By Annie Piekarczyk / Staff

Twenty years ago, Ginger Taylor was a full-time actress, part-time waitress living in West Hollywood, California. But today, she’s far from the hills. She now lives with her husband and three children in Roswell and owns G. Taylor, the roofing company. 

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Taylor grew up in Marietta and Cobb County as the only daughter in a family with four sons. She was also the oldest, and as such, was constantly looking to be independent. What better place than Hollywood?

Taylor took ballet lessons while growing up and danced with the Southern Ballet Company (now called the Georgia Ballet), and was always interested in pursuing acting. After graduating from Spayberry High School, she got an agent, Atlanta Models & Talent, and began doing print jobs and commercials in Atlanta. She was in numerous trade shows, and two regional commercials in which she was the principal role; one for Kuppenheimer and one for Mrs. Winner’s Fried Chicken. 

“I loved living here, but I always knew in the back of my mind that I had an uncle living in L.A., who was an actor, and I wanted to go out there and do what he was doing,” said Taylor.

With the support of her family, she chased her dreams to Los Angeles and found herself walking into a world of intimidation. “Sometimes, I felt as if I didn’t know if I was on the right track or if I was going in the right direction of where I wanted to be.” 

Luckily though, because she had an agent in Atlanta and a resume with credibility (“Thank God,” she said), Taylor was able to land one of the most popular agents in L.A. during the ‘80s, ICM.

“Auditions and call-backs could be very intimidating,” said Taylor. “I was only 20 at the time, and people would try to talk to you and get you off your game – try to ruin your focus. But I always just kept to myself and tried to keep my composure. I would remind myself why I was there doing what I was doing.” 

Whatever she was doing was working, because later in her career she was in national commercials for Sprite, McDonalds, Big Boy, Day’s Inn and Nike.

While working as an actress covered most of her living expenses, Taylor also got a job as a waitress at a steakhouse as so many other actors and actresses still do. While she wasn’t at the steakhouse, though, her life was consumed by her acting career and all the perks that came along with it. 

While filming “Peggy Sue Got Married,” directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Taylor worked alongside Jim Carrey and Nicholas Cage. “One day, when we were finished shooting we went to McDonalds and Nick was kicked out of the restaurant for his obnoxious behavior,” she said jokingly with her million dollar smile that was surely an integral part in her landing such great roles.

Taylor even got to talk to Coppola one day during filming. In between takes, he just sat down next to her and asked her about her family and where she was from. “It was neat. He seemed down to earth,” she said. 

Other favorite memories of her days in Hollywood include getting to work with Michael J. Fox in NBC’s ‘Poison Ivy,’ and meeting Kathleen Turner. In Poison Ivy, Taylor got to play the role of the other woman/girlfriend to Fox. “He was just wonderful,” she said. “He played football with little kids in between takes when it was 100 degrees outside. He was such a good guy.”

But in 1989, Taylor returned to the South. She had her successful acting career, was able to live on her own and prove to herself that she could do it, but Taylor admitted that it was just the right decision to make at that time. “I knew that eventually when I raised a family I wanted to raise a family here, and not in Los Angeles,” she said. And that’s exactly what she did. 

Taylor has three children today; a 5 year old son, an 18 year old son and a 15 year old daughter who doesn’t fall far from the tree. While Taylor is still part of the Screen Actors Guild, she now owns her roofing company, G. Taylor Roofing. Taylor’s younger brother Dave owns Taylor Contracting and Roofing and all four brothers work in the roofing business together. Taylor worked for Dave for five years, learned the business, and in November, she went off on her own, yet again, and started G. Taylor as a woman in a man’s business.

Unlike other roofing companies, Taylor prides herself on the fact that her company treats every customer as a neighbor and every roof as their own. And today, while roofing is her primary job, she remains open to any acting or modeling opportunities that may come her way. For now, though, she’s focusing on her roofing career and her family. 

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Most of Taylor’s time is spent working with her roofing company, but a good deal is also spent with her daughter Meghan. Meghan, a rising sophomore at Pope High School, has followed in her mother’s footsteps. Not only does she look like her mom – with the same trademark smile – but she also has the same grace and composure which has helped her shine her way into the spotlight. She even has the same agent as her mom. 

When she was just two years old, she and her mom did a print ad together in “The Season” magazine. She was also shot when she was three years old with her mom, Taylor, and her grandmother in a Repose Spa print advertisement. Never camera shy, Meghan grew up dancing ballet, doing gymnastics and playing piano; on her way, some might say, to becoming a triple threat.

Last August, when Meg was 14, she had an opportunity to audition for a Coca-Cola Zero commercial, which was being directed by one of Taylor’s old boyfriends and longtime friends from Hollywood, Fred Goss. Meg received a call-back after her first audition and after coming back, she landed a spot in the commercial that came out in September. 

Truly the girl next door, Meg has recently also auditioned for High School Musical 4 and the remake of Footloose. But when the day is done and she’s not acting, she’s just like every other high-schooler and has to hit the books. “School is a priority,” she and her mom said. Unlike most other teenagers who would have gotten carried away by their 15 minutes of fame, Meg is only grateful and hopeful for the future.

While she has become used to being in front of the camera, Meg is considering studying journalism and photo-journalism at Duke University after she graduates. “Too often, actors and actresses’ lives are broadcast for everybody to see,” said Meg. “I’d rather have a successful job and have a family than for everybody to know everything going on in my life. And I’ve always loved writing.”

And she’s on the right track. With a 4.0. GPA and a very supportive family, her dreams shouldn’t be too far for her to reach.

But for now, she’s looking forward to going back to school in the fall, and taking her first drama class.

 
Ginger Taylor’s G. Taylor Roofing: Storm Damage Experts and Insurance Specialists can be reached at 800-New-Roof or you can visit www.gtaylorroofing.com