The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Clyde native cast in Meijer commercial
Sarah Mowel, a Marine veteran and actress from Clyde, Ohio, is appearing in the latest commercial from Meijer.
The commercial centers around Thanksgiving and people traveling home for the holiday.
Mowel spoke about the commercial, her acting career and her time with the Marines in a recent phone interview.
“The commercial was something that came about because my agent was able to get me a read,” she said. “It was a situation where they knew they wanted me for the commercial. That’s mostly due to the fact that they wanted someone with the Midwest look and not too many people have that in California. Meijer, being a Midwestern business knew what they wanted and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
Mowel said she has done more than just commercials during her time in California.
“I’ve obviously done my fair share of commercials, but I’ve also been involved in some Good Morning America stuff, Snapchat, and some student and independent films,” she said. “Right now I’m just living out here and love building up the career. I try to get involved in as much as I can.”
Mowel said she wasn’t originally sure what she wanted to do for a career.
“I felt limited because I was from a small town,” she said. “It’s a situation where I was just trying to get out and find something. I knew I liked acting, and everything that is involved with it, so I decided to go for it.”
Mowel said the initial pull for her to leave came from the Marines.
“One day a Marine came to my class to speak,” she said. “My brother was in the Army and stepfather was a Marine. It was a situation where I was like I could do that, not to say that it’s easy or anything, but I knew it was a path I could take.”
She said the Marines create a brotherhood with one another that is undeniable.
“It’s a situation where everyone in that uniform has each other’s back,” she said. “I was in North Carolina for combat training and Virginia for schooling. I was stationed at a camp in California, that was the first taste I had of California living.”
Mowel said her time in the Marines benefits her acting career.
“I do get roles based on the fact that I know how to handle a gun and I’m able to pull it off better than someone that doesn’t have that prior training,” she said. “There are also a lot of companies that want to show appreciation for veterans by putting them in these roles. It’s really awesome that they go out of their way to do that.”
Mowel said there are some things she still misses about not living in Clyde.
“You’re a lot closer to people in a town like that,” she said. “People out in LA tend are out for themselves, but back home I have a stronger bond with people. I do have a lot of good memories growing up there and it’s always a big homecoming every time I get a chance to go back.”