We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ana Moreno a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

Oh, definitely sooner. But I also give myself some credit knowing that I didn’t really have the chance to start exploring my passion for acting and arts in the general growing up since my hometown couldn’t possibly offer me much in the area, and I don’t think anyone around me realized how sincere that desire was – myself included. So that led to decades of living in the ‘professional closet’, as I joke. I try to see the glass half full, knowing that in the meantime I had the opportunity of taking my academic studies very seriously, travelled around, did interesting internships and my Master’s research about Political Gender-Based Violence, a topic I am very passionate about. And I intend to unite these two passions, a creative career and my Feminist activism.

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.

Sure. Well, hello there, then! My name is Ana Moreno, I was born and raised in the Brazilian South of the Amazon. I came to California to pursue my Master’s degree and end up staying when I found out about my sincere love for acting.

I am a big believer in social equality, specially intersectional feminism and the power of representation My end game, career and personal wise, is to convey both of these sets of beliefs – feminism and representation – through my body of work as an actor and possibly producer and/or writer.

I am currently in the early stages of producing my first short-film, called “Before I’m 30”, which is about this peculiar milestone through the eyes of best friends who are in totally different moments of their lives. It’s funny, sweet and hopefully can help people who are struggling with leaving their 20s. Goddess knows I did!

Have you ever had to pivot?

Leaving a 7-year academic training and jumping head first into acting school with very little information, no contacts and aware of all the risks was simultaneously the scariest and sanest thing I have ever done. I wasn’t happy where I was, I had a major health-scare and I knew I just had to try. It’s been a crazy, frustrating, anxiety-filled but also beautiful and vulnerable journey so far that I wouldn’t change – I just sincerely hope it pays off.

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

I mean.. My family sure doesn’t They are supportive, but still *very* confused four years in. Not too long ago, a friend of my dad asked me what I do and I said I am an actor – so my dad, who was in a different room, RUNS BACK and nearly shouts “but she also has a Master’s! And teaching experience!” and I really had to control myself not to laugh. I don’t have great advice, maybe just the classic combo of patience and sense of humor.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anacarol.moreno/
• Linkedin: https://linktr.ee/anacarolmoreno
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX8bjpNMvUs&t=13s
• Other: https://www.backstage.com/u/ana-moreno/ https://www.netzwrk.com/ana-moreno

Image Credits
A.J. Valladares Karolina Bryner Mark Mann