Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Everett.

Erica, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?

When I was 7 years old, I auditioned for the musical during my first year at summer camp and instantly fell in love with performing. I started taking dance and voice lessons, and by the end of high school, I was working professionally in regional theatre and film. Over time, I grew more interested in film and classical acting, which led me to train abroad at a drama school in London. The pandemic hit just months after I graduated, and while acting opportunities were slim I discovered a passion for writing and script development, which brought me back to London for a master’s in Dramaturgy. Since then, I’ve thrown myself into whatever creative work comes my way – films, plays, voiceovers, script editing, dramaturgy, producing. It’s a much richer life than 7-year-old me could have imagined!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

I wouldn’t use “smooth” to describe it…I think most people who tried to establish their careers during the pandemic would tell you the same. Our industry is so heavily reliant on interpersonal connections. It’s hard to build those connections when you’re not going into rooms and meetings with casting directors, writers, producers, etc, face-to-face. Then, just as things were starting to feel normal again, we had the strikes. Auditions dried up at that time as well. I think a major part of an actor’s stamina and optimism is hanging onto the hope that a job could be just around the corner, so it’s especially difficult when there are few to no auditions coming through to give you that hope. The few times I have gotten a “yes” and got to work for a few weeks/months as an actor have been the highest points of my life. Filling the time between those yeses and maintaining optimism and work ethic is hard! But I find so much solace in knowing that I’ve made it through stretches of nothing and eventually got another YES.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?

I’m an actress, first and foremost, but I also dabble in dramaturgy, script-editing/reading, and producing. While I come from a musical theatre background and have a classical acting degree, most of my professional acting work has been in independent films – so if I specialize in anything, I guess I would say that! In terms of what I’m known for, I don’t have a huge public following just yet, but among my peers and coworkers, I believe I’m known for consistency, reliability, and helping to foster a positive work environment.

I think I’m most proud of my tenacity and what I have managed to achieve so far in my career. I’ve had the privilege of doing some really unique gigs, playing leading roles, traveling all over the world, and working with all kinds of people on all kinds of jobs. I’ve definitely had the “giving up” thought, but then something comes around and that goes straight out the window.

I think what sets me apart from others is that I don’t easily fit into a box. It’s actually something I’ve really struggled with in terms of figuring out how to market myself…some people go into a headshot session and know that they want to present “quirky best friend” or “rebellious biker chick”. I’ve never felt like I can do that. I’m a trained actor, and I like to believe I can find my way into so many different kinds of characters. Even as a multi-hyphenate creative, in the last year alone, I’ve done acting gigs from features to commercials to voice-overs, dramaturged a play, and am about to make my writing/directing debut for a play in New York. I don’t like the idea of being boxed in. I want to do it all!!

How do you define success?

Someone once told me that life was like a wheel, and each spoke represented a different part of your life – career, hobbies, fitness, education, etc. And that it was important to ensure each spoke was even; otherwise, the wheel would cease to function. So I think success is keeping that wheel rolling smoothly. Even if your career is going well, but you’ve been neglecting your friends, your partner, or your health, I don’t know that you’d feel the true bliss of success. Feeding every part of you to the best of your ability is, to me, success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6646571/?ref_=fn_all_nme_1
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evererica/

Image Credits

Yellow Belly Photos
Freddie Burrows
Felix Couderc
Nogen Beck
Still from ‘Sleep with Sadie’ directed by Finneas Scott