Today we’d like to introduce you to Dayana Espinoza.
Hi Dayana, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born in Tacna, south of Peru, and grew up in Lima, our capital. From a very young age, I always had a great curiosity for two different worlds, which greatly complement each other: art and business. I owe my inclination to the arts to my maternal grandfather, an extraordinary painter and poet, whom I could always find in his studio, ready with a book or brush, waiting for me every afternoon after school to join. Over time that curiosity turned into a hobby and the hobby into a passion. However, at the same time, I understood that it required many sacrifices, so I decided to study two careers: Industrial Engineering and Acting. I graduated in 2015 from the “Diez Talentos” Cultural Association as a Theater Actress and in 2016 as an Industrial Engineer at the University of Lima.
I always kept in mind that perhaps, unlike others, it would be a much slower process, but both are the studies that made me the person I am today and those that still allow me to continue fulfilling my dreams. My engineering career allowed me to drop everything and travel to Los Angeles to study acting for film at the New York Film Academy and pursue it full-time as I always wanted.
Since then, I have not stopped learning and developing my career as an artist. Learning and enjoying the process and even constantly applying that touch of “paint” to each audition, as my grandfather would have always told me.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not. I come from a country where having a career abroad is a difficult dream to achieve and even for some, impossible. Having a traditional and conservative family was my first challenge since the news of becoming an actress came as a surprise that crashed with my parent’s vision but was not an impediment to receiving all their support. On the other hand, although I decided to study Industrial Engineering and Acting simultaneously, it was not easy to give all my dedication to acting as I would have wanted. The last two years at the university were the most difficult since I had to concentrate on my professional training in an airline company and prepare my thesis and its sustentation to get the bachelor.
After finishing college, I got an excellent job in one of the best banks in my country, allowing me to have a good salary and a secure future. I practically had my life made in Peru, and leaving everything to fulfill a dream was not easy because although I did not doubt that I wanted to become an actress, I often went through my mind if taking the risk of starting over from scratch was the right thing to do.
I can not finish without mentioning the last obstacle we all had these couple of years, the pandemic. In my case, it not only affected the process of getting my artist visa and the time I was supposed to come back to LA but had the unfortunate event of losing close family members that I deeply love. Leaving my country once again has been the most difficult decision so far.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a full-time actor working here in Los Angeles, CA. I came back last year after a long waiting due to the pandemic, and it’s been an incredible journey so far in this business. I’ve been getting auditions for tv shows and feature films for big networks such as Netflix and ABC. Between callbacks and avails, I booked a commercial for a big brand, which is currently airing on TV, and one of the last films I was part of, The Golden Teacher, was projected on the big screen at the Regal Cinemas LA for The Micheaux Film Festival. This project is an American psychodrama written and produced by Aryka Productions.
Besides that, I have other projects on the festival circuit and one currently in pre-production, which hopefully will start shooting by the end of this year. I can’t be more grateful for all the opportunities and the ones yet to come.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
I always say that talent is only a part of this challenging learning journey. There are thousands of people out there working hard to make their dreams come true, and only the ones with consistency and perseverance are the ones that get to the final line. It’s all about timing and the right moment, so never compare your journey with someone else. I learned throughout the years that you are not only in a big running business, YOU are also the business, and you should treat yourself like one. Measuring progress, investing in your material, investing in your education, and building relationships are essential tasks you should consider.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dayanaespinozav/
- Other: imdb.me/dayanaespinoza
Image Credits
Matt Kallish
