I recently had the opportunity to exclusively interview Gloria Garayua to learn five random facts about herself and what inspired her to create her online acting course. Check out my interview with Gloria below:
Loryn: What projects do you have in store for 2022?
Gloria: This is always a tricky question because most of an actor's career consists of those "in-between" moments. Those moments in between jobs were even the actor doesn't know their next job. However, I never feel not busy. I am constantly auditioning, and I am so grateful for that. I have a wonderful team in place. My agent and my manager are consistently securing me audition opportunities. Not only do I have an agent and manager for TV and film, but I also have an agent for VoiceOver and an agent for commercials, so I am always hustling for the next job. You have currently caught me in one of those "in-between" moments. However, in between auditions, I am also working consistently as an acting teacher and acting coach.
Loryn: How would you describe 2021 in one sentence?
Gloria: In 2021, I placed my emphasis back on work. Can I say more? 2022 was a weird year for all of us; we were trying to balance staying healthy but still feeling productive. But because of the vaccine's introduction in 2021, I believe most people were looking to return to normalcy. So I spent most of 2021 trying to return to work. Not that I stopped in 2020; as we all know, the acting industry did shut down for a time there. So when we did come back, we came back with modifications. Whereas 2021 felt a bit closer to pre-pandemic times in terms of quantities of auditions. Of course, nothing has returned to normal since we must continue to stay safe on set with social distancing in the use of masks and testing protocols. So much emphasis on work last year; this year, I am now trying to find a healthy balance between work and play. I can't forget that life is meant to be lived, and just as I work hard, I also need to find the time to play hard. So I am trying to re-introduce fun back into my life in 2022. Most things are open, but with modifications in a place like wearing masks, it shouldn't be too hard. I have to constantly keep in mind my safety because I don't want to be sick. I still will always prioritize the work of my craft.
Loryn: What inspired you to create your online acting course?
Gloria: I started "Acting for True Beginners" because I had many students who wanted to work with me, but I could not accommodate all of the requests. So I decided I would pre-record my beginner lessons and sell them as a package. This way, any beginner interested in having me as their teacher could have me one-on-one, whenever they wanted, from the comfort of their own home. And if there was ever a lesson they did not understand, they could simply hit rewind and rewatch and seek clarification.
"Acting For True Beginners" is a video series that consists of 17 videos. Each video focuses on a specific topic of acting. In each video, I explain the topic and how to best leverage it for artistic growth at the beginner level. Some of the topics include: "cold reads," "objectives," "how to break down a script," "Intro to character development," and so much more. The interesting thing about this video series is that it is a valuable refresher for anyone who is intermediate and advanced. Every advanced actor is guilty of forgetting something. That's why it behooves all intermediate and advanced actors to review the basics.
The series is in the form of a subscription. I wanted people to have the opportunity to keep the material for as long as they felt they needed to be comfortable before they move on. Everyone moves at their own pace. I have priced it inexpensively at $29.99 a month. This way, if the subscription needs to be held for a few months, no one is breaking the bank. Private lessons and group acting classes can be expensive. But this is a friendly economic alternative.
I want to state that this series should never replace an acting class and the reason for that is because acting class offers an essential element that every actor needs to grow, and that is the element of the audience. Whether it is simply an audience of one in a one-on-one acting lesson with a coach or an audience of 10 in a group acting class, my videos series is intended to help people gain an education in acting and confidence in themselves as performers. Still, their education should not stop there if they want to become a professional actor. To pursue a career in acting, it is essential to take live acting classes and be given feedback and redirection in real-time.
Anyone interested in purchasing my series can simply go to my website www.GloriaGarayua.com, click on "online video series," and buy it there. I would hang onto the initial email confirming the purchase for detailed continuation and cancellation purchases.
Loryn: What lesson has the entertainment industry taught you?
Gloria: The entertainment industry has taught me to be flexible because it seems that everything in this industry happens at the last minute and is always urgent. So I have learned to be OK with just dropping whatever I was doing to attend to something that pops up in my inbox, like a last-minute audition or a last-minute student requesting a coaching session. The industry moves fast, and if you know this and are OK with it, then you will be able to move fast right along with it and not be left behind. He has also taught me to be patient. Sometimes you may not hear from a casting office regarding an audition for a while, but that doesn't mean you are out of the running. I have also learned that I have to be confident and be my own advocate. The industry moves so fast that sometimes people forget to say "please" and "thank you" along the way or even just "good job." But if I am confident in my own work, I won't look outside for validation.
Loryn: What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
Gloria: I'm a neat freak! I'm obsessed with organization. I will often spend hours watching YouTube videos about keeping a more organized home. Then, just when I think I am as organized as I can get, I decide I want a new system to be even more organized. I think that's healthy. It's essential to constantly improve and become better than you were yesterday.
Be sure to stay updated with Gloria Garayua by checking out her website: https://www.gloriagarayua.com/. Also, be sure to follow her on social media:
FB: Gloria Garayua
IG: gloriagarayua
TW: @GloriaGarayua