WEST SPRINGFIELD – Chaunty Spillane is a woman on the move.
“If I could live on a movie set I would,” said Spillane. “There is nothing more exciting.”
A 2007 graduate of Westfield High School, Spillane credits her family and friends for keeping her “grounded” and especially her parents, Deborah and Jeffrey Spillane, and her sister, Nicole. Her family, originally residing on Pheasant Drive in Westfield, now makes their home in West Springfield.
“I was always acting in elementary and middle school but only wrote a one-act play during my senior year,” she said, adding that “Kyle D. and Kevin G.” were instrumental in bringing the project full circle. She won “Best Playwright” from the high school competition and has never looked back.
Today at 26, her schedule is packed between audition calls, fielding inquiries for modeling assignments, and keeping up with all of the facets of social media. Her website is www.Chaunty.com. Additionally, she works as a certified nursing assistant for several home care clients and will begin her studies in nursing this fall at Goodwin College in East Hartford, Conn.
Her latest blockbuster assignment, done undercover from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. last month in Boston for two overnights, was filming scenes for next summer’s sci-fi comedy – “Ghostbusters3” – which will hit the big screen July 22, 2016. Directed by Paul Feig, the cast includes Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Bill Murray, Andy Garcia and Chris Hemsworth.
“It was a fun role, not scandalous at all,” she said, noting she has been cast as “The Show Girl Ghost.”
“I was recently SEO tagged in an article with Director Paul Feig and Melissa McCarthy,” said Spillane. “A selfie I took of myself was used in that article and connected my photo to one of Melissa McCarthy’s.”
Spillane said the website link questions whether she is the first ghost in the movie.
“Apparently I’m causing a stir just by being listed as a cast member,” she said.
Due to signing non-disclosure agreements, Spillane, a SAG-AFTRA actor, is mum on the details but noted she still will return to Boston for three more overnight shoots in the coming weeks.
“As an actor you are always on a job hunt,” she said. “In five years I will be in California acting. I’m going to force it to be since it’s my passion.”
Over the years Spillane has also conducted an Acting Connections Group and a Head Shot/Modeling/Acting Workshop for all ages in the region.
“I want to help to be that voice to let people know about the talent here in western Massachusetts,” she said.
As a model, Spillane was Bikini magazine’s internationally published cover model for February 2014’s special Valentine’s Day edition, and was featured in Brett Markham’s book on anti-aging and exercise as the exercise model. She has also published articles on fashion in I-Fashion magazine and Southern Inked magazine and has a program on YouTube titled “The Chaunty Show.”
Also to her credit, Spillane has served as a producer, director, writer, and editor in film and television projects, and has also worked for a casting department and a costume and wardrobe division. Spillane added she has a viral Vine account which represents more than 1 million views on videos from her character acting. She currently has 4.6 million views on the Vine account.
When Spillane isn’t acting or posing in front of the camera as a NY-MMG model/actor, she is also putting the finishing touches on a copyrighted manuscript titled “Sex and Social Media,” which she says is a spinoff of the popular HBO series “Sex and the City” that chronicled a sex columnist who explored Manhattan’s dating scene.
“Sex and Social Media is about two women instead of four that covers basically their love lives and success-driven character qualities,” said Spillane.
During the recent Rhode Island Film Forum, Spillane noted she came away with invaluable insight from SAG rules and contracts to entertainment law and state tax credits.
“We learned so much,” she said. “We were especially encouraged to film in parts and not to attack everything at once.”
Spillane anticipates that in the next three to four months she will have a casting call for her film and then in January, her first production meeting. Filming locations will include New York City, Boston, Northampton and “possibly” Turners Falls. For individuals interested in the film – either as actors or investors – contact her via email at [email protected] and write “Film Inquiry” in the subject line.
While modeling has been a main focus in Spillane’s life over the years, she says acting is her true passion.
“I have learned to give it your all at auditions to really show how intense you can be and when they ask you to tone it down, don’t take it personally and just do it to appease them,” said Spillane. “Whoever is holding the castings are there to have fun and test you. Test well.”
