Today we’d like to introduce you to Seri DeYoung.
Seri, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As a child I always loved stories. I performed in plays. I wrote for my high school newspaper and journaled often. I loved photography. My love for movies started at a young age and became more and more developed as I got older. The combination of telling a story through performance and light and color and sound was something I found to be pure magic.
I was lucky enough to grow up in New Mexico. It’s a place known for its natural beauty and dynamic artist community. When the tax incentive program for the film industry was put into place, a huge opportunity was opened for me that I wouldn’t have had access to otherwise. I was already an established actress in the community theater scene and quickly started auditioning for the roles available to local hires. I booked a few.
In those days working on set for the very first time, I got to witness the folks behind the camera do their jobs as well. I realized then that if I wasn’t on set as an actress, I wanted to be behind the camera. A very early mentor from that time was cinematographer Bill Pope. I worked on a film with him and expressed interest in his work. He graciously let me hop behind the camera and even had me come to set to shadow him. I’ll never be able to thank him enough for feeding my early curiosity and making me feel like I belonged.
Flash forward to today in Los Angeles. I am currently recurring on two shows – Good Trouble on Freeform, and S.W.A.T. on CBS. Both are shows that are doing an incredible job tackling current and relevant issues and including diverse voices. I am so proud to be a part of both of these worlds.
In addition to my acting work, I am gratefully consistently employed directing. I currently have two projects in post-production that I am just itching to share with the world! One of them is short film Throw Like A Girl, based on the life of pitcher Jackie Mitchell- the 17-year-old girl who struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition game in 1931.
This contemporary story about a high school female pitcher, struggling with the current forms of sexism, is visited by Jackie’s spirit who helps her find her resolve and refuse to give up. Ever since meeting with the project’s creator, Greg Shelby, this story has had my whole heart. One of the themes of this film that is so profoundly important to me is the power that a role model can provide, especially when you feel the odds are against you.
My other project in post is a documentary about Fibromyalgia. My subject, Lina Alvarez, has been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia for six years and has faced so many challenges that most of us would never imagine. Documenting her dealing with the physical pain, exhaustion, fear, frustration, and handling it all with grace and good humor has been an incredible honor.
Fibromyalgia is an invisible illness. It is under-researched, under-funded, and odds are you know someone who has it. Hopefully, this doc will help make the disease, and those living with it, more visible.
Has it been a smooth road?
When I really get to the root of it, the biggest struggles have to do with my insecurities. Insecurities about finances, my appearance, my skills, my personality, you name it.
When I was first starting out, I consistently got told to “just be yourself.” The problem is, I had no idea who that was. There’s this Miles Davis quote- “Sometimes you have to play a long time to sound like yourself.” I think now I’m possibly starting to get there.
I’ve overcome most of my insecurities, most days. But I do still get scared that I won’t be able to pay my rent, or that no one is going to hire me again, or that I’m too bossy or too loud or too anything. And when I feel that way, I just do my work. I just show up and do my work anyway and eventually that feeling goes away.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I don’t really talk about it often, but I recently started a photography business.
Photography has been a life long hobby of mine, so it’s been the best side hustle that I could possibly have. I take portraits. Primarily my clients are artists that use the images for their own digital promotion materials. I truly have so much fun collaborating with each individual to capture their unique personality and vibe. I shoot on location, which is always an invigorating challenge.
One thing that I’ve really come to learn since starting this kind of work is the necessity to have the social skills to help someone relax when having their picture taken. Posing for photos is really such a vulnerable experience, so I make it my absolute number one priority to make sure my clients are having fun and feel safe and able to enjoy the collaborative process of it all.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and the least?
What I like best about Los Angeles – the diversity.
What I like least – the multi-faceted issues that have led to a rise in homelessness.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.serideyoung.com www.captured-in-la.com
- Instagram:
@serideyoung
@throwlikeagirl_film@tenderpointsdocumentary@captured_in_la - Twitter: @serideyoung
Image credit:
Devin Schiro
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