We recently connected with Taylor Cozort and have shared our conversation below.

Taylor, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

A couple of months before my 18th birthday, I packed up my humble life in Colorado and moved to New York City, a placed I’d only ever been to once before, to pursue a life in the arts. I grew up in the theatre world, acting and writing, in hopes of one day getting my chance to perform in a larger capacity than community theatre– and I thought, what better place to get your start than New York?

With $23 dollars in my bank account, and my can do attitude, I told myself I’d figure it out. I started my education at The New School for Drama in lower Manhattan. With a whole lotta ambition and a dream I spent the next 6.5 years in the city learning, creating, and chasing a career in the arts. I wrote countless sketches, plays, and short films. I even tried stand up comedy and clown work! The world seemed full of endless possibilities. From basement theaters, to off broadway adventures, my experiences varied immensely. Eventually, a global pandemic hit, and work started slowing down. My survival jobs weren’t keeping me afloat anymore and I had to make a decision. As much as I felt New York had my heart, and was truly my first love, I was curious as to what was out west. I was really interested in what the film scene in California had to offer. So I sold nearly all my stuff, took a chance on my self once again. I bought a one way ticket to Los Angeles. I started working as an assistant in various settings. Nothing that was new to me, but it got to the point where I was itching to be to be immersed in the industry. I grabbed on to the first production assistant job I could find and got to work. My first day on set was for a CBS Show called WOW Women of Wrestling. I remember lifting heavy boxes onto a truck and rhinestoning wrestler’s wardrobe pieces. The head of costumes ended up taking a liking to me, and what was supposed to be a 4 day gig, turned into me working with them for four plus years! After lots of learning and endless days of hard work, I eventually took over as Costume Director for the show. Best risk I ever took.

Taylor, 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 biggest passion is performing. I’ve been acting since I was a child; in community theatre, school plays, auditioning for commercials, etc. I spent all of my free time growing up dedicated to creating. Whether that be writing poetry, performing in acting competitions, improv, or making sketches and short films. As I grew older it was never a question of whether or not I’d be pursuing this as a career. Creating in any capacity has always been my passion, and any avenue I get to do that has been a viable option for me.

I studied acting and playwrighting in college in New York, and spent the years after developing and acting in plays produced in theatrical festivals across the United States. Once I moved to Los Angeles I started finding my passion again for writing screenplays. I wrote, produced, and starred in several short films and sketches over the last few years, working my skills as a writer and filmmaker. With an amazing community of artists around me making it possible, we just wrapped my most recent film Girls Trip To Venice, and hope to be hitting the festival circuit this summer!

Something else I’ve loved about Los Angeles is its incredible improv scene! I was fortunate enough to immerse myself in that world at The Groundlings School to learn with the best over the past several years, meeting some of my funniest and most talented friends and collaborators in classes there. We’ve gone on to book several improv performances, produce comedic projects, and develop lasting friendships/collaborations.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I think something I wish I had ‘unlearned’ sooner was the myth that to make something you needed a lot of money, or a big studio to back you. Some of my best work, and some of the work I am most proud of was made with a group of friends on someone’s camera for $100 in an apartment. You really don’t always need a major budget to create. Does it help? Sure. But if you believe in your script, your story, and have a committed team you can make your project go a long way.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

In the last few years I have come the the realization that you cannot create things for someone else. I think my work really started to take shape when I began making things that I wanted to make, and telling things and stories I wanted to share. I believe that’s when your works has authenticity and the audience can feel that. So, I believe my goal is to keep making art that I am proud to make. To keep making art that I want to tell the world about.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @taylorcozort
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-cozort-73a015238
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@taylorcozort2593

Image Credits

Keoni Photo Co