By: Dempsey Gibson
5.0 | 2 Ratings
Today I had the privilege and honor of interviewing a true "self made superstar"! Singer, Actress, Producer, Author, Humanitarian, Pet lover and "Crypto Queen", little southern girl Darcy from Nashville with big dreams grew up to become adult woman Darcy who achieved them...and she did it without losing one bit of that natural "southern charm and humility". With her incredible resume of accomplishment that would "big head" most in that rarefied air, Darcy greeted me with the cyber equivalent of an invite to sit on the front porch with a glass of ice tea to enjoy the cool breeze and talk awhile.
Ladies and Gentlemen ... Darcy Donavan.
1) Where are you from originally ?
I was born in Miami, Florida but my parents moved to Nashville, Tennessee when I was
around 2 years old. I consider Nashville to be my hometown, as it's where I spent most of
my childhood and where I grew up.
2) What was your first break in show business?
For as long as I can remember, I really enjoyed making people smile and laugh. Even as a
very little girl I had always wanted to be an entertainer. My first break in acting came
when I saw a flyer for a commercial audition at my elementary school. I asked my Mom to
take me and when we arrived we were surrounded by hundreds of kids from all of
the schools around the area. I did my best and I ended up beating out everyone for the role
in my first television commercial. From there I appeared in a number of national television
commercials and television shows but that wasn't enough for me. At the same time I was
also singing and performing as well as competing in pageants and working as a print
model.
3) When did you first come to LA? How long after arriving did you land your first job in entertainment and what was the role?
I came to Los Angeles not too long after I graduated high school. I had won a pageant and
one of the main prizes was some one-on-one acting classes with a famous Los Angeles
acting coach. After working with me he told me that I had a natural talent and should
move to LA to pursue it. My boyfriend at the time was very supportive. We picked up and
moved to Los Angeles where I immediately landed my first recurring role on the soap
"Passions"!
4) Did you work any other jobs before the entertainment industry? If so, what were they and in what state(s) did you work?
Even though I would win money from the pageants I competed in I still had to pay to
enter and it wasn't always enough to pay for the things that I needed. I always had to hustle for myself to get the things that I wanted, even from a young age.
As soon as I was old enough, around 14 years old, I got a job at a retail clothing store. Nothing was ever handed to me and I really worked hard, sometimes working two jobs at a time along with going to school.
My other jobs were in modeling for print magazines, calendars and catalogs. A majority of
that work I did in Nashville as I was still a teen at the time. I also started my own business.
I was doing so well with my modeling that I opened and ran a successful modeling and
talent agency. I later sold that business and turned a really nice profit. From there, I
invested in real estate and bought and sold companies that I either ran or invested in.
5) What has it been like working with some of the biggest names in show business?
It has been absolutely fantastic working with name talent such as "Chris Pratt", "Nathan
Fillion", "Will Ferrell", "Paul Rudd", "Adam McKay", "Christina Applegate", "Paul Johansson", and all of the other famous actors and actresses along the way. Each and every one of them were so kind and nice to me on set.
It was fun to see their unique personalities and to see how they prepared and delivered their scenes. For me, I really don't get starstruck over anyone. I treat everyone on the same level whether they are the President of a Country or a homeless person. Meeting these incredible talents was an absolute pleasure, as it made my time on set a new fun adventure every time.
6) Your scene with Paul Rudd and Will Ferrell in "Anchorman" became a part of a comedy classic. What was it like working with those giants in the business and how does it feel to be part of a movie that is so beloved by millions?
Will Ferrell is a comic genius and Paul Rudd was such a sweetheart on set. The Director of
Anchorman, Adam McKay, was amazing as well. He is a friend of mine and such a
wonderful, down-to-earth person. He is a phenomenal director. One thing you may not
know about the movie is that a lot of it was improv. I think that's why it came off so natural
and was as epic as it was.
One of my favorite parts of working on this film was when Adam would ask me to improv
and try to throw Will off his game. No matter what I threw at him Will would always come
back with something hilarious and equally ridiculous. There was no stumping him at all. It
did make for some fantastic footage in the end including my world-famous line!
I definitely feel that "Anchorman" truly was one of the greatest comedy movies of all time! I feel truly blessed to be part of that legacy.
7) Your role in "Anchorman" alone could, I'm sure, generate a very lucrative income for Comic Con appearances annually for you. Have you ever done those conventions? If so, what are the appearances like being so close to the actual fans of your work? If not, is it something you would consider doing in the future?
I have done so many personal appearances and conventions over the years. I always want
to support and give back to my fans who have been there for me and supported me and my
career. In terms of comic conventions, I did the "Stan Lee Comikaze Expo" a few years back
and I have to tell you that I absolutely love meeting and engaging with all of my amazing
fans. Everyone is so supportive and wonderful. I'm so thankful for each and every one of
them. I'm looking forward to doing many more conventions in the future.
Now that I am highly involved in Web3 I have been a Keynote Speaker for many conventions in that area as well.
8) Please list other shows and films you’ve appeared in.
Besides "Anchorman", I have appeared in hit movies and television shows including,
"Modern Family", "Parks and Recreation", "Entourage", "Cult", "Bones" , "Nip/Tuck",
"My Name is Earl", "Las Vegas", "Secret Agent Dingledorf and his Trusty Dog
Splat", "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind", "Showtime" and many others.
9) In addition to being a sought after film and television actress you're also a very successful recording artist. Please tell us about your recording career. How did it start? What kind of chart success have you enjoyed? What artists/ producers have you worked with in the music industry?
