User:Sadfatandalone/Emily Schooley

Emily Schooley (born October 17, 1984) is a Canadian independent film and theatre actress. Emily graduated with honors from the University of Waterloo in 2007, with an honors Bachelor of Arts in Drama. Acknowledged as a rising talent, she is known for being a scream queen, and is perhaps best known online for her leading roles as Michelle in Clutch and Dahlia Joss in ZED.TO.

Emily is a self-identifying geek with a love of Doctor Who, and was a special guest at the science-fiction convention Polaris in 2010. She has worked with notable geek icon Anthony Head. Though she does not consider herself a model, she does work occasionally in this area as well.

Early life
Born in Calgary, Alberta, Emily moved to Port Colborne, Ontario at an early age. Emily wrote and performed plays in her backyard from a very young age. She starred in her first lead role – as the Country Mouse, in a production of Aesop's Fables – at five years old, and had aspirations of making her own movies. She went on to attend Port Colborne High School

Career
While in university, Emily performed mostly in theatre roles with groups such as Kitchener Waterloo Little Theatre and FASS. The film won a prestigious two-star award from the Canadian International Film & Video Festival.

In February 2010, Emily moved to Toronto. She starred in Black Eve as Pimp, which filmed that same month and recently received widespread release after a successful run at festivals.

Since then, Emily has gone on to star in several other feature horror films, including playing the lead role of Ivette, a theoretical physicist, in Jeffery J. Timbrell's upcoming One Week in Windchocombe. Emily often plays the final girl, and because of her extensive work in Canadian horror she has become known as a scream queen.

With regards to major film and television, Emily has had featured cameo roles in Being Erica, Small Town Murder Songs, and The Dark Knight Rises. She also stars in an episode of Motives and Murders, playing the killer's wife.

Beginning in 2011, Emily began working in web series as well. Among other roles in independent series, she plays Michelle in Clutch; the series has gained accolades from festivals including the prestigious Marseille Web Fest, Indie Fest, and Indie Intertube Awards.

In 2014, Emily participated as a guest for a Guinness world record attempt at the Intercontinental Hotel in Toronto, ON for The Mind Reels, also featuring many other notable Canadian actors including Kate Hewlett and Robin Dunne.

Professional theater engagements include acclaimed shows at the Toronto Fringe Festival. In 2012, Emily played fan-favorite complicated IT Director/party girl Dahlia Joss in ZED.TO. In 2013, Emily played the lead role of Lilith in Erotic Tales From the Old Testament. In 2014, Emily played the role of Frieda Ball in Death in a Black Suit, a world premiere play by Maureen Jennings.

Emily has also studied and performed longform improvisation with Second City Training Center and the former Impatient Theatre Company. Emily also performs occasionally with her own team, Pandora's Toybox, including a benefit performance for the Sunburst Awards at Ad Astra in 2011.

Outside of performing, Emily identifies as a writer, filmmaker, photographer and activist, and also runs her own creative arts company, Laughing Cat Creative. Emily has produced several short films, and was a guest speaker at Notacon in 2010 on the topic of independent filmmaking.

Personal life
Outside of performing, Emily is also an activist and writer.