Hard work brings success
Date: 11/9/2010
Nov. 20, 2010By G. Michael Dobbs
Managing Editor
CHICOPEE -- If that young woman playing the bartender in the new Miller Lite commercial -- the one in which she denies a customer a Miller Lite because of his silly swimwear -- looks familiar to you, perhaps you've seen her in two commercials for Kohl's or in a variety of print ads or on the television series "Law and Order" and "White Collar."
Or perhaps it's because the actress and model, Sabina Gadecki, is another local resident who is finding success in show business.
Gadecki, a Chicopee resident and a graduate of Chicopee High School, has been building a career as an actress for the past several years and recently made the move from New York City, N.Y. to Los Angeles, Calif. to increase her possibility of roles.
Other actresses from Western Massachusetts have found success in show business. Bridgett Moynihan of Longmeadow is part of the cast of the new television show "Blue Bloods," while Springfield's Paige Turco has been in feature films and series such as "Rescue Me" and "The Good Wife.
Speaking to Reminder Publications during a trip back home to visit her family last week, Gadecki explained her efforts so far have been the result of a lot of hard work. She has been interesting in acting and modeling from childhood and was active in pageants and modeling as a child and teenager.
She spoke to this reporter shortly after arriving home in Chicopee. She had flown over-night to New York City, arriving at 6 a.m. and had spent the bulk of the day in auditions.
After graduating high school, she attended Holyoke Community College for two years and after earning her associate's degree, she made the move to New York City and was accepted to Fordham University, where she majored in international business and communications.
She explained that no one in her family had ever pursued a show business career, but that her family supported her decision.
Landing a job as bartender, Gadecki said she would work until the New York state closing time of 4 a.m., get back to her home at 6 a.m. spend a full day in school, attend acting lessons and then start the process again.
Her college career was interrupted two classes short of graduation when Gadecki made the decision to accept more modeling jobs she is represented by the Ford agency, one of the nation's most prestigious modeling firms and the role of the host of the fifth season of "World Tour of Poker" show on The Learning Channel.
A poker fan herself, she called the year and a half job an "amazing opportunity." She interviewed both the professional and celebrity players before and after the games.
While she enjoyed the hosting job and modeling, she said, "My heart definitely is in acting."
She added that at the end of hosting the television show, she realized, "That's not me . I want to be an actress."
While people might think there is much glamour in the profession, Gadecki explained that for years while in living in New York City, she shared a bedroom with a roommate.
She explained that "so much is out of your control" when it comes to landing a role. Going to an audition, she said, means matching criteria such as your overall look, height, hair color, experience and who you know.
One has to be prepared to accept disappointments in acting as Gadecki explained how about a month ago she was up for a recurring role on the soap opera "One Life to Live."
After a several auditions, she met with producers -- a significant step in the process -- but she wasn't selected.
"It was very disappointing," she said. "I got my hopes up a bit."
Fast forward to her first day living in Los Angeles and Gadecki said she was waiting for her moving boxes to arrive when she received a call the same show was interested in offering her a contract for a role that would last four years.
She recalled saying to them, "Are you kidding me? Sign me up!"
She noted the irony of having finally moved to Los Angeles and receiving a job offer from the program that had rejected her just a short time before.
She had to sign a non-negotiable contract prior to taking a screen test. She explained the job was a five-day a week assignment that would offer little flexibility for her to pursue other avenues.
The role came down to her and another actress, one who had recently finished a 12-year run on another soap and had built up a fan following.
"She deserves it," Gadecki said.
Living in Los Angeles means Gadecki is "starting over again" and learning the business scene there. The move to Los Angeles was also motivated by her boyfriend, professional basketball player Dennis Lee, being transferred to the Golden State Warriors.
There are relatively few television shows in production in New York City and Gadecki has been on two of them. She explained that if an actor is not playing a recurring character, the casting directors would not use that performer again for several years as not to confuse the audience.
Her goal now is to land film roles, and ones that challenge her. She is trying to avoid being typecast as a "blonde girl next door or a cheerleader." Typecasting is the one part of the business that frustrates, he admitted.
"I love comedy," she said. "I am dying to do a comedy."
She did tie up one loose end in New York City before her move to Los Angeles: she completed her degree at Fordham University.
Despite all of her hard work to date and the disappointments she has encountered, she feels "lucky and blessed" to have been able to achieve what she has so far in her career.
