For Your Consideration: Guest Star - Taryn O'Neill

This Post is in a series of posts that is directed at the members of the IAWTV/Streamy Awards. The content will highlight different members of the Compulsions team. These are meant for both awareness and as a guide to showcase what each individual brought to the project.

Taryn is an experienced Actor and received a Streamy Nomination in 2009 for her work in After Judgment. Last month she won an Indie Soap Award for Best Supporting Actress in her work in Compulsions.

From Director Nathan Atkinson: The single most exposed, and thereby critical role in the series. Why? And, why Taryn? We saw actor after actor for this role – and everyone brought something different, something valuable… but what Taryn was able to capture is what sold me. I’m getting ahead of myself. So, during the casting process, what I was looking for was to find someone who could genuinely come across as someone who was lying to the one they loved the most – out of love. …And then gets caught. The whole concept fascinated me. And, bound to a chair what lengths would she go to, to save the one she loved. It’s complex and twisted, but somehow, out of everyone, Taryn made me believe. She made everyone believe, that’s what really added the depth that the Series needed – adding that credible, fourth perspective on the interconnectedness of everything.

(Watch Taryn in Episode 6 as she goes through the journey as Nathan describes)

From Creator Bernie Su: This is one of those meaty/rich  performances that you just need to watch an appreciate. I remember the day Episode 4 aired and Taryn’s Facebook/Twitter exploded with people in awe of her performance.

One of the base themes of this series is deception. But like all deception there are clues (or bodily “tells”) that a deception is happening, the difference is how big the tell is. In this scene below, Mark(Craig) is interrogating Sara(Taryn), Mark asks “Where is it?”, and Sara gives an answer. It’s specific, it’s detailed, and she does it without breaking eye contact, so then how does Mark know she’s lying?… In the clip below from Episode 4, watch the 2:21 mark (you may need to watch it a couple of times to catch it) but Taryn does a slight subtle flinch (“The Tell”), which follows into the rest of the scene. There is a tell, and Mark catches it and he then punishes her for it.

This role required someone who could big and go dark, and just commit. Taryn committed to it, and what came out was an amazing performance.

So please consider Taryn O’Neill  in Compulsions for Best Guest Star.