Actress Deena Dill, who spends time in her Woodstock home when she’s not traveling, took an unusual track to the movie industry. The student-athlete was “discovered” while she was focusing on athletics at a Tennessee university.
“I got my first opportunity to act, if you can call it that, through athletics,” said Dill, who ran Division I track and was a cheerleader at Vanderbilt University. She was contacted by a producer in Nashville who saw her in an athletic department media guide.
“They asked if I would play the love interest in a country music video. It sounded like a hoot and I decided to do it.” She then went on to model for several companies, but couldn’t get acting off her mind. “I really felt like I had to give it a try or I would always regret it.”
That passion for acting has led to recurring guest roles on hit shows across many networks such as ABC, Nickelodeon and the CW. Fans of “iCarly” and “Suburgatory” would recognize her. Dill doesn’t pick favorites though, and enjoys working on everything from family comedies to sci-fi shows to intensely dramatic independent films. When it comes to experiences, however, she says that children’s shows have brought her the most joy. “Some of the most rewarding experiences of my life have come from meeting amazing kids and getting to try to help them through difficult times.”
Dill is also involved behind the camera. She has produced, written and created her own shows both in the U.S. and abroad. She is an executive producer of the hit CW show “Oh Sit!,” which was named the best international game show of 2013. And although she says producing is more stressful, “it’s nice sometimes to be one of the folks more involved in calling the shots.”
Next up for Dill is promotion for her newest film, “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” a drama directed by Academy Award winner Ang Lee. The film follows a war hero and his squadron, juxtaposing the realities of the Iraq war with the halftime show that honors them when they return to America. For a more comedic viewing experience you can catch Dill in the HBO comedy “Vice Principals” in early 2017. To keep up with Dill, follow her on Twitter and Instagram @DeenaDill.
By Torie Winkler
Leave a Reply