Next Gen 2012: Hollywood's Fastest-Rising Stars
The actress-turned-web guru, 33, created the business model for most online shows when she launched The Guild with one-time partners Microsoft and Xbox. This year, the former Southern belle (she’s from Huntsville, Ala.) and University of Texas, Austin grad launched Geek & Sundry, a YouTube channel for which she develops, stars and produces original scripted and unscripted efforts.
BIG BREAK: Uploading my first video — The Guild, season one, episode one. That’s when my career started. I’m very lucky that the first thing I ever shot was something that I was passionate about.
BEST ADVICE: My acting teacher Alice Klein told me, “The way you do one thing is the way you do everything.” [Day moved to L.A. after college to pursue an acting career and even landed a small arc on The WB’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer.]
BIGGEST 2012 ACCOMPLISHMENT: Launching Geek & Sundry and creating a start-up company from nothing. We started with no staff and now have dozens of people.
CAN’T-MISS TV: Game of Thrones and the BBC’s Sherlock.
ONLINE OBSESSION: YouTube. I read comments on our videos even though I shouldn’t.
LUNCH SPOT: Hugo’s. It’s not too Hollywood-y and makes me feel self-righteously healthy.
WHEN I’M NOT WORKING I’M: Playing video games. I can deduct [the costs] because it’s work!
