She’s a small-town girl from West Greene with a big heart and even bigger dreams. A standout athlete with a top spot in the state high jump finals, she’s grown up working at her family’s bar, the Triangle Tavern, dancing at Ginny McClelland’s studio, and singing every chance she gets. But just as she arrives at the biggest track meet of her life, cancer strikes. Still, she refuses to back down—because her adventure is only beginning.
This isn’t a movie description, it’s the plot of Greene County native Emily Mathason Hoesman’s life. And it’s a life that Mathason is, as she puts it, “very blessed” to live today as an actress, director, and producer.
Mathason recalls that she started her acting career where many young people do– at a school drama club. “I was in every play from 7th-12th grade,” she says. At that time, though, West Greene’s theater department was only for high schoolers. But Mathason, not taking no for an answer, marched across the breezeway to ask Mr. Tanner, the program’s director, if she could audition anyway. Luckily, he said, “yes”, and Mathason got started on what would become, in some form or another, her lifelong passion.
What Mathason had thought was a small pinching in her chest during the PA state track meet led to radiation and chemotherapy the summer before her senior year. But rather than slowing down, Mathason only picked up speed in her many activities, competing in the Coal Queen and Rain Day pageants and winning the equivalent of Miss Congeniality in both.
It’s no surprise, then, that Mathason took this passion, drive, and personality to earn her bachelor’s degrees in Theatre and Business from Penn State University in 2008. But unlike many performers who often sought the stage, Mathason packed her bags and headed for the screen in Los Angeles.
“A friend of a friend helped me get my first apartment. My dad and I drove my little Saturn [to L.A.] with whatever would fit!” she recalls.
Mathason entered the world of background and commercial acting. Her first project was a three-day stint on the set of “Ghost Whisperer”, where a “Golden Ticket” acting voucher allowed her to see all the opportunities in the world of movie production and helped her gain membership to the Screen Actors Guild.
“It was the craziest time to move,” she explains, citing the housing crisis and the writer strikes that were taking place as challenges both personally and to the industry.
One of Mathason’s favorite memories came from an inside joke with her father. On his flight home from helping her move, Mathason’s dad called and told her that Vince Vaughn was on his flight. “We couldn’t believe he was flying Southwest,” Mathason remembers, smiling.
Fast forward many years, and Mathason was working as an extra in “Couples Retreat.” As hundreds of background actors took a break from filming, Mathason ran into Vaughn, decked out in an Ohio State sweatshirt.
“Ohio State, huh? I went to Penn State,” she remarked. Vaughn responded in good humor, then wished her a good day, saying “thanks for what you’re doing.”
These words have inspired Mathason throughout her career, and remind her that sometimes you do meet a kind and humble person even in the world of fame.
“I never got any massive roles,” she says, but “I made a good living working as a background actor.”
However, as streaming and social media rose to popularity, she realized she would have to “dip her toes in more pools,” and “make friends on the other side of the camera.” Fortunately, Mathason realized that she enjoyed “the power of the other side” just as well.
Mathason became a production assistant and eventually a director in the commercial world. In 2015, she produced and assistant directed what she describes as a horror film “brought to life on a shoestring budget,” in Pittsburgh. The non-traditional project utilized innovative techniques such as wearable lighting for each of the movie’s five actors, and was filmed entirely by go-pros rather than digital cameras. The film was shot primarily in the old Duquesne Brewing Building in below freezing temperatures.
Following that beloved project, Mathason assistant directed and produced promotional pieces for the CW’s “Batwoman.” She was here when COVID struck and the studio– just like many other industries– shut down.
After the pandemic, Mathason decided to change angles, so to speak, and she set out on yet another adventure, this time to Tulsa, Oklahoma. She joined Red Clay Studios, where she delivered her most recent on-screen performance to date in a Hallmark-style movie called “Love at the Christmas Contest” on Tubi.
This bit of acting came as a surprise for Mathason, however. While serving as the producer on set, an ice storm hit, prohibiting one of the supporting actresses from flying into the area for an unforeseeable amount of time. Mathason was given one night to read the lines of the character she would step in and play over the phone with her on-screen opposite.
“So, I played the aunt of the family,” she says, laughing.
While in Oklahoma, Mathason also participated in another engaging film, this time behind the camera once more. She and her colleagues filmed the first three episodes in a series for Pure Flix that covers author Karen Kingsbury’s first book in a Christian series entitled, “A Thousand Tomorrows.” Mathason fondly recalls the rodeo-inspired set, where she often spent time with the horses and loved watching the actors perform stunts that brought the cowboy lifestyle to life.
It was at that point, Mathason reached a crossroads in her life and returned home to Pennsylvania to help care for her grandmother. While here, she not only met new opportunities, but more importantly, her husband, Justin and stepson, Henry.
Mathason and her family currently reside in Lancaster, PA, where she works in freelance film. She also creates visual magic through Atomic Design, a company specializing in scenic builds for large, staged events like concert tours and various live performances.
But Mathason is looking to return to Greene County for a time this fall in hopes of filming a thrilling new project right here in our community.
“I’ll Say It in the Dark” is a horror film set in the fictitious town of Auburn, West Virginia. The plot centers around “a high school boy who comes into some pretty crazy stuff,” Mathason explains. She continues, joking, “I don’t want to spoil it!”
“We’d love to film this fall. But if not this fall, next fall,” she shares, optimistically. “We want to do this correctly on film– it adds that bit of nostalgia.” Currently, Mathason and her team are looking for “collaborators and fundraising,” in order to bring the project to life.
Even early in her career, Mathason remembers the local community being incredibly supportive of her dreams and career, so when deciding on a film location, she knew Greene County would be the right choice. “[I thought] the town would be so welcoming,” Mathason said. “I want to bring in everyone I know.”
Fortunately, our community is ready for its next adventure, too.
Connect with Emily via Instagram:@hollywoodtohomestead or Facebook: /HollywoodtoHomestead.
