Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Deanna Pak. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Deanna, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
I first knew I wanted to pursue the arts when I started taking ballet in an after-school program in 8th grade. My love and persistence for dance led to many shows, as well as musicals, and then I fell in love with acting. I caught the performer and creator bug. To this day, no matter how my life changes through different types of jobs, I will never stop loving the craft.
Deanna, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I started in theatre and dance. After graduating college, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in acting because if I didn’t, I would always wonder “what if”.
I started in several short and student films, corporate videos, music videos, background, modeling, and stand-in work, to get as much experience and exposure as possible. I’ve done more hospitality jobs as a “side hustle” than I can remember, until I decide one day, I was just done with that industry haha. I’ve gotten multiple agents and managers until I found my current team, Corner Booth Entertainment. It has been a journey.
I have recurred on network TV shows and national commercials, as well as independent films. I have also studied at most of the well-known acting studios in LA, because I found my growth has happened the most being able to combine a variety of training styles and experiences to see what works best for me.
What sets me apart is that I have a keen eye for creative detail. I can be meticulous, but I also find the beauty in allowing imperfection because nothing is ever perfect. Art will always be subjective, no matter how successful it becomes. My persistence is also my strong trait. There were times I almost quit, but something in me didn’t allow me to do it. I’ve gotten a “regular job”, and I never felt fulfilled the way creating in TV/Film has made me feel. Even during times of extreme hardship, my persistence to create has always succeeded. I also don’t allow circumstances stop me from what I really want to do. For example, we are still on strike (WGA Writers and SAG-AFTRA Actors), and because I’m not working at the capacity I was before the strike, I knew I had to keep a momentum going in chaos, so I recently wrote, produced, and starred in a short film, Kinnected, on top of a full time job outside the industry. It is hard, but it’s worth it.
I also believe it’s important to pay it forward and help others. A few years ago, I published a book on Amazon, “Hungry in Hollywood: How to Become a Working Actor.”
I believe standing out requires doing what you need to do, no matter how hard it is, to make your dreams a reality.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect is being able to affect an audience deeply with a story you helped create. There is no better feeling. Whether you made someone laugh or cry, being an Avenue for someone going through something, is an incredible feeling of accomplishment.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
I think many non-creatives fail to understand that the way we are wired does not allow us to just throw away our endeavors completely and get a non-creative job. IF we do, we have to do something on the weekends or off days to fuel that creativity, or else we won’t feel like we are living in our purpose. It feels like a necessity like water. We can fast for awhile, but we will eventually starve for creativity.
I also think they fail to understand that if we don’t wake up and work (even if we haven’t booked a gig and are “off”) we won’t continue to work. We have to set our own hours in between scheduled shoot days. It’s an entrepreneurial lifestyle with a splash of arts.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.deannapak.com
- Instagram: @deannapak
- Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/deannapak
- Twitter: Deannapak
- Youtube: YouTube.com/deannapak
Image Credits
In order: James Garcia (bts in pink suit), Enoch Purnell (red Carpet hot pink dress back angle), Sean-Michael Ryan, Sean-Michael Ryan, Sean-Michael Ryan, Jenny Ruiz, non applicable for book promo, and last carpet at bet event not sure of photographer