We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Virginia Vogt. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Virginia below.

Virginia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I have been an actor for as long as I can remember. I did my first school play at the age of 6 and spent my entire youth on stage. Even as I pursued other interests (namely for college and getting a “real” job) I stayed on the stage as much as I could, acting in community theatre productions and singing in local choirs. So, my first introduction to the craft of acting was through those first people who organized school and community theatre for children and youths. I owe my love of the craft of acting to a magical woman named Jackie Waymire. She was the creator of The Chesapeake Youth Players, a motley group of children and young adults who put on plays – all written by either Jackie herself or one of the kids in the crew. She single-handedly taught us about character, connection, drawing an audience’s attention, and so much more. I really became a performer, thanks to her.
As I grew, I did not choose to pursue acting as a career, because I was infected with the belief that the arts are not a viable career choice. So, while I continued to act, I didn’t really grow much as an actor for a long time. Until one day – and it really was an epiphany one day – I realized that I needed to be an actor, professionally. At the late age of 28. And that began my next foray into truly knowing the craft of acting. I began by getting on set and watching other actors. Then I started taking small classes and workshops. And auditioning for Film and Television roles as much as I could. I read books and I watched movies and TV. I did this for several years until I realized I had become stagnant. I needed and I wanted to up my game.
In the height of the pandemic, with a sprouting career, I decided to attend a one-year intensive acting program in Vancouver, Canada. It was an incredibly tough, arduous year, but I came out the other side a better actor, and a better human being.
I know that my learning as an actor will never end. In order to be a great actor, and a decent human being, you must always, always approach yourself and the world with curiosity and awe. The craft of acting is not a one-class down and you’re done kind of thing; it is a lifelong pursuit.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Virginia, and I am an actor. I have been acting professionally for almost 9 years now, but have been an actor my entire life. I was a 28-year old stay-at-home mom, not using the Bachelor of Science degree I had earned, rocking my one-year-old to sleep, cruising Facebook, when I saw a friend of mine posting photos from their time on set. Something just then hit me like a lightning bolt and a ton of bricks all at once – I needed to do that. I needed to act. The actor inside me stood up and said “I will no longer allow you to ignore me!” And just then, that’s when I began my career as an actor. I immediately reached out to my friend and asked him how he was on set. He started as a background artist and gave me a whole host of information to get that going. So, that’s what I did. I began working as a background artist, gathering as much information about the film and television industry as I could while I was on set, making new friends, and finding the places to go and people to talk to. Then, I started getting local auditions on my own, and when I felt like I knew I had enough information, I gathered my family and we moved to Atlanta so I could really get my hands dirty in the industry. It has been a wild roller coaster ride since then!
I have had the incredible privilege to be the lead in short and feature films. I have worked on web-series with friends, brainstormed fun projects, and stretched my craft through many, many auditions.
In Atlanta, I am represented by the incredible Tonya Hensley at TDH Talent Unlimited. On the west coast (namely, Vancouver, Canada) I am represented by Principals Talent.
The biggest thing I want people reading this to know is that I am tenacious and curious. I approach the world, and therefore text and scenes, with wonder and eagerness, and while I may battle perfectionist tendencies, I know there is no such thing as “perfect” in art. There is feeling, and there is sense, and there is messy human behavior: and out of all of that can come some beautiful, meaningful, silly, marvelous things.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think it’s really important for us as a society to realize how important art is to us. Not just the art we see in museums, but all the art that we are surrounded with day to day. We rely on art to soothe our nervous systems, to offer hope and connection, to show us that we are not alone on this planet. But somehow, despite the vast amount of art most people consume (books, television and movies, music – so much music) we as a society do not value art. We do support creative careers as viable options (this is the very reason I did not tap into my creative, artistic self until slightly later in life). We do not feel that those who make art, in whatever form, deserve to be paid for the art we consume. The product that you see–whether it is a painting or a song or a show–didn’t just happen out of nowhere, but instead from the cumulative years of life, growth, learning, and expertise of one or multiple artists. I think it’s necessary for us to see the value art and artists provide in our everyday lives, and offer support in the best way we can. Share your favorite artist’s work if you can’t purchase it. Go to that indie venue and see that local band. Attend film festivals or put a few dollars towards a filmmaker’s Kickstarter campaign. Tell your favorite artists what they mean to you because we creatives do all of this for a reason.

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

Being a beacon for other people, whatever that beacon may mean to them, is the most rewarding thing for me. I used to sing in a community choir; after a performance one night, a gentleman came up to me and told me that he enjoyed himself so much, so much more than he thought he would, because he saw me up there smiling. My smile made him feel like he was in the right place, that he could feel the joy I was feeling, and he needed it that particular night, more than he had realized. Atlanta Theatre-To-Go is an amazing organization that puts on performances inside nursing homes and assisted living facilities. I spent a season with them, performing as the granddaughter of a WWII vet. After every show someone would come up to me – a veteran themselves, a veteran’s wife, or children – and shake my hand and tell me how much my performance meant to them. They would tell me stories of their time in the service or their loved one’s service, and we usually ended up crying together and hugging fiercely. They would always tell me how seen they felt while watching our little play. Being a beacon, a reflection – interactions like this that make being a performer so rewarding.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.vavogt.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/the_scarlettp
• Twitter: twitter.com/the_scarlettp

Image Credits
Karolina Turek, Connor Cruzot-Chin, Kelsey Tobin