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

Hi Luz, thanks for joining us today. What’s the best or worst investment you’ve made (either in terms of time or money)? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

My best investment has 100% been auditioning and then enrolling in The Stella Adler Studio of Acting’s 2-year Evening Conservatory. I knew I wanted to act and I also knew that the few NYU acting classes I took sporadically throughout college weren’t going to cut it. The 2-year conservatory gave me an amazing foundation that I still use when on set and/or stage. I’m confident in my training and in myself as a performer because I dedicated 2 straight years to learning this craft inside and out. And I’m still learning!

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 background and context?

I’m an actress based in NYC, Los Angeles, and Atlanta (but I wasn’t always). I went to college with zero clue about what I wanted to pursue in life. I changed majors 6 times until I realized that above everything else what I really wanted was to not be miserable at a job I hated. I wanted to make sure that whatever I pursued after college was going to fulfill me in all the best ways. Life is so insanely short and it goes by so quickly so happiness was really important to me. I always knew I liked acting but I never thought about it too seriously due to growing up low-income. When you grow up low-income, you pursue something safe and lucrative for obvious reasons. I completely understand and respect that but I just knew that I wouldn’t be happy doing that. I ended up taking a few acting classes at NYU to get my feet wet and learn as much possible. A few months before I graduated from NYU, I decided to audition for the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, and I got in! I spent the next 2 years completely immersing myself and becoming a better version of myself, a more fearless version.

Since graduating Stella, I’ve had co-star roles on NBC, Amazon, BET+, and AMC’s ALLBLK. I’ve been in numerous films that have screened in theaters and also at Sundance, Toronto International Film Festival, Los Angeles Latino Film Festival and many more. I recently shared the screen with Patrica Arquette and Willem Dafoe. I’ve been in numerous national commercials, and I’ve recorded several national and regional voiceovers. I just recently completed an Off-Broadway run of FORT HUACHUCA by Ailema Sousa at A.R.T./New York Theatres.

I’ve had so many “almost bookings” that would’ve been life-changing financially and career-wise but I know all those “almosts” will soon be “yes’s” (at least I hope they turn into a yes soon!! haha)

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

The why am I still doing this. Creatives, in general, wouldn’t be pursuing something as unpredictable as the arts if they didn’t wholeheartedly believe in themselves and their talent. I think non-creatives might struggle to understand that because it is so easy to just…not leave life up to chance. There’s an adrenaline that runs over me when I receive an audition from my agents. It’s exciting knowing that I’m one of 20/40/60 people who the casting director picked to audition for ONE role. And then you get a callback? And then you’re “in the mix?” And then you book it??? All of the aforementioned steps and the increasing excitement as well as anxiety that comes with them just makes my choice in career worth it. I feel so fulfilled doing something I love while simultaneously having so much fun as well. How you can beat that?

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

It would be AMAZING if acting as a career wasn’t looked down upon. I can’t tell you how many times I would mention that I’m an actor and the response would be that of pity. In my 7 years since I’ve been acting professionally, I’ve also encountered many people that assume I’m not financially stable because I’m an actor. I’m sure that there still are the “struggling actor” types out there but for the most part, the actors I know, are working 9-5 (like me), or have 2-3 flexible steady jobs. Actors have to consistently financially invest in themselves and their craft. In 2023, it is INCREDIBLY difficult to be an actor if you don’t have your finances in order first.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.LuzOzuna.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luzozuna_/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/luz-ozuna-nyc
• Other: Resume: https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/LuzOzuna