Phyllis Spielman, born in Floresville but graduating from DHS, was recognized as being gifted at the early age of eight. Therefore, she entered the Gifted and Talented classes almost from the beginning of her schooling. She lived with her grandparents, the DuBoses, who owned The Devine News, and their encouragement made a positive impact on her life. While in school, she played sports all four years and, quite importantly for her future career, she was active in theater.
Phyllis enjoys new experiences, and she found just that working in her first summer job at Sea World of Texas. Her role was to entertain guests as Penny the Penguin and other costumed characters. Then, while studying Public Relations at Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, Phyllis became the Public Relations Officer for the International Club. This position sparked in her an unquenchable curiosity for the world and its many cultures.
Phyllis became a student, wife (Phyllis Mack), mother (sons Adrian and Aden and daughter Angel), makeup artist, Banker, U.S. Army Corporal (stationed in Friedberg, Germany), a defense contractor, and a world traveler. She spent time in 13 different countries: Germany, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Canada, Mexico, Columbia, Israel, Morocco, and Bulgaria. To facilitate her penchant for travel, Phyllis became fluent in Spanish and proficient in German, and she dabbled in French and Italian. Phyllis says she’s not through learning new languages and visiting foreign countries.
Ultimately, Phyllis earned a B.A. in Business Administration/International Business from The University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas, and later an M.A. in Global Management from Ashford University, Iowa. But, acting was her passion. After studying the acting craft in L.A. and Denver with Jorge-Luis Pallo with Scott Sedita Acting Studios and Brian McCulley with AEC Studios for television and movie roles, she was cast in larger feature-length, supporting and leading roles with International Distribution.
Phyllis’ acting career truly began after booking the lead role as Sarah in Sirens, directed by Joey Spillane, a 24-minute drama, action short film released into the Film Festival Circuit in August 2015. For her performance in Sirens, Phyllis won Best Actress at Blissfest333 International Film Festival 2016 in Denver, Colorado, and was nominated for Best Actress at the Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema (IIFC) out of Idyllwild, California, in 2016. It was there that she met the director/writer Nicole Jones-Dion of STASIS, a Sci-Fi adventure, who cast her in a co-starring role as Jessica in the feature-length movie that would lead to her international debut on Netflix. The movie was picked up in over 80 countries before being released in the U.S. in late August on iTunes. Imagine her delight when, in late December, Phyllis received a phone call from a high school friend saying “I just saw you on Netflix!” Needless to say, this was a wonderful surprise, as Phyllis was now seen in the mainstream of one of the largest distribution networks.
Subsequently, Phyllis was cast for a supporting role as a reporter Veronica Desky in the feature-length film Sever, a project that has not yet been released. She also caught the eye of Hollywood Director Pearry Teo and was cast as Martha in the world-wide released feature film Ghosthunters (2016) in which Phyllis plays the wife of a scientist. In this film, the plot centers around the ghosthunters as they seek to capture the spirit of a loved one who is the victim of a serial killer.
In addition to her innate ability to learn languages, Phyllis is “primed for action with advanced-level capabilities in snow skiing, intermediate abilities in horseback-riding (cutting) – weightlifting, in-line skating, roller skating and yoga,” from IMDb Mini Biography By: Public Relations Kerry Gleason. (IMDb is an online data base relating to films, TV, programs, and internet movies.)
When asked how and why she has become adept in so many areas, Phyllis explains that she is always curious and eager to take on challenges that new roles present. For example, in Sirens, she had to learn to do basic sign language, as the character portrayed was a nurse whose daughter had lost her hearing. And, because this nurse experienced a traumatic scene in the film, Phyllis felt compelled to learn how someone would respond when encountering a stabbing victim. To satisfy that question, she asked her Uncle Patrick Dubose, a paramedic, to give her pointers. Also, Phyllis’ character had dreamed of becoming a ballerina, so Phyllis had to learn basic ballet. Sirens is a film that has proven to be Phyllis’ big opening to garner attention. The role allowed her to show many different sides of a character that allowed her to express her wide range of acting ability.
In addition to the above-mentioned skills, as an Army veteran, Phyllis is experienced with a wide range of firearms. In addition, she can drive almost any automobile and is licensed to drive motorcycles. She adds whimsically, “And every self-respecting girl from the Lone Star State dazzles with the Texas Two-Step, among other dancing skills.” When Phyllis isn’t seeking adventure on and off the big screen, she’s apt to devote her energy to supporting her children, doing outdoor activities (as she enjoys nature), aiding in community events and organizations that specialize in networking, i.e. Kiss the Monkeys (an events, networking, and social media company that uses this age of connectivity to its full advantage), and volunteering with needy groups such as the Wounded Warrior Projects.
Phyllis is racking up the appearances as she makes her mark as a genuine actor. STASIS was released in the foreign market to 80 countries and can be found on Netflix, iTunes, and Blue Ray DVD on Amazon. She also made an appearance as a reporter opening up Day of the Dead, a theatrical release on Jan 5, 2018, in AMC theaters across the country. This film is a remake of George A. Romero’s classic zombie movie filmed at the Nu Boyana Film Studios. Phyllis was thrilled to be a part of this project which allowed her to travel to Sofia, Bulgaria, where she spent two weeks filming, sight-seeing, and engaging in the local culture. She was excited to have landed one of the lead roles in STASIS, and this is also found on iTunes. She exclaims, “I’m spread out, in and throughout the movie.”
Visit www.IMDb.me/phyllisspielman, and find her on www.facebook.com/phyllisspielmanactress and on Instagram Phyllis_Spielman. She is also the new face of the newly launched www.liveEcoStyle.com as a colaborater/spokesperson/actor, and there will be many more exciting adventures, as her year is already starting with filming feature-length movies out of Colorado and Texas. There is also episodic talk of a leading role in a mystery series to be filmed out of New York, NY. Phyllis says, “Be sure to catch me in my very first movie Sirens on Amazon.com. Also, find me on Netflix and iTunes in STASIS.” Phyllis says she will be attending a few film festivals beginning February 16 for her leading role in a short from the Producers of Sirens — Come to me Sister Mary, directed/written by Tory Van Buskirk. This is a psychological horror that, once again, highlights Phyllis’ dramatic and cinematic performance. Dates for showings will be updated on her official FB page. “Both are leading-role performances you won’t want to miss,” Phyllis proudly shares.