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

Negin , appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

From a young age, my love for acting and, more specifically, for film, was undeniable. I was a reclusive child who found joy in just two things: movies and playtime. My imagination ran wild, and it was like it never took a break-a 24hr service for me, by me. I would lose myself in these imagined worlds for hours on end, almost becoming a permanent resident in my own mind.
I loved crafting stories, developing characters, and creating entire scenarios where I could live out different lives. Whether I was a scientist, a physician, or a warrior, it all felt more real to me than the world around me.

At 16, I asked myself, “What do you want to do with the life that you have been given?”
But the answer didn’t come immediately. It wasn’t until a particularly tough moment in my life when I decided to watch a film to keep my mind off of what was going on and for those one or two hours, I was completely immersed.
I forgot about everything else-the sadness, the worries. In that moment, I realized what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to provide that same escape for others—the chance to forget their troubles, even if just for a short time, and be transported into a different world.

Initially, acting didn’t seem like a realistic option for me. Growing up in an Iranian family surrounded by doctors and engineers, my career path was almost predetermined. The idea of pursuing something in the arts felt distant, like a fantasy. It was a passion, but not something I could seriously consider. Acting was seen more as a hobby, not a profession. But as I grew, I realized that this passion wasn’t just a dream-it was a calling.

Negin , 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?

My name is Negin Poure. I was born in a small city in southwest Iran. I traveled a lot as a kid, with no real concept and definition of home in mind.
In 2013, I migrated to the south of India, where I spent most of my childhood and teenage years. It was during this time that my passion for the arts truly began to mold itself.
I fell in love with poetry at the age of 14, and not long after, I felt an unequivocal pull toward acting.
The only problem? I had no roadmap-no mentors, no one around me in the arts.
And thus began the internet searches. I devoured everything I could find about acting books and online courses, and most importantly, I watched films religiously, not just for entertainment but as a student of the craft, analyzing performances, breaking down scenes, and absorbing every detail.

At 17, I took an online acting course in India, eager to refine my skills and understand the industry better. But deep down, I knew where I truly needed to be-New York. The birthplace of so many legendary actors, the home of theater and storytelling. Without any professional experience to my name, I applied to acting schools with nothing but passion and conviction. To my surprise, I was accepted into several programs, an affirmation that my desire to act spoke louder than my lack of credits at the time. Before I knew it, I was on a plane to the U.S., chasing a dream that once felt impossibly distant.
I chose to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts because, despite my love for film, I wanted to learn acting from its very
core- on stage, where it all began! Those two years were nothing but transformative, not just in honing my craft but in reshaping me as a person. I felt reborn, both as an artist and as an individual.

Now, I work as an actor in both theater and film and while this journey is still ongoing, what I’m most proud of is that I never silenced the voice inside me—the one that told me to keep going, even when the path was unclear.

I believe this career demands everything. It tests your resilience, stretches your limits, and asks you to stand tall even when you feel small. It humbles you, breaks you open, and then asks you to begin again.
But through it all, I have kept moving and the city has watched over me.
Through the sun, the rain, the storms, and the jam-packed subways, I have kept walking. And well, some days, the road feels endless. On other days, it feels like I am exactly where I need to be.
Either way, I keep walking, because this is just the beginning.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist, for me, isn’t something I can easily quantify. It’s not about external validation or tangible outcomes. It’s rooted in the intangible, a sense of internal alignment when I’m fully immersed in the work and when the creative process itself becomes both the challenge and the reward.
I think the reward I get from being an artist is pretty much the same reward anyone gets from doing what they love – it fills me up.

I don’t look at my work expecting some kind of prize at the end (though I wouldn’t say no to a standing ovation).

There’s a particular kind of fulfillment that comes from knowing I’ve pushed myself to the edge of my capabilities and left nothing unexplored. It’s seeing the expression on someone’s face after a performance, or that moment after a project wraps and I can’t stop smiling like a tool.

I don’t approach my work seeking rewards in the traditional sense. If anything, I see my work as a form of reciprocal exchange-giving back to the very craft that has given me a sense of purpose in life. It’s a bit of a love story, you know?

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

“what’s meant for you will simply find you.”
I genuinely believed that if I had clarity-if I knew my dreams, my purpose, my worth then the rest would naturally fall into place.
That somehow, by sheer force of knowing, life would conspire to hand me what I deserved.

I fell into the trap of mistaking vision for action. I thought having the map was enough, forgetting that I actually had to walk the path, fall on my knees, and climb the hills myself.
I believed in manifestation, but I left out the part where you have to manifest with your hands, your voice, your persistence, and sometimes even your tears.

What I’ve come to understand, the hard way, is that knowing your purpose is only the first step. The real work begins when you stand up, step out, and fight for it. What’s meant for you doesn’t arrive at your doorstep. You chase it down, wrestle with it, sometimes lose sight of it, and then find your way back to it.

From believing I deserved something to proving that I did, was humbling. And honestly, it’s still something I remind myself of every day.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @neginpoure @the.black.pen.cil
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/negin-poure-5a09632a6?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
• Other: Backstage: https://www.backstage.com/tal/negin-poure

Image Credits

Bianca Victoria
Bronwen Sharp
Zion laster