We recently connected with Abril López Ruiz and have shared our conversation below.

Abril, appreciate you joining us today. One of the toughest things about progressing in your creative career is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

Moving to New York, of course, brought a lot of challenges forward, however, it was my dream ever since I was a literal child so I was truly excited to take on these challenges. I was always a very outgoing kid. Trying new things, putting myself out of my comfort zone brought such a rush that I couldn’t get enough of it and I wouldn’t say moving to New York itself was a challenge however, it is something that I didn’t realize until now after living here for two years, is how much I drifted away from my identity. How much I started adopting new American ways, and a new point of view, and I am deeply appreciative and thankful for having the opportunity to be able to experience those things. Yet losing your ground, losing your culture losing the things that made a part of you that you didn’t even realize made a part of you because you were so used to, it’s weird to look at when looking back, like looking at a ghost. I feel like I’ve found a healthy middle ground now, I feel like I’m getting better at reminding myself who I am. Indulging in Mexican culture truly fills up my tank, by watching movies, listening to music, acknowledging that other things make up who I am outside of the performing arts, feeding my essence, and not getting so wrapped into how things work here, and it’s also difficult because I have to learn how things work here. But, if you lose your identity as a person, how are you ever going to create an identity as an artist?

Abril, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was such a diva growing up, the biggest fan ever of dressing up, so when I realized that the girls at the theater program in my school, got to dress up and dance around and sing, I was like I must be a part of that and that’s how it started. I didn’t realize it was a business until embarrassingly late. My parents never took me to see the theater. We did see a lot of live shows, but they were always tied to something that was going on on TV or film so I assumed that theater was something that little kids did and then eventually when you, if you wanted to be an actor, you would become a screen actor until Wicked came to Mexico City, and lives were changed, and I realized how big of a business it was not only in my country but in freaking New York and in freaking everywhere. When I was in school, I wanted to pursue a career in
International relationships, I wanted to be an advocate against injustice in the world. That’s what I wanted. I didn’t wanna be a diplomat as much as I wanted to do good for the people around me, and life led me to this group of people who did that through art. I realized that art would be the medium that would allow me to do what I wanted while fulfilling my passion. storytelling is something that I am deeply in all of I believe that storytelling is the truest act of humanity since technically humanity started when we first started recording history when we started telling our stories, and when we started to bring them to life for those around us. and the intimacy the theater provides it was just so easy to fall in love with. So I started educating myself. I started training and I moved to New York to continue that training after school, I met so many great people and so many people that have not only taught me about performance but also about how great humans can be and how great human connections are, I just couldn’t be prouder and happier of what theater has brought for me through Shakespeare, music, and enjoying life playing pretend.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I don’t think people will ever understand how you are truly running a business. When you call yourself an actor and dare to say it to other people it can be looked down upon when you are not making the big bucks yet. You’re trying to sell a product that technically no one wants and it’s gonna be such a lonely journey because you are managing yourself, you are looking for your opportunities and knocking on doors and writing those emails and sending your material and getting the material filmed and preparing the material. It’s so easy to fall into this rabbit hole of I am a performer the second I wake up the second I go to bed. You are trying with every bone in your body to make this happen, creative people are not patient so they want what they want and they want it now. It’s not as easy and as fun as it may appear, we’re also struggling and pouring our souls into it and putting especially our time, every single thing we think throughout the day is OK how is this thing going to get me closer to being where I wanna be as an actor, that’s the only thing we’re thinking about every single day until eventually at some point it gets easier, but I think it never does.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Performers are told, more specifically when they go through training that they’re always gonna have to be tired, and they’re always gonna have to outwork themselves, and then they’re gonna have to always be in this constant tunnel vision of what your goals are for your career, in order for you to be successful. That can be true to a certain degree. I believe that now the industry is slowly changing, specially as new performers are coming forward and are getting a platform through social media ,that is not necessarily true. You have to be a whole human being in order to be able to build a character, to live through them. For you to understand other people you have to go out there and live. You have to learn who you are so you can be someone else. Being hard on yourself and being very demanding can bring good things to you, but do not overuse it. do not make yourself sick of the things that you love. Understand what is healthy, and enjoy yourself. Enjoywhat you’re doing through every single stage of your life, because if you sacrifice everything for the reward that may come in the end. then it’s not gonna be sustainable for you to make a lifelong career out of it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.abrillopez.com
• Instagram: abrilopezz
• Other: TikTok: abrilopezz

Image Credits

Giancarlo Osaben
Mike Petrie
Ben Williams
Kevin Quiroz
Luxor Reflexión