For Actress Gili Gould, 'Dot Conner: Webtective" is All About Finding Faith Through Truth

Photo image courtesy Huff Media Productions
It has been quite a summer for Gili Gould. In addition to gearing up for her first semester as a college freshman, the Texas-based actress has been doing lots of interviews lately about her starring role in an upcoming movie.

That movie opens in theaters nationwide this weekend. Starring Gould in the title role, Dot Conner: Webtective follows the adventures of a teenage Internet sleuth as she tracks down her father, who is trapped in a world of espionage. Despite the chaos that ensues, Dot learns to lean on God to carry her through the darkest of times and discovers that faith can light the way in any situation.

Based on the critically acclaimed video streaming series of the same name, Dot Conner: Webtective is designed for the whole family to enjoy as it balances comedic moments with faith-based lessons that will appeal to young and old.

The movie as well as the streaming series was written and directed by Andrew Huff.

As the last rays of summer faded into the first classes of the fall semester, I had a chance to sit down with the engaging Gould to discuss why it is important to represent kids well on the big screen, the role faith plays in her life as an actress, and how this movie can encourage people to dive into the Word of God more consistently.

For any actor, there always seems to be a moment where you say to yourself, “I have to make this movie!!” For Dot Conner: Webtective, what was that moment for you?

We started this as a mini-series about five years ago, and I have been fully invested in Dot ever since then. This is because it was really just the type of story that I wanted to hear when I was a young kid. I've always been interested in mystery movies and mystery books. So, I've always been in love with Dot and in love with the story. I think that when Andy (Huff) first pitched the idea of a feature film, I was head over heels for it. I think that it's such a big story that needs to be shared in theaters and especially in the media right now. Christian media is exploding and I think that it needs to go farther, honestly, especially for young kids. I think that they need a story that's not animated, or they need a story that ties in so much fun and adventure but also core values of the Christian life.

As you have mentioned, this movie was inspired by the hit web series of the same name. Do you need to have seen an episode to enjoy the movie? Is it a fresh, stand-alone story?

Not at all. Um, I think that another part that I loved about the movie is that it can stand alone. But it’s still totally tied into the series. You don't have to watch a single episode to know what's going on. I think that the last episode of the series is a cliffhanger, so it kind of leaves you with this little bit of a mystery and then the beginning of the movie kind of recaps what happened. So, you don't have to watch the series to know any specific details. We sum it all up all for you and you get to know Dot as you go along.

This movie takes many unexpected twists and gives kids credit for being sharp, creative, and curious while keeping families guessing until the very end. Was that important to you as an actor to make sure kids are represented well?

100%. Just as we grow in our faith and as we get older, I think we lose that childlike wonder that kids have about Jesus and that they see so much beauty in the creation and they see so much beauty in just the Lord's work. And as we get older we don't really experience that anymore. I think that a big part of Andy's vision is to show that kids are so creative and they can just tackle any problem with the same tenacity that an adult can. They also find beauty while doing that. And while I think adults can get frustrated and just worry about fixing the problem immediately, I think kids just have fun with it, while experiencing the same thing.

This is your second professional acting role with the 1883 series being the first. Do you see Dot Conner as a launch point into other things? Are you happy to take this to its natural conclusion? What does the future hold for you?

Yes, definitely. I've always had a kind of a blank spot for whenever I started college. Well, I just started my freshman year of college. And going back to when I first started high school, I always said, well, when I hit 18, so many doors will open in the industry. So, I was going back and forth on doing a gap year or pursuing education. Ultimately, I chose to go the education route, but I also have said that the Lord is going to put me wherever He wants me to go when I'm in that stage of my life. And I think it's no coincidence that this movie is coming out right when I start college. I don't have all the answers as to what I'm going to do in the future, but I have all faith that the Lord is going to push me in whatever direction I'm meant to be in.

With that said, you have made many references in our conversation so far today about faith and God. So, what role does faith play in what roles you accept as an actress?

Honestly, it is the number one decision maker of what roles I take. I have been offered auditions and roles that don't align with my values. And there's such a temptation to take those, especially because they usually are coming from bigger production companies, big corporations, or leading series. So it definitely is a struggle to reject those because, yes, they could kickstart my career a lot, but at the same time I don't think it would be fulfilling in my spiritual life, and in my personal life. Although some of these Christian roles are more niche, and they may not get the largest audience, I think that they can have a bigger impact in the viewers' lives. And I 100% believe that this movie can accomplish great things. I think that it can blow up in a way that we all hope and expect it to. Just because it might have started out as a small production does not mean that it cannot soar at the box office.

By playing this role, I’m sure you learned something about yourself that you never realized before. If so, could you share something that you believe will propel you forward as an actress?

Playing Dot has taught me a lot about accountability, because I never want to be this actor who is preaching one message and not living that out. In my personal life, I've always been a person of faith, but as I've gotten older, it's become more of an everyday struggle in the sense that, I started college, so I'm now more surrounded by people who don't have the same values as me and don't share the same beliefs as me. I went to a small Christian private school from elementary through high school, so I was surrounded by believers and around people that had the same beliefs as me. So, just having this role has kind of put me in a position to hold myself to a higher standard. And even though I'm surrounded by people that are not similar to me, it does not mean that I have to change to accommodate them. I can still be rooted in my beliefs even when I'm surrounded by worldly temptation.

Steering back into the movie, are there any redeeming qualities of faith and/or family values that you believe to be of importance to viewing audiences?

I think I've mentioned this a little bit before, but it really is such a message that I want kids to hear. That Christianity is so much fun, and curiosity is a good thing. I want kids to be able to ask questions about their faith and to seek out answers through that. When we read the Bible, it can be daunting and overwhelming at times when we're reading certain stories. I want kids to not just accept that they are too young to understand this, but to ask questions about that and to seek out the answers. I just want them to have fun exploring the Word, just exploring the Lord in general.

After audiences have had a chance to see Dot Conner: Webtective what would you like to have people take away from the viewing experience? What is your greatest hope for the film?

My greatest hope is that kids have fun. That they see this film and are inspired to go have their own mysteries and dive deeper into the Word. Dive deeper into the Lord and just explore Him. In Sunday School, we hear a lot of Bible stories that we all know in our hearts but sometimes we just kind of brush over them because we think we know them so well. But when we really just get to dive deeper into them, we find totally new meanings and totally new lessons from it that we didn't have before.

WATCH A TRAILER FOR DOT CONNER: WEBTECTIVE: