We were lucky to catch up with Lunden De’Leon recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lunden, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Growing up, I knew I wanted to be in the entertainment industry. My dad was the lead singer in a gospel band and seeing him on stage for the first time inspired me to pursue my dream. I’m from a small, poor town in South Carolina and I knew I had to get away to make my dreams come true. While in high school, I worked a job flipping burgers at Burger King and when the time was right, I saved $200 and hitched a ride to Los Angeles. That $200 lasted for a few days and before long I was homeless. I kept the faith and found a roommate who was a struggling actress/model. She had an audition for a television show and asked me to tag along with her. I went to the audition, got the part and soon signed with her agent. I went on to star/co-star in over 50 films and tv shows and so grateful that I took that risk.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Growing up, I knew I wanted to be in the entertainment industry. My dad was the lead singer in a gospel band and seeing him on stage for the first time inspired me to pursue my dream. I’m from a small, poor town in South Carolina and I knew I had to get away to make my dreams come true. While in high school, I worked a job flipping burgers at Burger King and when the time was right, I saved $200 and hitched a ride to Los Angeles. That $200 lasted for a few days and before long I was homeless. I kept the faith and found a roommate who was a struggling actress/model. She had an audition for a television show and asked me to tag along with her. I went to the audition, got the part and soon signed with her agent. I went on to star/co-star in over 50 films and tv shows and so grateful that I took that risk.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

A number of people think getting acting jobs are easy. It’s not. It’s a very competitive industry. My agent might submit me for a role she feels I’m great for. However, the casting agent gets about 100 submissions or more for one that role but only picks between 10-20 actors to audition. So it’s a very tough business.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Absolutely! My previous story of how I went from broke to blessed is a great example of my resilience.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.actresslunden.com
• Instagram: @lundendeleon
• Facebook: @actresslunden
• Twitter: @lundendeleon