We were lucky to catch up with Pamela Portnoy recently and have shared our conversation below.

Pamela, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

In 2022, I auditioned for a role in the short film Harbor, co-written and directed by Keegan Duncan, and co-written by Jack Norris. The film is about siblings who reunite to settle a family debt, and the story revolves around themes of grief, loss, and regret. When I read the script for the first time I was moved and struck by how personal the story was, Keegan and Jack had recently lost loved ones in their own lives. I felt honored to help bring their vision to life.

Once I hopped on board as an actor, I asked if they needed another hand on their producing team. I mentioned that I’ve only produced a couple projects on a smaller scale but that I was willing to get my feet wet if they’d let me. Being the amazing humans and collaborators that they are, they were incredibly supportive of this idea, and I quickly found out that I have a love for producing. I love collaborating with a team on every aspect of a project until it crosses the post-production finish line. I find it thrilling. Harbor has given me the opportunity to meet so many wonderful creatives, and has given me the courage to take on more producing projects in addition to my acting work. For that, I am so grateful for Harbor and for the Harbor team. I’m also so proud to say that we were an Official Selection at the Indy Shorts International Film Festival, the Catalina Film Festival, and the San Jose International Short Film Festival.

Currently I’m working with Teresa Catherine of Maid & Prince Productions on a short film, interiorem pueri (inner child in Latin) which will be filmed in the California desert and released in 2024. The film is a magical realism exploration of self-love and self-acceptance, and the dangers of abandoning yourself. It’s a film that I think everyone can relate to, not just artists. What I love about working with Teresa and her company is her mission of focusing on female led stories; interiorem pueri is female driven, directed by Emily Lerer, with cinematography by Carrie Morgan Glassman, produced by myself, and EP’d, written by, and starring Teresa Catherine. I absolutely cannot wait to share it with you.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I was born and raised in Southern California, and started acting when I was seven years old. I started doing commercials then, and was a part of an after-school musical theater program. We put on shows like Grease, Oklahoma, and Bye Bye Birdie. I continued doing musical theatre through high school but took a break from acting to focus on school when I went to college. I studied Film and Media Studies at UC Irvine. I think I was afraid to really dive into acting as my Plan A. However, as soon as I graduated I realized that it was time to embrace my passion for this job and to commit 100%.

I will say, that typing this makes it seem like the decisions were cut and dry and easy, but they weren’t. I was consumed by doubt and insecurity, and on my bad days, I can still feel that. But at least now I am comfortable saying, “I’m an actor. I’m a producer. I’m a podcast host.” I am because I just decided to be. Unfortunately a lot of the time, people in creative careers don’t have much to show for all the hard work they do behind the scenes, and the journey can be wildly uncomfortable. That is what inspired my podcast, No One’s Okay. On the show I interview artists and entrepreneurs about their journeys, what makes them tick, and what they do when they are, less than “okay.” I think it’s important to have real conversations about it all, the triumphs, the challenges, and the love and drive that keeps us going and doing the things we do. No One’s Okay is currently on hiatus but will be back soon. In the meantime you can listen anywhere you get your podcasts.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Absolutely! Here are a few inspiring reads.

Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Bossypants by Tina Fey
The Highly Sensitive Person Elaine N. Aron
Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
Atomic Habits by James Clear

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

For a long time my only goal was to make a living from acting. But over the last few years as I’ve been evolving as a person as well as an artist, that goal has been shifting. There are so many things that I care about and want to do with my life and career, and telling stories that could potentially make a difference in people’s lives is near the top of the list. There are so many ways to tell stories, whether it be on stage or screen, through books or podcasts, and I’ve never been interested in limiting myself to one medium. I love it all. I look forward to bringing many more stories to life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pamelaportnoy.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pamelaportnoy/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@noonesokay9085

Image Credits
David Muller Sean Moore Heartland Film- Indyshorts International Film Festival Frances Rainaud