Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elena Sanchez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Elena, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

The day I decided I was going to be an actress and work in film and television, a huge depressing weight was lifted off of my shoulders. I was studying Hotel Management at Cornell University, and I was on track to work at a hotel, or at sporting events, or in something else to do with travel and tourism. But for some reason, the thought of that didn’t make me truly happy. I was taking an acting class to fulfill an elective requirement, and I thought to myself, “Imagine being as happy to go to work every day as I am when I go to this class!” It took me about two weeks to formulate a plan, and I never looked back. I also never had a plan B. When things weren’t working, or the future looked bleak, I figured out a way to make it work. I remember walking home from shifts at a restaurant I used to work at, at 1 a.m., I would be exhausted, with my legs aching, but I’d still be happy. Because I knew that I was working towards my dream. The thought of having a regular job at this point is so incredibly foreign to me, that I can’t imagine it. The only time it comes up is in conversations with my mom, when she’s lovingly complaining about me leaving them after I’ve been visiting them for a couple of weeks. I tell her, “Mom, you realize that if I had a regular job, there’s no way I could visit you as much and as long as I do?!”

Elena, 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 am an actress and stuntwoman and have worked on over 100 movies & TV shows. I’ve had the opportunity to work on a lot of Marvel projects, like Avengers: Infinity War & Endgame, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Spider-Man: Homecoming & No Way Home, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. My first credited movie as an actress was The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, where I played Cecelia, the tribute from District 8. Since then I have worked with actors like Tom Cruise, Sylvester Stallone, Chris Pratt, Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, and Gerard Butler. I have also worked on TV shows like NCIS: New Orleans, Sleepy Hollow, and The Walking Dead. I am honored to have won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Avengers: Endgame, and have also been nominated for two Taurus World Stunt Awards for a fire burn I did in the film Demigod. In 2020 I completed the Professional Program in Producing at UCLA, and since then I have served as an Associate Producer on the feature film Devil’s Peak (Billy Bob Thornton and Robin Wright), and as a Producer on the feature film Open (William Forsythe and Jeremy London), as well as on a short film titled The Seventh Turn, which is currently in post-production. I feel incredibly lucky to have made a living in this industry since 2010, and I hope to continue for a long, long time! If there is one thing I’d like to share with your readers, it’s that if you have a dream, follow it. Even if it seems impossible. I knew nothing about working in film and television, and I did not know a single person in this industry when I started. If I can do it, so can you!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Even though I started my career with the intention of being an actress, I began working so much as a stuntwoman, that it felt like I was being pigeonholed, and it was hard for me to be taken seriously as an actress. After two years of working almost exclusively doing stunts, I took some time off to go to drama school in London, and as fate would have it, the night of my graduation is when I got the first call that I was being considered for The Hunger Games. However, about 5 years later, I still felt like I couldn’t get any traction as an actress, and it was hard for me to get auditions, even for short films! I had booked some small roles in movies, but nothing more. It would have been easy for me to keep working as a stuntwoman and make money doing that… but deep down I knew that something was missing creatively. So I took some time off from stunts and paid some filmmakers to shoot some scenes for me that showcased me as an actor. After that, I was finally able to get auditions for some short films, and I spent a year working on USC and AFI student films in LA. From those, I was able to build a better reel and eventually I started booking larger roles in films and TV shows! All that being said, I wouldn’t change any of it. My background as a stuntwoman has led to some amazing things, and now I really enjoy action-acting – where I get to act and do my own stunts!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

The three most important tips I have are to be authentic, be engaging, and be active. Being authentic is really important. We’re all just humans, and sometimes I’ll post something that is just the real me – no makeup, unwashed hair. And sometimes I lose followers because of that… but I don’t care. I’d rather have an audience who I can be myself with, and that takes off the pressure of having to be perfect. That is incredibly important for my mental health. Also, it’s not just about posting stuff about yourself though, and it’s not just about trying to get more followers. Engaging with people is my favorite thing about social media. It’s a two way street! I like responding to things that others say and post, and building relationships with others. I have also built some wonderful real-life relationships which started over social media. Social media is such an incredible tool and I’m so thankful for it! Lastly, being active is important… but not that important. It’s OK to take some time off. It’ll still be there when you come back.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.elenasanchez.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/TheElenaSanchez
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheElenaSanchez
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheElenaSanchez
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/TheElenaSanchez

Image Credits
1. Headshot (by Ben Cope) 2. Still from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Lionsgate) 3. Stunt Doubling for Zoe Saldana as Gamora in Avengers: Endgame 4. The Walking Dead 5. Open Poster (Historia Films) 6. Stunt Doubling for Alexandra Daddario on Texas Chainsaw 3D (by Justin Lubin)