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

Soraya, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project I have worked on so far is “Haunted”, the short film I co-wrote with acclaimed director Jon Amiel (Copycat, Entrapment, The Walking Dead and many others), a close friend of mine and my mentor. “Haunted” is a drama/mystery that deals with teen suicide. This is obviously a hard topic to address but a very relevant one these days, sadly. Mental health statistics are appalling and communication is at the core of the healing process here, so Jon and I tried to create an artistic piece that would get people’s attention and encourage discussions.

We started the creative process with long exchanges so that we could build a meaningful story. Since I was going to play the lead, we decided to tell this story from the point of view of the mother. In the beginning, I was doing most of the writing and Jon was guiding me in the process. Then, he got more and more involved and we started to go back and forth with the writing until we felt we had a strong and hopefully beautiful story to share.

Soraya, 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?

I have always wanted to be an actress but I was scared to pursue this route. I knew it was a very uncertain path to follow and I had no connections whatsoever in the film/tv industry. And of course relationships are key in this business. So I went to university first, got a Master’s Degree in English, and then started to take acting classes in London – where I was living at the time. I moved to Paris to further my training before ending up in Los Angeles, where I attended Bobbie Chance’s studio. I was there every day, putting up scenes and mingling with my new acting community.

In LA, the first problem I encountered was my accent. It kept getting in the way of my getting jobs. Most of the time, when I met casting directors, they would tell me to learn how to do an American accent. So I worked on it with tapes, but also created a comedy short entitled “I’m Not an Accent” and later on, developed an online presence as the “hot French teacher” with an educational web series to learn French called “Oh La La, Hollywood Speaks French!”. I basically emphasized my difference, rather than try to eliminate it – while still desperately trying to “kill” that accent! I know, it’s contradictory…

What am I most proud of? Pride is not something I see as very positive… Let’s say that I am very happy to have become freer, humbler, more open-minded and empathetic. I think these are key qualities in an actor. And the added bonus is that I feel more in tune than ever with who I think I truly am!

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.

I think we’re all creatives. But let’s say that less creative people who have accepted to lead a more conventional life often struggle to understand why I haven’t given it up yet and continue to have so much uncertainty in my life. To me, pursuing acting was never a choice. It is something that has always been inside me and the few times I tried to stifle that creative urge, I felt more restless than ever. I cannot live without being truthful to myself. Filmmaking is part of who I am. I don’t think I could put up with reality if I didn’t have imaginary worlds and characters to escape to!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Being a creative allows you to deepen your understanding of what it is to be human, I think. You learn to better understand yourself and others and hopefully develop meaningful relationships along the way. Human psychology is definitely a very complex and rich topic to explore! The learning process is endless and therefore very exciting to me! It has brought me a lot of confidence, joy, serenity and a strong sense of “being whole”.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sorayagarre.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sorayagarre
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sorayagarre
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soraya-garre-sag-aftra-french-actress-acting/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/sorayagarre
• Other: https://www.imdb.me/sorayagarre

Image Credits

Main headshot: Joanna Degeneres
Beverly Hills Red Carpet Pic: MC Ferreira