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

Alright, Cyrina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I would say the most meaningful project I’ve worked on is a short film called “Someone to Carry You.” It’s a film that I wrote, directed and starred in and it was inspired by my very first best friend, Laura. The idea for it came one night when my boyfriend and I were settling in to watch a movie and Laura, who I hadn’t heard from in a while, sent me a video from a hobby horsing championship. It was so perfect and funny and specific and SO something we would have enjoyed doing at that age (or even now). I couldn’t stop laughing. Instead of watching a movie, I started to reminisce about all the weird things we used to do, all the random clubs we’d come up with, all the nights we’d stay up, dancing around the room to Alanis Morissette… I just kept thinking: this is all so special. So, I decided to make the film as a sort of love letter to all the people who encourage the most unique parts of you to shine. Laura did that for me, and I wanted to make something that would remind others about the first person who did that for them. After I shared it, I got a lot of responses about people reaching out to their old friends — some of whom they hadn’t spoken to in years — just to recollect on those special times. And now I have a little time capsule that was brought to life by a team of wonderful creatives I couldn’t have been luckier to collaborate with.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My tax return says that I’m an actress and a writer, but I wish if you googled me it would say: intergalactic space creature with a penchant for singing and dancing throughout the galaxy.

I moved from Miami to Los Angeles with my two best friends from theater school, Natalie Morales and Chrissie Fit. We had no idea what our plan was, but we knew we had to be here. We hustled, each one of us creating our own path, but sticking by each other throughout the years. I started by doing improv, which led to taking acting classes, which is where I met my first manager. They helped me find an agent and I finally started auditioning. Most of my first auditions were commercials, which I still celebrate being a part of (telling a story in 60 seconds or less is so impressive and I love participating in and experiencing the process).

When you first get started in this business, it’s common to try and get any role you can. I love showing up on a project and bringing what I can to a character with the hope of connecting with an audience, but as time went on, I discovered my passion for collaborating on and creating new projects. And who better to collaborate with than people you love, trust, and find the most hilarious! I feel so fortunate to have so many smart and talented and hilarious friends and I try to find ways to work with them as much as possible.

I’m definitely proud of my ability to work with others and problem solve, which can be especially difficult in the creative fields, where everyone has different ways of looking at a project and ideas are so subjective. It’s important to remember that every idea is a piece of a larger puzzle, which means that a great idea isn’t always the right idea or the best idea and that, ultimately, there are so many layers between an idea and the thing that actually gets made.

For me, working with a team where we all have our specialties, strengths and weaknesses and take turns filling in the gaps, reminds me of the charm of theater camp. There is nothing more extraordinary than building something from nothing with a group that is passionate about creating magic. It’s nice when you get to work on a project that is heavily funded, but that is almost impossible to come by. I thrive on being scrappy with innovative creatives and making something come to life.

These days, I spend my time writing stories and being a part of projects that I can pour my specific humor and life experience into it in hopes of making likeminded people feel seen.

I’ve also been focusing on finding joy and figuring out other ways to express myself and get inspired. Dancing is one of my absolute favorite things in the world, but I wouldn’t say I was given the gift of following choreography, so although I love dance as a form of expression and catharsis, it’s hard to find classes that are right for me. So I started hosting “feel your feelings” dance classes where I come up with a wild, eclectic playlist and invite people who just want to get in a room and let it all out through movement. For me, sometimes all you need is a good song, a hula hoop, and a ribbon dancer to make you feel better. It’s a great way to exercise, unite with others and just let go.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is looking around at everyone participating in a project and realizing we’re all working together to make something memorable. You never know how something is going to turn out, but throughout the process, you give it your all with the hope that people will love it and relate to it. I think it’s one of the reasons the WGA and SAG strikes have been so charged. We care about what we do. We sometimes work for way less than we’re worth because we genuinely love it. But sometimes, you have to stand up for what you truly deserve and that’s what we’re fighting for.

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

My goal in my creative journey is always connection. Whether it’s with a scene partner, a director, an audience, a friend, a stranger, an animal, or an inanimate object…I just want to make others feel seen. I get so much joy out of people saying, “me too!” The bond that forms when you have an idea for something and start working on it with one, two, or hundreds of people… there is just nothing like it. And when it actually gets seen by others who had nothing to do with it and they like it too? Well that’s just the glitter cherry on top.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fifers3000/
• Twitter: @cyrinafiallo
• Youtube: @cyrinafiallo1712
• Other: My Short Film! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfbvU78QsLU

Image Credits
Jon Johnson Scott Witter Catie Laffoon Luke Fontana