Today, Elizabeth Willetts talks with the fabulous, funny and friendly Tova Leigh, star of Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Tova grew up in Israel and trained as a lawyer, but had a career and life pivot in her early 30s, moving to London to become an actress. She met her now-husband, and they have three children together. Tova regularly blogs about her family and gender issues.
Tova tells Elizabeth about her childhood and why she became an actress. She talks about her first few difficult years starting out in acting and how she found work by writing and directing her own independent films. She also talks about her journey into motherhood and how she coped with the pressure of being a new mother by venting her emotions on Facebook.
Elizabeth and Tova touch on some of the complex issues that women have to deal with in today’s society, from online hate to violence to gender stereotypes. Tova shares her thoughts on one of her personal bugbears, being asked to work for free ‘for exposure’ or because people assume that, as she loves her work, she would be willing to do it for free. She lists her book recommendations and offers advice to women starting out in business.
This is a really fun, engaging interview that’ll light up your day. If you enjoyed it, share it with a friend you think needs to know about Tova, and subscribe to the Investing in Women account for more interviews with other inspiring guests.
Timestamps
[1:50] Was Tova a creative child?
[3:35] Tova’s pivot from law to acting and her move from Israel to London
[4:45] How did you find the courage??
[6:30] Why Tova stayed in London after she’d finished her degree
[8:30] “It’s not for everyone”: Tova on coping with rejection from roles she’d auditioned for
[10:25] Tova’s early independent films and what she learnt from them
[12:45] Why Tova started her blog on Facebook and started to use humour in her videos
[16:45] “Life”: Where Tova finds the inspiration for her videos
[19:15] Tova on dealing with the online haters
[21:40] Stop asking women to work for free!!
[25:40] What biases about gender should we leave behind?
[28:24] Tova’s hopes for her daughters’ futures
[30:03] A question from a viewer: What’s your top tip to remember your worth as a female performer?
[32:03] A question from a viewer: What books do you recommend?
Links
Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
Women Who Run With The Wolves: Contacting the Power of the Wild Woman by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Investing in Women flexible working recruitment site
Investing in Women on Instagram
Investing in Women on LinkedIn
Investing in Women on Facebook
Investing in Women on Pinterest
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