We were lucky to catch up with Yessi Sanchez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Yessi, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I’m currently working on a project called “LOVE/HATE”. It’s a mini-series that is going to be released on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts. There is a total of nine 1-minute episodes, which will be posted every Sunday at 9 PM PST.

The idea for “LOVE/HATE” came to me at the beginning of the year, and things moved very swiftly, but this project is the result of a ton of small ideas I didn’t know how to materialize. I always wanted to create a series, where the main characters post on social media, as if they were a real part of this world. But then I decided to post all the episodes in this format, too. This way I can continuously create on a low budget and tell a story that is very meaningful to me.

“LOVE/HATE” is about the love-hate relationship one could have with Los Angeles, and with one-self. I want to show a different perspective on a life of an actress who is struggling to get by. Our main character, Cleo, is only showing the beautiful parts of living in Los Angeles through her stories on Instagram, but the episodes function as a looking glass that allows the audience to gain a not-so-perfect perspective of her life.

Yessi, 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 started performing on stage with ballet performances and mini-playback shows when I was 3. I was a very shy kid, but on stage I felt like I could be myself. I started my professional acting career in Switzerland with commercials and short films. I’ve had my feature film debut in the award-winning film “The Radicalization of Jeff Boyd”, and decided to move to Los Angeles in 2017 to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

I think what sets me apart from others is my heritage: I was born in Cancun, I grew up in Switzerland, and I have Mexican-Indian-Swiss-Slovenian roots. I’m also fluent in English, Spanish and German.

I’m most proud of my LA community. Having a great support system is incredibly important to me. I’m a part of an all female creative circle that has inspired me to work on my own project, which has led to “LOVE/HATE”.

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

I grew up with incredibly supportive parents who drove me from one performance to another. But along the way, I started to have beliefs that would limit me to achieve my goals. I was afraid to fail, and I put so much pressure on myself to be perfect. I used to believe I had to be a certain way to be successful. I had to unlearn my limiting beliefs, and as soon as I let go, I realized all I needed was to be myself.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

As an artist, I want to provoke certain thoughts and ideas. It is amazing to see how films can inspire people to see the world a little differently. There were so many times I left the movie theater feeling so whole, and full of energy to create something beautiful. When I act, my goal is to portray a real person who could be sitting in the audience. I’m telling someone’s story, so I have to be as respectful and accurate as possible.  

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/thisislovehate