We were lucky to catch up with Yelena Friedman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Yelena, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?

I always loved acting and performing. Starting in the 3rd grade, I always did every single show at school. When I was about 15, I started taking a TV/Film acting class outside of school, 2 times a week. Now, when I first started acting (and even now) I always was drawn to comedy. Making people laugh was so magical and something I always loved doing. But I also love drama and diving deep into dramatic characters and stories.
In my TV/Film acting class I was always given comedies and funny roles to work on – and believe me I LOVED IT – but something I will never forget, is having my acting teacher (at the time), pull me aside and sit me down one day during class.. she then proceeded to tell me that the reason I wasn’t given more serious roles was because I wasn’t pretty/skinny enough to be a real leading lady. All I would ever be is “The Funny Friend Next Door” or “The Comic Relief”.
I was heart broken. It was the first time in my young life that I started noting my body and how the way I looked/who I was somehow determined “what I was capable of”… and I remember sitting there, hearing all the characters and roles “I’ll never be” and just thinking..
well.. looks like I need a new acting class!
Because.. as I’ve gotten older, especially in the acting industry/entertainment industry in general – everyone has opinions on what you are and what you’re not and what you can and can’t do. Truth is.. you know you best and you CAN be anything. To this day, I have created the roles I wanted to play and I have created opportunities for myself to be more than what that acting coach (all those years ago) told me I could never be. What makes you different, what makes you, YOU. Is beautiful, magical and captivating.

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

Hello! My name is Yelena Friedman. I am an actor and content creator in LA! Most people know me from my tiktoks (@YelenaFriedman) and the funny, weird, silly characters I create! Acting is my passion and having the opportunity to create roles and stories for myself through different social media platforms has been beyond a dream come true and so incredibly. I am beyond grateful for the support of my friends, family and “Note Givers” (wink wink). I hope to always continue to create. My hope is that my videos being a little bit of relief or extra fun into every day life. What sets me apart is.. I’m not afraid to try new and weird things! Most of my characters are very outlandish and silly but that is what makes them fun!
My best advice to anyone who wants to get into acting/creating is : Go take an acting class with a teacher whose method really resonates with you.. and do the work because you LOVE it. This industry is so difficult and so much rejection that to keep going, it has to be because you love what you do and want to create and bring more art into this world all the time. You can do it! I believe in you! :)

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

The show that got me into acting was “30 Rock” starring Tina Fey (my idol TO THIS DAY!) . She was the first female character I ever saw that I related to much to. She was hilarious, business savvy, weird, beautiful, outspoken and so unique. I think a lot of my sense of humor developed from watching that show, or shows like it. Also.. if anyone reading this knows Tina Fey.. tell her she changed my life.. and also hi! ;)

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I think it’s super easy to get caught sticking to trends or taking a “safe route” for new projects. I think there should be more budgets put towards new artists and new work because there are so may incredible stories out there that – if funded properly or heard – could be the next big thing! Taking risks on new works would be so beneficial and also exciting!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @Yelena_Friedman
• Youtube: Yelena Friedman
• Other: Tiktok: @YelenaFriedman