If I hadn’t done the short…it’s one of those things where you look back and almost get scared because you realize that some choices you make you almost didn’t make. It’s scary when you look back because you think, “What would’ve happened if I didn’t make that choice?” I think I would be fine if I hadn’t done the short. I would just be continuing to do my acting, as I still am, but there was a whole other level of fulfillment that I had being behind the camera that I would not have known.
How does your life today compare to the life you imagined for yourself at 14, when you did the acting group?
You know, it’s interesting because I have achieved so much but I haven’t gone back to that time. I don’t remember imagining. I was just kind of surviving. To the young actor coming into the business, struggling, and going through that torturous process of rejection, I would tell her it doesn’t necessarily get better, but it gets a little easier. I would say to her, “Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. The rejection isn’t about you. Think of it as a guide. It’s a guide that’s putting you on the path you’re supposed to be on. Try to have more fun. Try to breathe more.” I tell myself that right now.
It’s funny how we can tell that to our younger selves, but don’t take the same advice in the present.
It’s so true. This is a great question because it makes me think of myself in 20 years. What would I say to myself now? I’d probably say similar things. Just relax, enjoy the day.
Are there any other life lessons you wish you had learned at a younger age?
I mean, I think it’s really that. I don’t know if you’re into astrology, but I’m a Virgo with a Gemini rising and have all these planets that are very mental, which can lead to overthinking and anxiety. So I would say, “You’re on the right track.” The only way that I could really survive as an actor in the business was to seek out other help, like meditation teachers, life coaches, and therapists. I had to seek out different modalities in order to get me through. So I would just encourage myself to do that and to let go more, to have more fun, enjoy life, and be with the people I love.
You talked about dealing with rejection. How do you deal with criticism?
Oh, well, you develop a bit of a thick skin over time. It’s never easy, because part of your superpower to be a good actor is that you have to be sensitive. And in order to be a public person, you have to have a thick skin. So it’s kind of the yin and yang of that: You have to keep your heart open and not get jaded or bitter so you can do your art, but also you need a thick skin because anybody who’s a public person is going to get shots taken at them. If it’s not you, it’s your work.
