Exclusive Interview: Toby Poser Discusses The Shoot

Toby Poser is best known for her on-screen turns in the likes of Guiding Light, Law & Order and The Incredibly True Adventures of 2 Girls in Love. In more recent times, she’s teamed with her husband and creative partner, John Adams, and daughters Lulu and Zelda Adams.to form a production company. Wonder Wheels Productions’ latest venture is The Shoot, an edgy thriller about a fashion shoot in the desert that goes horribly wrong when two hard up rockers try their luck at robbing it.


BGG AFTER DARK: Making movies with your family – how did that happen?

TOBY POSER: When I hit 40, I’d been enjoying a stretch where I was making a decent living doing voice-overs. I was loving the lucky free time with my kids and man— it was great!— but I began to miss acting in film and theater, and when I tried to get back on that scene it was very different from before. So instead of grumbling lamely about it, I took my husband up on his suggestion. He said, “Let’s make our own damn movie.” So we did. We got an RV and just disappeared. Homeschooled the girls, learned the ropes of making a film on the road, and had a ball.

BGG AFTER DARK: Are there any tornado-big fights on the set of the film? I imagine the family doesn’t always agree?

TOBY POSER: John, the girls and I wouldn’t do any of this if we didn’t get a kick out of it. We come from the school of “If It Isn’t Fun, Don’t Do It.” That said, because we wear so many hats on our films, we have to be razor-focused on set. If we break that, it’s really just to check in with each other or crack a quick joke to release some pressure. Mostly we have a shitload of fun.

BGG AFTER DARK: Do you and your husband hold down day jobs, too? – or is filmmaking your full-time career?

TOBY POSER: Film making definitely is our big focus now, but we both do other things, too. John is an artist and musician— he scores all our films. I still love doing voice-overs, and that’s my bread and butter. But a day doesn’t go by that we aren’t writing, editing, promoting, learning, and brewing new ideas in regards to film. We also spend a lot of time at soccer fields; both our girls play.

BGG AFTER DARK: Have you always been involved in the entertainment industry?

TOBY POSER: I’ve been acting since high school and got a BFA in acting from Tulane University. I did a lot of Off-Broadway, regional and Shakespeare fests, then TV and film work while living in NYC until 2008. For a few years I had a fun stint on the soap Guiding Light, playing a glamorous ex-madam, Amanda Spaulding.

BGG AFTER DARK: You also appear in the movies. Is it hard wearing so many hats?

TOBY POSER: It’s pretty wild. It can take some effort shutting off the “Actor’s head” and re-tuning into the co-director or producer’s head… they all can butt heads, if you know what I mean! Also, our kids are often there with us, either acting or helping on the shoot, and so I’m also thinking about them— are they safe, hungry, happy? So yes, it’s hard, and exhausting at times, but it’s also incredibly satisfying when it all works out.

BGG AFTER DARK: You’ve three films – The Shoot being the latest – which one is the best, in your opinion?

TOBY POSER: Oh wow, what is this, Sophie’s Choice? Rumblestrips is special because of the sheer audacity it took to think we could pull that rabbit out of our hat. And it showcases the USA in such a gorgeous light, since we shot all over. And the girls are so young. But Knuckle Jack is a more evolved film, and I really love that one, too. For The Shoot, we were stretching new muscles, and so I’m really looking forward to getting that one out into the world. It’s our biggest production yet, and I think our best.

BGG AFTER DARK: Is there a genre the Adams family would like to tackle that you haven’t yet?

TOBY POSER: Yeah, a western. And I’m working on it.

BGG AFTER DARK: Have you shown The Shoot to an audience yet? How did it go?

TOBY POSER: Nope, this sucker is fresh.

For more information on The Shoot, check out the official Wonder Wheels Production website.