We recently connected with Darren Darnborough and have shared our conversation below.

Darren, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Happiness is an ever-evolving goalpost I think, and it’s not binary. You can probably derive happiness from most careers and pursuits if it’s something you enjoy, or it brings you something you enjoy, but will probably always have ups and downs. For me personally, a creative career definitely has peaks and troughs, but overall I am happy with this lifestyle because I have autonomy and also in reasonable control of my progress, which I think is a true measure of happiness both personally and professionally. I can choose to work harder or take a break, and my output and success will be linked to either of those based on what I need at the time. I do honestly sometimes wonder what it would be like to have a regular, 9-5 job but the curiosity never outweighs the benefits of doing your own thing… The creative life is perhaps considered “hard” for reasons such as fluctuating income, lack of benefits / schedule, but over time you realize your finances can be consistent (when measured in years not months), your schedule is your own, which means you can be disciplined when you feel like it, and take random days off when you don’t, which is when you can take advantage of those unique, maybe once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. But most of all, you get to do what you love each day and stay inspired, with the ability to leverage your reach / income / positive effect on the world at technically unlimited scale, which keeps me inspired.

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.

I am a British-born Actor & Entrepreneur, and occasional Producer that lives in Los Angeles but travels extensively. I’ve always been in performing arts since a child, coming up the ranks in amateur musicals, before turning professional at the age of 16. Since then, I had a fledgling career on the London stage, and in TV and commercials in the UK, before moving to Los Angeles where my work expanded with roles in hit TV shows including 2 Broke Girls, True Blood, Magnum PI, MacGyver , Truth Be Told and Roots. I’ve also appeared in several films including a leading role in Groundswell opposite Lacey Chabert, the Sundance film Jamojaya, and horror Abruptio with Jordan Peele.

I am also the Co-Founder of WeAudition – a leading worldwide community of Actors, Casting Directors and Industry Experts who connect through video-chat on our platform and around the globe at our events in many countries. The main reason actors use WeAudition is to get a self-tape reader on-demand, or make money being a reader for other actors, but there are also many other features and community benefits. Prior to this, I was the Co-Founder of another game-changing internet company StuckForStaff.

I am most proud of building communities in whatever I do, be it through film or business. Using my contacts, knowledge and leverage to bring people together I believe has a lasting effect on them and their progress and potential. WeAudition for instance helps actors connect with other inspiring people, provides them additional income and increases their skill. I’m a fan of businesses where everybody wins.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Ever since a young age, the British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson has been a source of inspiration to me. I’ve always been someone who enjoys a variety of things, and don’t subscribe to the adage that you have to only do one specialization. For me, I love both acting and business equally, and have a vivid curiosity for other disciplines too. Sir Richard Branson is that entrepreneur that from the start, was able to become either a market-leader or changemaker in various industries, and always set out to bring something absolutely new to market, or disrupt something existing to make it better for the customer experience.

All of his books, such as Losing My Virginity and Screw it, Let’s Do It have been very inspirational to me, and his recent HBO documentary Branson is equally so. I would love to play Sir Richard in a movie about his life someday, that would be a dream. I actually have had the good fortune to meet my hero several times, as when I moved to Hollywood, I sat on the committee of his charity events, and also had a private lunch with him, where he told me the most simple, yet profound advice about when to put a pursuit down, if you are juggling too many things: “When it stops being fun.”

I always ask myself that question now, when I need to divert my attention – in life, love, career and business.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I would have LOVED my company WeAudition to have existed earlier in MY creative journey! When I started out, I knew no-one in the industry, and only had a few books in the library and an unfulfilling newspaper for research. Now, through WeAudition, aspiring and professional actors have access to thousands of professional, working actors in Hollywood and around the world, to be scene partners, and advisors at the touch of a button. For the conscientious actor, this is a treasure trove, that I wish I’d had access to. I truly believe it would have elevated and accelerated my career.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.WeAudition.com
• Instagram: @weaudition @darrendarnborough
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/darrendarnborough
• Other: www.IMDb.me/darrendarnborough

Image Credits
Shalan + Paul Lindy Lin NOW Vivien Killilea