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

Yuvi , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Crazy stuff happening is almost as certain as death and taxes – it’s technically “unexpected” but something unexpected happening is to be expected and so can you share a crazy story with our readers

There was a time where I really got tested. I couldn’t find a place to live because I didn’t qualify or have enough money to get a decent place. I either had to find a way to stay in LA or crash with a friend or go to India to my dad but I wasn’t about to do that. I found a one bedroom apartment with this guy and it was the ultimate nightmare of a spot. The guy had put a bed in the living room for himself, there was crap everywhere, rappers of various food, empty containers of donuts and a bunch of 2 liter bottles surrounding his bed filled with a mysterious liquid which I later found out was urine. The place also smelled horrendous, like used high school football pads that had been through years of use. I had the room but we only had one bathroom which looked like something out of a middle eastern prison. Every morning I’d come out and find my roommate laying on his bed looking like a corpse, his moth was wide open and his arms flailed out to the sides like he’d just been hit by a car. I lived there for 6 god awful months.

Yuvi , 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 knew I wanted to be an actor at the age of 14. I was highly influenced by Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Van Damme but equally as influenced by Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams, Cheech and Chong, Chris Rock, Jim Carrey, The Wayans Brothers. All these influences have made me who I am today, I formed my sense of humor from all those comedians and my idea of manhood and physicality came from those action heroes, especially since I didn’t get to grow up with my father. I think what makes me unique is that I have an ambiguous look so I don’t fit the classic south asian casting, and I also grew up unconventionally so my outlook on life isn’t a very traditional southasian experience.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

It took me about 7.5 years from the time I joined the screen actors guild to get my first TV credit. Within those 7.5 years I did every crappy job you could imagine just to make things work. Everyone else that I started with had surpassed me and didn’t seem to be struggling as much as I was. I was financially and professionally in ruins. BUT I stuck it out and eventually got my first TV credit, and got my second one shortly after.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I’ve had to unlearn SO many lessons. My entire life has been reprogramming my mind. I grew up very insecure, no belief in my self, unconfident. I look at myself as Swiss cheese, I had to fill a lot of holes up with knowledge and tools. You can surpass what you thought wasn’t possible as long as you have a growth mindset. Its crucial.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yuvigrewal/

Image Credits
Last photo is my first tv credit from the NBC show Quantum Leap.