Elsa O'Toole, a talented individual with a diverse range of skills and experiences, has had a remarkable career spanning multiple industries. Trained at the prestigious Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and Elizabeth Kennedy Royal Ballet Junior School, Elsa has honed her craft in acting, film journalism, script advising, BBC producing, and filmmaking.
Her acting credits include performances at the Royal National Theatre, Glasgow Citizen's Theatre, and London's West End, as well as collaborations with renowned directors and actors such as Ridley Scott, Gene Hackman, David Hare, and Bill Nighy. Elsa has also appeared in over 40 TV and comedy series, films, and ads in various locations around the world, including Hollywood, Mauritius, Paris, Bahrain, Muscat, Berlin, Dubai, and Hong Kong.
In addition to her acting career, Elsa has worked as a freelance script assessor for the UK Film Council for eight years, and has been hired as a syndicated writer for Fox Searchlight. She has also moderated conferences at Cannes and London, and was the last journalist to interview Sir Dirk Bogarde for her exclusive tribute to The Servant, which is available in the BFI's Reuben Library.
Elsa has written for a variety of outlets, including Virgin Media Films, BBC Radio, The Voice, and Tartan Films. Her film journalist profiles have featured many notable celebrities, including Johnny Depp, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Meryl Streep, Spike Lee, Brad Pitt, Leo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Clint Eastwood, George Clooney, Kate Winslet, Robert Pattinson, Jim Carrey, Matt Damon, Billy Bob Thornton, and the late Heath Ledger.
Elsa is the only Black writer to have been voted into the UK's Film Critics' Circle, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2013. She is also proud to have covered the BFI's London Lesbian Gay Film Festival for 12 years in mainstream press. In 2002, she was invited to produce BBC TV's EMMA Awards, directing inserts with Sam L. Jackson. She has also engaged with notable celebrities such as Halle Berry, Denzel Washington, Danny Glover, and Maya Angelou (Lifetime Achievement Award) for the live TX ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel.
Elsa's production company, We Can Films, has recently had its script "Blasted" shortlisted by Film London, Screen West Midlands, B3 Media, and is listed on the British Council's Film Directory. "Blasted" has won the Best International Short award at the UMFF in 2013 and was officially selected by the SDFF in 2014. The film is enjoying global festival success. In 2012, Elsa helped develop the Serbian thriller "Foreigner," produced "Clowning Around," and served as an AD on "Underrated."
Elsa will be attending the Cannes Film Festival in 2014 with her black comedy feature "Bad Sex," which has been selected by Scenario Film's "Babylon European Film Development Initiative."