At the age of eight, I started performing my music in children's hospitals and raising
money for charities in my hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. Music has always been a
passion to me and it was my Grandfather who really supported me and bought me my first
guitar.
I started a band in high school and we became very popular, winning a statewide
"Battle of the Bands" competition, beating out 500 others for the title!
I went on to create more music and became a platinum selling recording artist with the release of my first album! That popularity catapulted my singing career and enabled me to tour with many well known artists across the nation including "Bryan Adams", "New Kids on the Block", "Toby Keith", "Arron Carter", "Drake Bell", "The Vamps", "Cody Simpson" and "Madison Beer".
My second album, "Distraction", gave me worldwide recognition accumulating over
20 million online listens! This helped my songs become number one ringtone
downloads across North America. My most recent single, "It's My Life" charted in the top
100 Dance Billboard Charts in four countries!
I am currently working on a new album, in between all of my other career endeavors.
10) Please tell us about your success as a writer of inspirational books and your passion for
positivity.
Upon prompting from my fans, I wrote a book called, “Darcy’s Daily Dose of
Inspiration”. The book was created with great passion and a love for helping others. I have
been sent numerous emails that my book and inspirational messages have helped save
people from suicide, depression and losing hope in their life or in themselves.
The book was truly a labor of LOVE for me and I worked very hard to make it the very
best it can be. I wanted to guide each and every reader to create inspiring thoughts and
actions to move them forward to where they want to be in life.
From the sales of my book I donated a part of the proceeds to several deserving charities
including "Protect.org" and "Valley View Vaulters". I love supporting charities and giving
back in any way that I can.
As my Grandfather would always say; "There are no luggage racks on a hearse". You can't take it with you and your legacy is everything. I want my legacy to be about making the world a better place in every way that I can. 11) How did your involvement in crypto currency begin and from that genesis how did it manifest into your current title of "Crypto Queen"? I have been in Web3 for over 6 years now. A friend of mine invested into Cardano when it first launched and told me more about it. I saw that he was doing well with his investment into the company so I started doing my research and invested into the company as well. From that point, I began researching and investing into other blockchains, such as Tron, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple and many others. Over the years, I have seen the growth in this space and the possibilities of what it has to offer and I have expanded into NFTs and the Metaverse as well. A few years ago, I was coined by press and media as the #CryptoQueen due to my knowledge in Crypto and Web3. I am the CMO of the cryptocurrency Ecoin Finance and a co-owner of the Metaverse “Income Island”. For my work in Web3, I have been interviewed by top television news media outlets such as "ABC News", "KCal9 News", "Forbes", "FinTech", "Raine Magazine" and many others. I am an advisor in the Crypto Magazine resource guide, as well as an advisor on the Global Blockchain Council. 12) Do you have any projects on the horizon with talents you would like to talk about now? I am really excited to talk about my 3D full body, Hyper realistic NFT Project "StarDawgs"! I have been working on it for the last year and a half. The project is tied to movies and television shows that I have in pre-production. Throughout my career in the entertainment industry I have built a database of film and television executives, producers, directors, actors, crew and more. I have a lot of recognition and connections in
the industry and these talented people will be brought on board for big screen and tv projects that fit their skill sets and talents!
I want to bring my Web3 family along for the ride as well. As a "StarDawgs Holder" you
can receive all the perks and benefits that most people will never have access to within the professional world of entertainment.
This project is truly revolutionary and is cutting through the red tape to offer everyone a "Ticket to Hollywood"! Something that I never had.
You can learn more about the project by visiting my website, www.StarDawgs.com or joining my "StarDawgs Saturday Spaces" every Saturday at 3:00pm PST via X!
13) You have conquered so much in this industry. What are your mountains left yet to climb?
There are always more mountains to climb. I have an A-Type personality and I truly
believe that one can never stop growing and achieving. The only thing that can stop you, is
yourself.
As for me, I would like to donate to even more charities, produce and star in many more
blockbuster film and television shows tied to Web3, make even more chart topping music,
and write a trilogy of books. You will just have to watch me to see what mountain I will
climb next!
14) Please tell us about your love for your pets.
I have 6 amazing and wonderful fur babies; Max, Chewy, Daisy, Dixie, Pixie and Billions. I am truly an animal lover and so blessed to have them in my life. Dogs are the most amazing creatures. They’re loyal, kind, and offer endless affection. Also, what is really interesting is that "Dog" is "God" spelled backwards. I am so thankful to God for bringing all of them into my life!
Incredible journey so far by an incredible talent with miles and miles left to go! Please keep up with Darcy and all her endeavors by joining her socials below: Social Media Links: www.Facebook.com/officialdarcydonavan www.instagram.com/DarcyDonavan www.Twitter.com/DarcyDonavan www.youtube.com/officialdarcydonavan www.linkedin.com/in/darcydonavan www.darcydonavan.com Dempsey Gibson www.dempseygibson.com IG @dempseygibson All photos courtesy of Darcy Donavan and Reelvision Entertainment Follow us on social media. We will be happy to follow you back! IG: @heartofhollywoodmagazine FB: https://www.facebook.com/heartofhollywoodmagazine YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKxfW-Ifc53gdpv8hdkStRQ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heartofhollywod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hearthollywoodmagazine?lang=en Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giovanna-salas-96b168145/ The views, information, and opinions published in this magazine or our blog are the sole responsibility of our contributors or interview subjects. Heart of Hollywood Magazine is not liable for any statements made, or information provided, by its contributors or sources.