Behind the Scenes with an Actress
Ever wondered what it would be like working in the film industry? From pre to post production, there’s something for everyone on set, in the edit suite, and beyond. BEHIND THE SCENES brings you into the heart of the media arts industry, introducing you to career paths you may have never considered before or thought possible.
Behind the Scenes with an Actress
Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, Brie Larson—all household names that have performed to bring all the behind the scenes work in films to life. Actors and actresses bring what the writers create to the big screen. They make watchers fall in love with them, hate them, or even root for the underdog. We were given a direct glimpse into the glamourous, and often romanticized, life of actors and actresses when sitting down with Stephanie Herrera. She has been a part of projects ranging from Christmas movies such as Well Suited for Christmas, to one of her more recent works, Beau is Afraid—as well as heading the Entertainment Division at McCam Insurance. Stephanie started out in spaces such as theater and from then on has worked in television and movies, giving her the knowledge and experience to tell us what life is like as an actress.
One thing that Stephanie made clear for us at DRIFF is that a lot of people say, “I want to make it big, and be famous and be in a Marvel movie, which is great to have goals and dreams…but if everybody got that there’d be thousands and thousands of people that are Spiderman…it’s a little bit [of] stars in the eyes and thinking that it’s an easy road and then when it’s hard, people complain.” The main takeaway we got from her interview is the fact that the ideals of Hollywood and fame are sometimes difficult to achieve and harder to hold onto.
But what does it take to become an actor or actress? Stephanie pointed out that the best advice she ever received in terms of getting into the industry was “...never stop learning, always be an eternal student.” Along with that, Stephanie gave great advice for any beginning actor or actress, or even those who are falling short in getting jobs. She said, “...don’t try to be what they’re looking for. A lot of times people go into an audition room or look at character breakdowns and wonder, ‘what are they looking for, how can I change myself?’ You need to bring YOU to the audition.”
One of the major themes throughout the interview was that Stephanie wanted to share the less glamourous and romantic sides of the industry that we see on television. She highlighted the ups and downs of audition processes, jobs, and the ebbs and flows of life that can get in the way. She also emphasized that one should lower expectations of immediate success—something that perhaps many people expect when diving into the industry. Stephanie highlighted instances of expecting rejection as an example of something to expect—furthering the idea of not receiving immediate success. A pursuit in acting should come from the love of acting, not the financial outcome or the red carpets. If you focus on all the elements that make up this career and find joy in it all, including memorizing lines, auditioning, rehearsing, and promoting yourself, then the whole experience is rich!
We want to thank Stephanie Herrera for sitting down with us and sharing her experience as an actress, as well as giving advice and a further look into the process of this fascinating career. It has brought light to many hidden aspects and gives our readers a further in-depth dive into what it takes, as well as the reality of what to expect.
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Hope Wilson is a writer and film enthusiast from Southern Ontario.
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Want to become part of a local film community or attend a film festival near you? The Durham Region International Film Festival’s events include an annual fall film festival in Durham Region, summer drive-in movie screenings in Whitby and DRIFF in a Jiff short film screenings in Oshawa. Visit driff.ca, become a DRIFF insider or follow us on social media at @catchthedriff for all the details.