I am Teal Sherer, actress, disability advocate, and rolling person you may recognize from Felicia Day's "The Guild." AMA (except whether or not my pussy works).

Well, damn.. that was my question.

haha. That’s actually an inside joke, based on a real event, which you can watch in the third episode of My Gimpy Life.

Which is your funniest memory about the Guild? The Guild is where I first saw you and I absolutely adored your character, your acting was really great!

If you watch the S3 behind the scenes there is this great moment when we are filming and a bug attacks Wil Wheaton and he freaks out. I was so in character as Venom that you see me just rolling my eyes at him. I think the clip may be on YouTube. Trying to find it....

Here's the video you seek.

haha, so glad you found it. I look like such a bitch.

Would love to have you on an episode of my podcast to nerd out about games, tv, etc. Can we make this happen? P.S. We've had Alison Haislip and Boyan Radakovich on so we aren't just some regular neck-beards hanging in a basement. We're regular neck-beards hanging in a basement with connections.

Of course! I'd love to. Email me at [email protected]

Enjoyed MGL. You have scripts written for Season 2? Are there any topics you'll be touching on that we should be on the lookout for? I'd never considered how difficult navigating a restaurant would be in a wheelchair before having seen that episode. It just hadn't occurred to me. And I appreciate that a comedy series was able to bring that to my attention in a memorable way.

No, scripts have not been written yet. As for storylines, we’ll probably take a look at what “Teal” does when acting is slow, we’ll definitely be getting to know Brian (Daryl Crittenden) better, and likely see some other returning faces.

No question, just a comment to say I love what you do! My Gimpy Life is hilarious, and I hope you are able to continue the series!

Thank you. Our Kickstarter is doing well and it looks like we'll be making more episodes.

Hiya Teal! I'm a fan of yours and a proud supporter of your Kickstarter. :) I grew up with a blind father, so I've always looked up to those who overcome handicaps while aiming for their life's goals. :)

I've also recently caught up with the first season of 'Push Girls' from Sundance channel and I was curious if you have seen that show and what your thoughts are on how they portray the life of a paraplegic/quad?

Also, obviously you're very independent, but what would you say is your biggest challenge that you have conquered despite/because of your handicap?

Hi! I actually know all of the Push Girls and am really happy with their success. I'm honestly not a fan of reality television (well, besides The Voice) so I've only seen little pieces of the show so can't really comment to that. Curious what your thoughts are though. I think my biggest challenge I've conquered is a mental one. For a while I was really ashamed and embarrassed of my disability. Once I learned to embrace it and be proud of who I was, life got a lot better for me.

It seems to me that Push Girls has fallen into the "reality" trap where the directors turn the "cast" into characters and manufacture situations that they think would make "interesting TV." Somebody has to be the nice one, somebody has to be the beyotch, etc. - regardless of whether they're that way as people or not. Chelsie Hill seems to have been getting flack from people after this week's ep, even though publicity pix from this week show her and Auti arm-in-arm.

I couldn't agree more with you.

Ironically, an audition I had for The Voice makes me hate that show now. :P

I really enjoyed the first season (It's on Netflix for anyone reading who is curious!) and I need to get on top of catching up with season 2.

I think that the show has a lot of unique perspectives on every day life, ones that your common able-body might not understand unless it was brought to their attention - much like you do with MGL. While it is very much a reality TV show and parts of it are over-sensationalized, I think that it is definitely a quality show. :)

I'm very glad that you were able to get past those mental barriers. Our minds really are our best friend and our worst enemy.

Very much looking forward to Season 2 of MGL, thank you for being hilarious and smart and amazing! :D

oh no, hate to hear you had a bad experience auditioning for The Voice. So curious what happened... But glad to hear that you think that about Push Girls. Thanks so much for your kind words.

When I auditioned for Season 2 at the cattle call in Burbank, it was the last day of auditions... so they were being understandably quite picky (only 4 people went through to second auditions from the 1000 that went before my group).

The part that bothered me, though, is that they were selecting people not because of their vocal talents, but because of how their voice didn't match with their appearance. They were very much playing the reality show marketability game, and because of that, the actual vocal talent of the show is far inferior to what they would have if they followed the genuine impression of the show and judged based solely on the voice. shrug

Anyway, thanks for being so friendly! :D It always means a lot when my YouTube idols are approachable. :D

That's actually one of the main things I hate about reality shows, they're not really "reality" shows. They're so heavily produced that they might as well be scripted. I totally agree with Dadbert 97 comment below

"It seems to me that Push Girls has fallen into the "reality" trap where the directors turn the "cast" into characters and manufacture situations that they think would make "interesting TV." Somebody has to be the nice one, somebody has to be the beyotch, etc. - regardless of whether they're that way as people or not. Chelsie Hill seems to have been getting flack from people after this week's ep, even though publicity pix from this week show her and Auti arm-in-arm."

