Celeste Gay has said she is “blown away” by the overwhelming support after opening up on YouTube about the financial struggles of pursuing an acting career.
In a viral video titled “57 and Broke,” she revealed that after moving to Atlanta for acting opportunities, she was forced to return to Memphis due to a lack of work.
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The video has garnered over 567,700 views, boosting her YouTube channel by approximately 22,000 new subscribers, as reported by PEOPLE.
Gay, 57, told CNN she is “blown away by the response” to her video and believes viewers were drawn to her “authenticity.”
“It just kind of knocked me over like a tidal wave,” she added. “I didn’t think all this was going to happen.”
The Tennessee native discovered her passion for acting in sixth grade but initially pursued a corporate career, earning a master’s in business administration and marketing.
Unsatisfied with the 9-to-5 life, she left her job to chase acting opportunities in Atlanta but struggled to land roles.
Gay, who wound up taking retail and delivery driving jobs, said she “did everything I could” to make ends meet, even “withdrawing my pension and my retirement” to do so.
Despite landing commercial roles for major brands like USAA, Hallmark, and Capital One, Gay struggled financially and ultimately returned to Memphis.
In February, she shared her journey in an emotional YouTube video with her small audience. “It’s hard because I feel alone,” Gay tearfully said as she opened up in the video. “I feel like nobody understands.”
Gay’s emotional YouTube video turned out to be a breakthrough moment. After comedian Lil Duval shared a clip of her story on Instagram, she landed a role in a new film, Turnt AF, directed by Mann Robinson.
Grateful for the opportunity, Gay described her experience on set as “really good” and thanked the team for their support.
“I’m grateful that that saw something in me when they saw the video,” she said in the clip, adding, “I cannot q how grateful I am to be here and be on set. It has done something for me from the inside out. So thank you, thank you, thank you.”
