Denielle Fisher

Funny, one of the hardest things I feel I've had to do in the past 20 years, is to sum up the last 20 years. Congrats to all the people who have written such wonderful bios! It has been an absolute treat to read them and, by the way, you all made it look easy (which I found, it was not). Big kudos to the entire reunion committee for putting this all together and keeping everything on track! I'd hate to be left out of the bio goings on, so. . . better late than never!

I graduated from UCSD in '92, after finishing my studies in Paris on an internship with the Ministry of the Environment, with a BA in Poli. Sci.(super fun studies, not so fun job market prospects). I had a great time at UCSD, with frequent sightings of Dave L., Diane F., and Laura M. After graduation, I moved back home and got a job at the Lab, working as a business liason for the Taxation and Revenue Dept. in Santa Fe. I was, by this time, feeling as though something was missing in my current job pursuits.

So, on a fateful day in summer '93, I accepted a co-workers' invite to go down and see if they needed any extras for "that Kevin Costner movie filming in town". I ended up getting a part as a saloon girl in the movie Wyatt Earp (I think I was able to see me for maybe 1/10th of a second, but I'm not making any promises), becoming friends with the casting director (I had a good attitude since this was, after all, paid vacation for me), and landing a bona fide, series regular extra part (I was the one carrying the wood here and there, etc. in the background while the major dialogue and drama was going on out front) on the short lived TV series Earth 2, filmed in the Jemez and surrounding areas. That one season of Earth 2 shifted my focus entirely. I was the only one on the cast who had never taken an acting class and since this was now my full time job (the shooting schedule for one season was about 9 months), I decided I should sign up for one. I absolutely loved it and, in it, found that missing passion. At the end of the season, and not knowing whether the show would be picked up for a second season or not, a good friend I met on the show invited me to study at the same school she had attended in New York. I bought a one-way ticket to NYC. The show was not picked up and my 3 month trial of NYC ended up a 2 year adventure of fun, great new friends and a wonderful reconnection with Mark Sapir. After 2 years, however, I realized I missed wide open spaces and any sense of being by my self.

In '97, I bought a one-way ticket to LA (CA). I, again, had a great time. I did a few acting jobs (a bit on Saved By The Bell- The New Class and Soldiers of Fortune), a couple of commercials and basically spent the rest of the time doing typical LA actor jobs of bartending and waiting tables. One of the highlights of my time in LA was working as assistant to a writer-director named Kasi Lemmons. In '02, I got to assist her as she directed the Academy Awards tribute to Sidney Poitier for his Lifetime Achievement Award. Meeting Mr. Poitier, and all of the other amazing actors we interviewed for the tribute, was awesome and super inspiring. Despite all the fun and games, I found myself becoming disenchanted with the LA scene and, in'03, moved back to Los Alamos.

Getting back to LA (NM) was very grounding and healing. While I was home, I began studying Reiki (an eastern energy healing modality) and took classes in aromatherapy and massage. 9 months later, I was on the move again, this time to Denver, CO. I've been here for almost 4 years now and I love it. I ended up, after a bit of soul-searching, pursuing further studies as a massage therapist and am now a liscenced therapist and Reiki Master-Teacher working first at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colo. Spgs. and now praciticing here in Denver. I have also gotten back into acting. Surprisingly, I've had more success here than I ever did in LA and just finished my first full length play, Bee-Luther-Hatchee, at the Bug Theater.

I don't know what the future holds, exactly, but continue to be excited for the adventures in store. I have not yet married or had children, so that will likely be a big part of the next 20 years. In the meantime, it's been a really interesting ride. I don't plan to stay in Colorado forever, and hope to move back to the ocean in the next year or two.

Thanks again to all the bio writers for sharing your wonderful and varied lives. For those of you who have lost loved ones, my heart goes out to you. Your courage, whether on the fields of military service or the home fields, is truly inspiring. Look forward to seeing you in a couple weeks.

Denielle
terrapindf@aol.com

3 of my favorite things: Santa Fe, patio dining, and Kyle

Me in Mexico this past May (both pictures)