You are awesome! My Gimpy Life is absolutely brilliant in highlighting the extra shit you have to go through but what have been the most surprising issues that you have/currently face as a wheel-chair bound actress in Los Angeles?

Thank you. I think some of the most surprising issues, which we touched on in season one, are that a lot of casting offices aren't wheelchair accessible. It's also frustrating that I rarely get seen for roles that aren't disability specific. There's no reason I can't play the teacher, the best friend, the computer tech, etc..

How'd you get the role of Venom on the Guild? And is Stupid Tall Hot Girl a good kisser?

P.S. Yay for Gimpy Life Season 2 - I donated!

Felicia wrote the part of Venom for me. Michele Boyd is an amazing kisser. She has really soft lips.

The opening from S1E1 of MGL when your chair roles down the hill while you are trying to get out of the car may be the funniest thing I have seen in years. Everything about that sequence is perfect: the music, how slowly the chair spins around before going down the hill, your reaction. One of my favorite shows.

That has actually happened to me more than once.

Me too! You'd think I'd learn to lock the brakes on my wheelchair but oh no...

It definitely seems like something that could happen on a somewhat recurring basis. No different then when you leave your keys/phone/wallet in the car but has a much bigger impact on your day. As an opening scene it really sells exactly what to expect from the show: the common, everyday crap that every single person goes through, she just happens to be in a wheel-chair.

The thing that it taught me was to always put the brakes on my chair... cough it only took about three experiences of that nature to teach me that. ;)

hahaha, just saw this comment. I just said basically the same thing above. ;-)

Thanks for saying this. I thought it would be the perfect way to set up the season and I'm glad you agree.

I was excited about watching My Gimpy Life as soon as I saw the trailer for Season 1. Happily supporting Season 2 as well.

It seems like you've gotten a lot of positive responses and press to the show, but have you received any negative responses?

Thank you. We actually received one of our first really negative responses on facebook this week. A guy thinks it's very wrong that we use the word "gimpy". He compared it to a racial slur and said shame on us and that he was praying for us.

It's our word, we've earned the right to say it!

Source : I'm a lifelong gimpy person.

Amen!

Comedy can be dangerous territory as it so often deals with exactly the things people would not otherwise say outside the context of trying to make it funny. Seems to me issues in society are big enough, the issues complicated enough, that we should be more prepared to deal with offensive things. Excessive courtesy can be stultifying, especially to creativity. So screw that guy.

haha, thanks. Totally agree.

What is your opinion of Reddit? Have you used it for personal use? It's interesting to me, and many other fellow redditors, that there could b someone like Teal Sherer floating around some subreddit.

This is actually my first time using reddit and I plan to start using it a lot more. I'm late to the party.

Are you planning on including Felicia's character in the next season of My Gimpy Life? And are there gonna be many new characters?

We'd love to have Felicia back for more episodes. Yes, there will be new characters but also familiar faces from last season.

What's the most difficult part of making My Gimpy Life?

Also, what would you do differently with an unlimited budget?

It's definitely the stress of trying to make something that feels like TV at a fraction of the cost. We get so crunched for time that sometimes I only get one or two takes to do my lines, which can be a lot of pressure. A bigger budget I think would allow us to shoot less pages per day and take a little more time with performances.

What originally inspired you to create MGL?

A couple things: As an actress I was frustrated because I wasn’t getting many auditions and therefore wasn't working much. I thought that creating my own show would be a good showcase of my talent and would hopefully lead to other work. In addition, I don’t think people with disabilites are represented enough in the media and I’ve always wanted to share what it’s like being a girl on wheels. Instead of waiting for someone else to do it, I figured I’d do it myself. I was very much inspired by what Felicia Day did with The Guild.

Hi Teal! :) Hope you are having a great day! :)

Thanks Aaron!!! Hope you are too!

How do you feel about the phrase "confined to a wheelchair?"

I don't care for it. It sounds like someone is literally chained to their wheelchair. I'm in and out of my wheelchair all day long, when I transfer into my car, onto the couch, into my standing frame, onto my bed....

Thanks for the reply! What phrase would you prefer people use when referring to a rolling person?

"a person with a disability" is the politically correct way. Person first, disability second. Or a person who uses a wheelchair, etc..

I'd never heard of a standing frame, but thankfully there is wikipedia.. Is that purely therapeutic, or also nice/pleasant to work at?

both! It's very good for my range of motion, bone density etc.. it also just feels good to stand up and stretch out. I read a lot while I'm standing, get work done, make phone calls, etc... :-)

Loved Season 1, and your character on The Guild, and Elf Sabers. Pretty much everything I've seen! Will you have guests like America and Casey in Season 2?

