We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ryan Satterfeal a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ryan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Right after I completed community college, I was transferring to the university (that was conveniently right down the road). Initially, I was going to go in for a computer science related field but, in the middle of signing up for classes at orientation, I saw all the classes I’d have to take that I DID NOT LIKE. I remembered the acting class I took back at community college and how much fun in it that I had. When I got home, I immediately changed majors. I felt such a draw to it that it was undeniable.

Ryan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Well, my story goes that I started as a musician. I played guitar in a few bands over the years – even putting a full length record out when I was in high school. When I got into acting, it was all by chance, really. I had some credits to fill at my local community college, and the advisor knew I did music and mentioned there was an acting class. I figured “why not?” since I was already performing, in a way. When I got to the theatre where the class was, the coach was pacing across the stage on the phone. It turned out that me and one other kid were the only two who signed up.. uh oh. What ended up happening was that me and this kid got placed into the coach’s advanced class later in the week.. while I had ZERO acting experience. I was terrified. The thing is, it was the most fun I had in college. I ended up doing really well, and continued on.

Fast forward to now – a university, couple of films, tv, and commercials later – and here I am. I would say I’m proud that I didn’t give up, even during hard times – and there were definitely some hard times along the way. When things got tough, I tried to remember what it was that got me going. For those who are reading: that’s a thing to always remember. Remember what got you started.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Growing up, I liked to get things “right,” ya know? I was a very good student, and it seems the habit of doing things correctly and almost-perfectly followed me into adulthood – into my career. In my line of work, that isn’t always the case. It isn’t about being perfect. It isn’t about morphing yourself into ten thousand different ways just to make sure you “get it right.” I had to learn that I was enough – that there is no “perfect” in my line of work. It’s something I have to sometimes remind myself here and there.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I remember an old day job interview from many years ago. They asked me “what the schedule was like” for an actor, so this question is a little funny. Being a creative – especially an actor – is so unlike anything else. Everything is subjective and “going on job interviews” essentially IS the job, with the booking being a highly sought reward. I’d also want people not in this industry to understand that there is no “weekend” for us. Even when we’re away, we can still be working. Another thing is that no audition is ever the same, and the bright lights, red carpets, fancy suits, and big events you see on tv are a fraction-of-a-fraction of the percentage of actors. Many of us are working day jobs and trying to navigate this business. Finally, this business and life require so much dedication and sacrifice. SO much.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @ryansatterfeal
• Facebook: @ryansatterfeal
• Twitter: @ryansatterfeal

Image Credits
Tracy Conoboy, Kailian Carter, David Chan, and BrightCap Entertainment.