We were lucky to catch up with Lina Zinecker recently and have shared our conversation below.
Lina , appreciate you joining us today. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?
The first big acting job I got right after having finished acting school was for CVS! It was a Christmas commercial that was shot both in New York City and New Jersey. I still remember that time very vividly, because the audition process had been very lengthy and with every round that I made it through I wanted the job more. The entire production was pretty big and being on set was extremely exciting, since before then I had only ever worked professionally in Germany. This was a pinch me moment for sure: Just having graduated, being on this big set so far away from home, and earning money doing what I love!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Hello everyone,
My name is Lina Zinecker and I am a performer based in New York City!
I’m originally from Germany, but moved to NYC in 2015 to study acting at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) at both their Los Angeles and New York City campus. Since then I’ve been in commercials, award-winning short films, and many sketch comedy and improv productions.
I love connecting with others through art and see it affecting them in different ways!
Currently I am performing all around the Tri-State area and a short film I was in just advanced to the next round in a film festival. Please feel free to reach out to me as I am always looking for new people to work and create with!
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
I really enjoy watching interviews, listening to podcasts, or reading autobiographies by creatives that I admire and look up to. It is really inspiring to see how they got to where they are today, how they chose to deal with set backs, and different ways they approach situations. There’s a lot to take away from that and apply to your own story. I loved reading Alicia Keys’ memoir! Although she’s a singer and doesn’t act, there was so much that I learned from her story. Consuming that kind of media can provide you with new ideas and also make you feel comforted in your journey! No matter what kind of art someone produces we’re all very alike and can really benefit from listening to each other’s stories.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Moving to the U.S. on my own when I was 20 years old definitely comes to mind immediately! Creating a completely new life for myself here has been very exciting and empowering. Of course that also meant starting from scratch and having to find new friends and make new connections.
But I love meeting new people and New York is really the perfect place to do just that. This city really rewards anyone who puts in the work and that’s what I did: I went to all kinds of events whether they were professional events for performers, or different meet ups to make new friends. That really paid off, because now I do feel very connected to the people and the city!
Contact Info:
- Website: linazinecker.com
- Instagram: linainnyc