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

Alright, Sebrina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I think as an artist your journey with learning your craft is never ending. I see that more and more as I get older. That is why it is so important to continue to learn and try out different approaches to the work. There was a time in my journey where I would write everything down,(pages and pages). I had questions /prompts that I would take myself through to help me with character development. And that served me well until it didn’t. I have been working with a new technique that has changed how I approach my work and it really works for where I am in my life right 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.

I am an actor. I was born and raised in NYC, in Jamaica Queens. I actually got into acting at 13 because my mother was trying to push me into modeling and I really hated it. My JHS started a theatre program and I joined. I fell in love with it and decided to go to HS for it, so I went to Talent Unlimited HS on 68th between 1st & 2nd for Drama. In 2012 I decided to make the move to Los Angeles and I have been out here ever since. Although I have a love for all of the mediums, my focus has always been TV. I feel very proud that I have been able to have a career in this medium. I have had the opportunity to work with and learn from people that I really look up to like Gina Torres and WIlliam H. Macy.

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

The biggest lesson that I had to unlearn was hiding who I really am. I thought I had to present to be someone else in order to be accepted and that prolonged my career the most. I really thought I had to hide Sebrina from NYC or Sebrina who is a mom and wife in order to be successful. In return it actually hurt me because I came across as inauthentic, which i was being because I was hiding me.

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?

The biggest journey difference being an actor is that 1+1 usually / most of the time does not equal 2. In corporate, you usually have a success track for yourself on how you want to move ahead, and if you follow the steps it will get you to your goal. Being an artist is not that linear. It is not healthy to have an outside view of success because a lot of what people would consider success is not in your control. You can be the best for the role and still not get the job because of so many outside forces that have nothing to do with you. Examples: I can be the best actor for the job but the leading man is 5’6 in height and I’m 5’7. Or they already have someone with a bigger platform on the project and you look to similar to that person.\

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsebrinapurcell/
• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5255935/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1