Alumni Spotlight: Tim Curcio ‘98, Creator Of ABC’s “Maggie”

Tim Curcio ‘98 is an award-winning actor, writer, director, and producer whose short film “Maggie” was recently developed into a TV series for ABC. The film is “about a psychic who can help everyone else find love and find answers, but her personal life is a mess,” said Curcio. 

“Maggie is a hilarious show about a young woman’s attempts to cope with life while coming to terms with her abilities as a psychic,” said Curcio. 

Rebecca Rittenhouse, who plays “Maggie,” will be joined by a supporting cast that includes David Del Rio, Nichole Sakura, Angelique Cabral, Leo Nam, Ray Ford, Kerri Kenney, and Chris Elliot.

Here’s more from Curcio about the inspiration behind “Maggie” and his journey in the entertainment industry. 

For all of us, life at its purest form is nothing more than a guessing game — does

this haircut make my face look bloated, is there forward momentum in this job,

and am I with the right person? We are filled with many big questions and

searching for someone to let us know that we are not messing it up, or that

everything is going to be ok. But what happens when that person you think has

all the answers, is also still searching for them herself?

In 2019, I made a short film called MAGGIE, about a psychic who can help

everyone else find love and find answers, but her personal life is a mess. After

screening the short at a few festivals, I partnered with 20th Century TV to

develop it into a half-hour comedy, which will premiere in July on HULU. 

What has that journey looked like for you?
I moved to NYC after college to pursue a career in sports journalism but knew

that I always wanted to figure out a way to be in the entertainment industry. After

checking out an improv show at Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, I was hooked.

So I started taking comedy classes, which opened up the door to meeting so

many like-minded people who loved entertaining people as much as I did. It was

there that I formed my first creative partnerships, which led to writing and acting

in stage shows, commercials, and web videos. I sold my first web series, OLD

FRIENDS, to CBS, which took me and my wife from NYC out to LA.. We never

Left.

Make friends, make connections, and talk to everyone. Find people who have

similar sensibilities, and make a plan to work with them. There will be a lot of ups

and downs, and that is okay. No two people in this industry have the same path,

but if you put your heart and soul into your art, good things will come.

Whatever you do, do not wait for people to give you permission to make

something. If you have the desire and a camera, you should be out there making

things. Through the making, you are learning what works and what doesn't work,

and as a result, you will be creating your unique voice. Tell stories that make you

happy, not what you think people want to see. There will always be an audience

out there for whatever you make; sometimes, it takes a while longer for them to

find your work. So give yourself permission to enjoy the process, and when you

finish that project, move on to the next one.

4. Were there any Benjamin teachers/coaches/mentors who inspired you?

I was very fortunate to have had a lot of great role models at Benjamin that met

me at my level and helped me find my voice and learn how to have fun while

working hard.

I'll never forget Ron Ream ripping a phonebook in half in Math class or Amy

Taylor opening her doors at lunchtime for my friends and me to hang out. But the

one teacher I have to give a shout-out to is my former history teacher, Glenda

Lovell. After three years of being a role player on the varsity basketball team, I

was looking forward to my moment as a leader on the team my senior year, but

in the second game of the season, I sustained a major injury and was down in

the dumps. Shortly after, I received a letter in the mail from Glenda Lovell, who

encouraged me never to give up. She believed in me and let me know that while

I was not going to have the big moment on the court that I had always dreamed

of, I would eventually have many other big moments in my life. I think about this

letter often, and it still inspires me to persevere in tricky situations. The path to

success is not a straight line, and I am thankful that I had role models at school

who helped me learn that I need to enjoy the journey.