I'm not sure. But I love America and Casey and really enjoy working with them.

do you remember a time you got so angry that you could not control your temper, and absolutely just exploded on someone?

Not really. I'm not an angry person, but I get frustrated sometimes. The show lets me react in different ways that are more aggressive, but in real life I try not to get angry because most people don't see the world from my POV.

What is your favorite moment from The Guild? And what is it like working with Felicia Day?

When the Axis of Anarchy are introduced in Season 3 and we have the stand off in front of the Game Stop with the Knights of Good. And then I blame Vork for trying to push me into traffic. I love when both guilds are together. Felicia is the best. Super smart, generous, funny, focused, and she has great skin.

Which was the funniest remark you have ever received as an actress?

Hmmm... It always cracks me up when people don't think I'm really disabled. Or will say "You're too pretty to be in a wheelchair." I have no idea what that means.

First of all, mucho gratz! It looked close there for a minute and that's where my question comes in. I'm a Tuber too, but basically just because I enjoy it. Sometimes I get a 1000 views, sometimes 3. Either way I'm cool. Obviously it would be awful nice if My Gimpy Life got enough views for some sustaining income, and in your drunken video (which is not a criticism, AT ALL), you talked about your moderate view count. Now, you got the funds to keep going at this (yay!) but I'm wondering about your attitude regarding the popularity of the show. Personally I find it shocking that such high caliber comedy isn't getting more while every video of a kitten sniffing it's own butt gets a million views a week. Were you hoping for more, has it gotten you down, or are you pretty much doing this because you can and FTW? I know your well deserved kudos have been major. Is that enough for you? Thank you, best regards.

Yes, it's definitely been frustrating and, I'm not going to lie, it has gotten me down at times. Instead of giving up though, it makes me want to work harder to gain more of an audience. I think the positive feedback and awards we've gotten have definitely helped me keep going. I believe in the show and know it's good - now we just need to make sure more people know about it.

Well, now you've got a whole new season! And we'll just go through all this over again for season 3! er, wait...maybe that's not the right approach. Sometimes things, really really good things, take awhile to get off the ground. Hate to hear that it's been a bit of a bummer here and there, and not sure what to say in response that you're just motivated to work harder since I'm pretty sure the word "inspirational" doesn't fly with you. It is a damn fine show, and I hope the ups are worth the downs. Maybe if you could pull out more than 5 episodes it could get a bit more momentum. Any plans on the number of episodes for season 2?

We’re figuring it out. When the Kickstarter ends, we’ll have an idea of how many episodes we can do. I’ve also been working behind-the-scenes to find additional sponsors because the first five episodes we did actually cost more than what we’ve been able to raise through KS. No matter what though, it’s full steam ahead thanks to all our generous backers.

Without shopping first or ordering take-away, what would you be able to serve up for dinner for guests tonight?

I could make a stir fry with chicken and veggies (I like it spicy), and I'd make some rice to go along with it. Definitely served with wine. I've got a lot of that.

TV started with a few big broadcast networks, then cable added the ability for hundreds of specialized channels. Do you see internet productions as a natural continuation of this specialization of programming? Does creative control in your own internet production outweigh the potential of being on millions of tv screens when you would probably have network and advertising pressure affecting your content?

Those are good questions. Yes, I think we're seeing that internet productions are a natural continuation (interesting to note that Netflix is producing there own content now, etc.. I'm a big fan of House of Cards) Creative control over My Gimpy Life is so important, esp since it's so personal to me. I could definitely see a network screwing it up if they had control of it. I'm not going to lie though it would be nice to have millions of viewers and to have TV $$.

As a cane-using, prospective entertainer, MGL has been a big, important thing for me. "SO INSPIRATIONAL" etc. What is the most important piece of advice you have for upstart creators (maybe particularly those with disabilities, but not necessarily)?

Create something you're very passionate about. It's a lot of work creating your own show, esp if you want it to be successful, so you have to be ready for that. And if you're not passionate about your material then it's going to be really hard to put in all of the work needed.

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Thankfully, I don't have any pain. I just focus on the things I can do. Even though I'm a paraplegic, I'm fully independent and have a really wonderful life.

What was it like working with Felicia Day? How is she in real life?

Felicia is the first friend I had in Los Angeles and she’s the best. We met in Atlanta on the set of the HBO film Warm Springs. With both played polio patients who do a singing and dancing number in antique wheelchairs. Felicia is very generous, so smart, and funny. She's been very supportive of me. It means so much that she wrote the role of Venom for me and that's she's been so encouraging of My Gimpy Life.

Any chance that Bre will have a supporting role in MGL?

Maybe. We don't have anything planned yet but it could be fun. She's definitely popular.

Hi, Teal. Alan Seeger here. Good to... er... "see" you. I don't have a question or anything at this point, just wanted to come hang out with you somewhere other than Facebook. ;)

yay! Hey Alan.

Hi Teal! I've met you a couple of times, and you've always been gracious and very generous with your time. You really let people in, and for that I thank you.

My question is: does it ever get old? Do you ever just want to eat your froyo in peace without somebody slobbering "OMIGAWD ITZ VENOMM!!"?

Haha, I actually don't get recognized that much. More so if I'm at a Con. So no, I can't say it gets old.

Do you go to cons, either as a guest or just a regular person? I took my son to his first con this year (Farpoint, back in February), and got to meet Felicia (apparently her uncle and my son have the same name, first and last), and we had a blast! I know he'd love to meet "Venom."

I've been to Comic Con in San Deigo a couple of times, Geek Girl Con in Seattle, and I'll be a guest this Nov at The Geek Media Expo in Nashville. I'd like to do more of them. So cool you and your son got to meet Felicia. So cool about the name connection. Love to meet you both someday.

Often on TV and even in My Gimpy Life, New York and LA are portrayed as being full of out of work actors tending bar or waiting tables while going to very crowed audition and hoping to be discovered. How accurate is this? Have you gone to an audition with hundreds of other people all competing for the same role that is filled before you even get a turn? I would really like an insider point of view of what life is like for a struggling young actor.

I've never personally gone to an audition that big but I have heard of big casting calls like that. It is common though to go to an audition for a role that has already been offered to a celeb that ends up playing it. So it's like why did they even audition all those actors. I guess they just need back-up options if the celeb doesn't take the part.

Hi. First of all, congratulations in reach the goal for the second season of My Gimpy Life. I've always want to ask you if you ever played "Katawa Shoujo"?, if you did, what's your opinion?, if you didn't, well, you should. Probably Reddit is the better place for ask any reference about the game.

Thank you. I honestly have no idea who Katawa Shoujo is, but I'm so curious. I must google her.

It's a date-simulator game, basically you read, rather than play, the game. In the game you're a high school boy who try to date girls, in this particular case, girls with disabilities, a deaf girl, a blind girl, an amputee girl. The game came from guys from 4chan, but it's not what we would expect from these place. Edit: BTW, the game contain "adult material".

I definitely want to check this out.

I don't really have a question, just wanted to say that I love your work and thanks for answering all my silly tweets to you!

Oh wait - just thought of a question! Do you consider yourself as a role model for other rolling people? It's obvious that you don't let the chair define who you are and I'm sure that many young/newly injured people must see that.

After my accident (I was 14 years old) I was devastated and had no idea what life was going to be like. And then one day this girl came to visit me in rehab (it's called peer support). She had been in a wheelchair for several years, was cheerleading, driving a convertible, had a boyfriend, had plans to go to college. She was awesome and meeting her raised my hopes as I thought "hey, I can be like her." So that's what I hope that I do for other people, especially people who are newly injured. I think it's important to know you're not alone and to have people to look up to.

Just wanted to say Gratz on reaching your Kickstarter goal, and I'm looking forward to S2 of MGL. Any teasers for upcoming eps?

Can't give you too much but we’ll probably take a look at what “Teal” does when acting is slow, we’ll definitely be getting to know Brian (Daryl Crittenden) better, and likely see some other returning faces.

Hi, Teal! Any idea of when/where production of MGL Season 2 will take place?

Right after the Kickstarter ends (which is tomorrow) Gabe (my producing partner/MGL writer) and I will start outlining the season (though we've already somewhat started doing that) and then Gabe will start writing and we'll start pre-production. I hope to actually start filming within the next couple months. Filming will take place in Los Angeles.

Hi, Teal! I'm on after all; kid's camp closed early for weather ( that isn't actually here).

Yay!! Hi!

Were the scenes in season 1 of MGL where you get to the commerical set and you don't get a real dressing room based on a real experience? Have you had experiences on a set where they were really prepared or really unprepared for you?

Yes, that was based on a real experience. Yes, I've had both experiences. When I booked a series regular role for a NBC pilot called "I'm With Stupid" they were very prepared. I had an accessible trailer with a lift and people were overly helping me out, making sure I was happy, etc.. Then I've had those experiences where it's like they didn't know where to put me, the set wasn't that accessible.... Thankfully I've gotten really good at going with the flow.

Do you support gay marriage? Most people with mental and/or physical disabilities do.

Yes.