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

Hi Grace, thanks for joining us today. Have you signed with an agent or manager? Why or why not?

Do you have an agent or someone (or a team) that helps you secure opportunities and compensation for your creative work?

Yes I do! I’m very grateful that I am represented in two different countries. Shoutout to my agent in Australia “Gilchrist Management” and also my theatrical/commercial agent in the United Kingdom “International Artists Management”. I know this isn’t the case for a lot of people, but I feel very blessed by God to be working with agents who have a high calibre of talents and still have that personal touch. Obviously as agents they don’t get paid until we book something, so to have your tribe who believes in you before even reaching those destinations are so pivotal.

How did you meet them, why did you decide to work with them, why do you think they decided to work with you?

So this is a little trick that a lot of starting out actors don’t know. Each time I search for an agent, I’ll log into my IMDB pro, go under Companies, and Talent Agencies. The system ranks the company meter based on the agency’s credibility. From there, I’ll look into whether I know any of their clients, have I seen them in any movies I like? Because if the agency has an experience in guiding an artist that I see myself growing into, then that would be the right fit for me. I know they’ll be able to guide me along that path because they’ve done it before.

For both my UK & Australian agency, I decided to work with them because of the above. Also knowing that they are excited about my future and I can easily communicate with them without pee-ing in my pants is very important! hahah! Sorry was that TMI?

As to why they decided to work with me… I honestly just count myself very blessed. I feel so grateful and undeserving, but if I have a hunch, its because I know my branding. I think thats key for most actors trying to apply for agencies. If you don’t know yourself, the agents won’t know how to market you too. Start there.

I think most actors can get into the trap of fearing talent agents, when this is actually a collaboration. They are working together with you, and there’s a certain level of ownership and responsibility that comes with this realisation. No one is going to care about your career more than you. So whether it be organising an annual meeting to discuss your vision, your branding, publications. Artists, take charge. Network with producers, directors, casting. Your agent won’t do it for you. Be a team player, and bring value.

Grace, 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?

Grace Chim is a New Zealand born, Indonesian-Singaporean actress/singer trained in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York. She has recently wrapped filming a British Sci-fi/Romance Feature Film this year and also a US TV Pilot called The Healer which will be released in 2024. Her most recent credits include television series Bali 2002 on STAN, award winning film Breaking the Silence (awarding her performance in the Vegas Movie Awards), Sci-Fi thriller Feature Risen, Marvel’s Shang-Chi Legend of the Ten Rings, Indonesian Feature Aku Atau Dia and various Off-Broadway theatre credits. Most recently, she has also been privileged to sing for His Majesty King Charles in the Buckingham Palace. In addition to this, she has also released her own debut single Safe & Sound on Spotify which will be licensed in a US feature film, and she is also a co-host in the podcast The Actors Daily Bread. Grace is highly-skilled in all genres of singing, archery, fight choreography, voiceovers, Bahasa Indonesia, various US & Asian accents and a PHD in Chihuahua barking.

In her spare time, she also empowers other creatives achieve financial freedom through Digital Marketing and not to rely on day jobs in between projects. For more info, check out her financial empowerment page for creatives (Instagram: @thewealthy.artist )

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

One of the biggest reasons I’m still standing here, is by the grace of God and the resilience I’ve gathered from the fluctuations of life. I grew up in a broken family, my parents divorced at a young age, and ever since I was 7 I had to live with my grandmother until they sorted the legal matters out until I was 10. But I also went through bullying up until high school, had my heart broken etc etc.. This could be a story of victimisation, but no, this is a story of redemption. I’ve gone through the fires, but Jesus kept me from burning. So its with the same resiliency and strength from the Lord that I overcome seasons in this career path as well. Especially as an artists/business owner, there are ups and downs, but you get back up and keep going.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I think the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is to make people feel understood. I have to remind myself this is why I do this craft. The money, the fame, it gets old really quickly. But one of the most beautiful things we can gift to the audience in a society that encourages us to close our emotions off, is that in that 1 or 2 hours of watching a movie, we allow people to feel. Also I kind of love playing misunderstood characters, because no one is actually evil, I think people are just hurt. If we can find the humanity in each character and shed light to lots of misunderstood people in society, I think thats a good day in the office.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9132931/
• Instagram: @gracechimm
• Other: Financial Freedom for Creatives:
  www.instagram.com/thewealthy.artist

Image Credits

Portraits: Paniradya Giardian, Krula Headshots, Anastasia Fua, Phil Chaplin