If Hollywood is a dog-eat-dog world, former Chelsea resident Tara Platt is determined to swallow as much as she can chew.

Platt, an actor, recently added the title "producer" to her resume. She and her partner, Yuri Lowenthal, together have founded Monkey Kingdom Productions.

"Being basically newcomers in the industry, we realized that it’s really tough to break into the feature film industry, as writers, as actors, as anything," Platt said. "The best way to do it is to be developing our own projects. So we just sat down and we said, ‘This is what we are going to do. This is what we have to do.’"

The company’s office doors officially opened Sept. 1.

The production company’s first film attempt will be "Barstow," which Platt describes as a character-driven, intense drama inspired in part by the movie "The Station Agent."

According to a press release, Barstow will be "the hopeful tale of three strangers who cross paths in a small desert town and begin a mystical journey to bury their ghosts."

"It’s not big chase scenes. It’s really a character-development piece," Platt said. "It’s within our means, and it’s something that we are really passionate about."

The production team is still working on casting for the film, which Lowenthal wrote and Platt will star in.

Making it in Hollywood as an actor has been Platt’s dream since she was a little girl.

"Before that, I wanted to be a neurosurgeon," Platt said, laughing. "Then Dad became a doctor. … When my dad was working in school, I went to go see theater with my mom."

Those innocent trips to the theater proved to be the beginning of a very, very long journey.

Watching a chorus of young actors seemingly playing through the musical "Annie," Platt decided she wanted to do that, too.

She immediately began searching for acting roles in her community. Her first gig was in a play called "Wait until Dark."

Platt describes the play as a thriller about a blind woman trying to escape some very bad men. She played a little girl out to help the woman outlast her enemies.

"It was a really intense show for a little kid to be a part of," she said.

She had been living in Oklahoma City at the time, but the family moved shortly after. From there, her desire to act followed her everywhere she went.

Platt said she came to Chelsea in 1993 and stayed for two years, when she graduated from high school. Her family still lives in the area.

While in Chelsea, she performed in the play "The Boyfriend," and was involved in several shows at The Purple Rose Theatre Co.

In one of her early roles, Platt played a rape victim. That role, she said, helped teach her the true significance of her career when a rape victim who saw the play came up to her after it was over to thank her — and to cry.

"That’s what acting is about — to be able to let someone else have their moment, to have their cathartic release, to be able to go on the journey that they weren’t on before," she said.

Later, Platt worked on a canceled series called "Struggling Truths" for the Performance Network. Though the job didn’t land her any notoriety among the general public, she said it was still a valuable experience.

Fame, after all, isn’t everything.

In fact, to Platt, fame is just a side effect of her job — sort of like weight gain can be a side effect of cooking at a restaurant.

It’s the acting that counts.

"I consistently check in with myself so that I’m always sure I’m on the right path," she said. "Love what you do and you never work a day in your life."

Platt has been living in Los Angeles for 2 1/2 years. She had previously lived in New York City for three years after college.

The move to Los Angeles had been risky, but Platt felt the timing was right. A move there was the next logical step on her metaphorical yellow-brick road, and a necessary one.

Moving to New York, on the other hand, had been a relatively safe move for Platt. She had studied acting at Rutgers University in New Jersey and already had made contacts in the city through her school.

"At that time, that was where I needed to be," she said of her decision to move to New York. "I was trained for stage acting and was already so close to New York. I already had contacts and connections.

As much as she loved the city, Platt felt a desire to give the stage a rest and try film and television.

"I miss New York every day," she said. "It’s a wonderful place to be."

But actually living near Hollywood was a big adjustment from her dreams.

"Most of what Hollywood is, is a publicity machine, which is not what I expected at all. I thought Hollywood was the work — the acting," Platt said. "It was a little bit of a let down. But now that I know what Hollywood is, I’m going to use that."

Not that Hollywood doesn’t have its bright spots.

"It’s very exciting here," she said.

Not to mention overwhelming.

"You get off the plane and out of your car, and the first thing you think is, ‘I’m in Los Angeles. What do I do here?’" she said.

"At first when you come to the city, it’s totally new, but you just keep on working," she said. "It’s hard to break into it, but once I found work, it has been very constant."

Although Platt’s name has never headlined a tabloid and doesn’t typically come up during dinner conversations, many avid movie and TV fans may have seen her without knowing it, or at least, seen her work.

In addition to performing various stage work, she appeared on an episode of "The Gilmore Girls" in April, as well as an episode of "The Queen Latifah Show," in which she played herself.

Platt also was an assistant to the director for "Secretary," an award-winning independent film from 2002 that played at art house theaters nationwide.

Platt also has appeared in a variety of independent films, none of which gathered much publicity – or an audience.

But still, every little thing counts. In Hollywood, "making it" takes time, dedication, perseverance, talent and a little bit of luck.

For those aspiring actors, directors or producers in the area, Platt offered some advice.

"Don’t second guess yourself," she said.

And if not having a job for a period of time wears you down, Platt said to remember: "There’s always the opportunity right down the road or right around the corner to be doing something."

Upcoming projects, in addition to her new production company, include the film "Fastback," which is currently in its post-production stages.