was something I would be good at and enjoy. However, acting was always in my mind, and I was planning on going into entertainment law to combine both of my passions.
MM: You ultimately decided to go into acting full time and forego law, so what led to that decision?
EP: I actually booked the role of Monica in “The Fault in Our Stars” on my first day of law school! It was the craziest thing, and it felt like a sign. On my lunch break, I called my mom to see what I should do about school, and she encouraged me to follow my dream of being an actress. Those kinds of crazy opportunities don’t come around too often, so I wanted to grab the opportunity when I had it.
It was the best decision I have ever made, and I might still go back to law school sometime down the road.
MM: You have landed some major gigs in feature films and on top-rated television channels, so how did you land these excellent opportunities?
EP: I have an agent and manager who gets me auditions for various roles, and I also stalk the Internet to find auditions and network with people in the industry. The process varies for every role but usually consists of an initial audition followed by a callback and producers sessions and then, hopefully, a booking - which is the greatest feeling in the world!
MM: How would you describe the characters you play and what sort of character would be your dream role?
EP: I’ve had the luxury of playing all sorts of characters, from girly teen girls to tomboys to professionals. I really love getting to explore different characters, especially the ones that are different from my real personality. A dream role for me would be something really gritty and edgy like a part in an Aronofsky film. I have such an innocent look, and my last name is Peachey so I think it would be a cool contrast.
Performing dance, acting, and entertainment
MM: You also dance, so how does that factor into your performance work?
EP: Acting and dancing have been pretty mutually exclusive for me, although I was in the dance movie, “Step Up,” a while back. I didn’t do any dancing in it, but I would love to combine the two worlds someday though!
MM: You also used to act on stage, so are you still involved with the theater at all and, if so, how do the stage and screen differ?
EP: In my acting class, we perform our scenes for each other on a stage in a theater manner, which I absolutely love! I am also thinking about doing a play in the near future to hone those skills. Film and television acting is vastly different from on-stage acting. The film is much more relaxed; very casual and you have the luxury of being able to try it several different ways. On-stage, there is a requirement that an actor project much more and you only get one shot to get it right.
MM: What are your primary goals for your future as an entertainer and is there anything further that you would like to add?
EP: My goal is to stay a working actor and be able to take on new challenging roles. I would love to do more television because I have done film primarily and it seems like fun to be able to tell a story and develop a character over a prolonged period. I would also love to continue to train and grow as an actor and hone my skills in several genres for both film and stage.
