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

Jeff, appreciate you joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

On a general note, I think it’s best to start any journey right where you are at anytime if it’s in your heart. With my creative journey, I believe that I started right when I was supposed to. Looking back now, it felt right on time. I remember being 15 years old, living in Queens, New York and deciding to begin this acting journey, having no idea of how or where to begin. The only acting experience I had was from doing Christmas and Easter skits at my church. I knew nothing about what I was truly getting myself into and it was probably a good idea that I didn’t. When my mother and I moved to Atlanta in 2006, it wasn’t long until I met my first acting coach, Dwayne Boyd. It was he who pointed me in the right direction. Within months of moving, Atlanta started booming with work. There’s just something about being in the right place at the right time and the whole process just felt strategic. Ultimately, I have no regrets of how and when I started my creative journey. Of course there are some things that I wish I had done a bit differently, which then begs the question: Where would I be now, if I had done this? But I think if that were the case, I wouldn’t have experienced the valuable lessons that I experienced and I probably wouldn’t have the life long connections that I have now.

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

Well, I’m Jeff Sprauve. I am an Actor and Screenwriter. I’m someone who is striving to be the best version of myself that I can be. I’m here to be a positive force in my community and in this world not just through the performing arts, but also as a person. Through my actions, with my life, I hope to do just that. I love the cinema, I love the arts and how it brings people together, how it impacts people. I love what I do and would do it for the rest of my life. Again, when I first started out in the acting industry, I had no idea what to expect, but I knew that it was what I wanted to do. When I attended my first acting class at the Premier Actors Network, that was really my first look into the profession. I experienced things from self-taping auditions, prepping auditions, to learning how to improvise, scene study, and not being afraid of the little device staring at you: the camera. I am honored to say that I’ve been very fortunate in my journey as an artist thus far. I’ve gotten to work with Hollywood A-listers from Liam Neeson to Diane Lane. I’ve worked on some of the coolest and biggest sets right at home in Atlanta, from The Passage to Tom Swift to Stranger Things. I am truly grateful. But what I am most proud of and grateful for is my family who continue to love and support me every step of the way, as well as the people I’ve met along the way. People who are on the same journey as I am.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

One of the things that I tell actors who are starting out is that you really have to have tough skin in this business. You have to be resilient. It’s audition after audition and no after no until you finally get that phone call saying that you got the job. Like pretty much every actor, I’ve had these experiences and even with my success so far, I still have these experiences. I can remember times when I had an audition for a role that I fit, something that was my essence. I kill it and confidently walk out of the audition room not second guessing my choices. But I still don’t get the job. The journey really has taught me that what’s for you, is for you. I learned that you really just have to keep going. Okay, so you didn’t get that job, it wasn’t for you, be grateful for the actor who did get the job, with the expectation that your time is coming.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Everything has its seasons. There are busy seasons and there are slow seasons. Within my industry, I’ve had to learn how to balance life and career and know when to shift. When things got slow on the acting side of things that was my opportunity to apply more focus on screenwriting. As a creative, I have to create. I can’t stop being or doing that. I remember times when finances got funky and I had to make the adjustment to working more hours at my job so that I can continue to invest in the long-term that is my career.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Mr_jeffsprauve
• Facebook: Jeff Sprauve

Image Credits
Brandon Reece Photography Keitravis Squire Hannah Pniewski Photography