Meet Sarah Hogan of Oh Hey Hogan Productions in Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Hogan.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Hi! Hey! Hello! I am an OG “Masshole.” Translation: I hail from Massachusetts. I’ve never “pahked my cah in the Havahd yahd,” but I do love my dunks. Translation: Dunkin Donuts. And sorry, but the one on Hollywood Boulevard just isn’t as good! Anyways… growing up, I had two very artistic parents. Even though she might disagree, my beautiful mother, Susanne is a walking art piece. She is a visual artist. She was and is still very into beauty and fashion. I remember sitting by her boudoir as she applied her makeup every morning. She was a canvas and each stroke of her brush added to her work of art. She always advised me never to leave the house without looking my absolute best because “you never know who you might meet.” When she wasn’t juggling her two kids and career, she was painting, making jewelry and instilling the importance of creative expression within my brother and I. My father, Frank is a performing artist. He originally comes from County Kerry in Ireland. My earliest memory of him is sitting in the living room as he played the accordion that he was gifted by a neighbor when he was ten years old. My father was never musically trained, but can pick up almost any instrument and play it by ear. He loves a good tune and you will almost always hear him whistling. So, a visual artist plus a performing artist equals me, a perfect blend of the two. My first glimpse into the performing arts world came when I started Irish step dancing. My family described me as “painfully shy” and wanted to try and help me come out of my shell. I needed a good push to get on stage, but once I was there with the lights shining down, there was no stopping me. I had caught as many would say “the bug.”

As much as I loved performing arts, my first love was the movies. One of my favorite films growing up was “The Wizard of Oz.” Not only did I admire Judy Garland and dream of being like her one day, but I was also incredibly intrigued by the art of filmmaking itself. I remember my young self-being in awe of the film starting in black in white and then entering into technicolor. I found myself asking many questions, how did they create Oz? who made the costumes? how did they find all the munchkins? I started making lists of questions for every film I would watch. One of my favorite films to this day is Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining.” Jack Nicholson is a legend, am I right? As a little girl, that movie scared the socks off me, but it made me feel something and in turn, I wanted to have that effect on people as well. It was then at the ripe age of eight that I decided to ask good ole Santa Claus for a video camera and sure enough, he delivered. The first film I ever created was a horror film based on John Carpenter’s “Halloween.” The film starred me, my brother and my cousins. I locked my cousin Shane in a closet (to help with his method acting, of course) and poured ketchup all over him to look like blood. The film was unedited and was what I believed to be a ten-minute masterpiece. My camera went everywhere with me. My filmmaking career took a bit of a backseat because well, school and filmmaking opportunities were not as available to me as much as the theatre was. I was lucky enough to have received a wonderful education in the town I grew up in, however, I hated school. I always felt like I was that one puzzle piece that you can never seem to fit. The light in my life at that time was the theatre. I loved my drama courses and participating in the school shows. Even though Boston has some of the most amazing colleges, I knew from a young age that I would never stay there. I was a bird that needed to fly away. I may have grown up in Massachusetts, but I found myself in New York City. I left my little nest and upon graduating high school, I moved to New York City to attend The New School University. It was there that I studied Media and Cinematography.

Visiting New York had always been such a magical experience, but I learned very quickly that visiting and living there were two very different things. I may not have been Carrie Bradshaw, but the heartbeat of the city made me feel alive. My college was a very weird and artistic institution but allowed me the flexibility to work while I was in school. I started doing extra work as a side hustle and to gain knowledge and experience on set. The first television show I ever worked on was Law & Order SVU. It was a fifteen hour work day, but I enjoyed every minute of it. I started auditioning in the city and I worked on different projects from independent films to commercials to tv shows. I once went to an audition and there were Nine Sarahs on the audition sheet. NINE. So, it was in that moment that I decided that I didn’t want to get lost in the sea of Sarahs and needed a stage name. I tried out different names and a lot of them sounded more like stripper names than stage names. There was one particular instance when I decided to go by the name Bella and the casting director spent a good ten minutes calling out my “name” and I didn’t respond because I forgot that was my name. Embarrassing right? So, for years now my working actor name has been “Sierra Grace Hogan.” Sierra and Sarah are so similar that I always know they’re talking to me! Ultimately, I would love to just go by my last name. Most people call me Hogan, so it only seems fitting! Anyways, getting back on track. There is a lot of downtime on set. Waiting around can sometimes drive you a little crazy, so as a way to pass the time, I would tell stories about my life and New York experiences to fellow actors and crew members. I always received the same feedback “you’re a character! Have you ever thought about comedy?”

My whole life I was told I was too serious, but I suppose I acquired a”fuck it” attitude and rather than dwell on the misfortunes of everyday life, I decided to (as Carrie Fisher would put it) “find the funny.” I had always been a fan of Saturday Night Live and decided to get into improvisation and sketch comedy. I trained at the Upright Citizens Brigade and became a player in a couple of downtown comedy troupes. I loved making people laugh and realized I had a knack for it. Then, my senior thesis rolled around and I decided to create my own series. I was inspired by the interview style of “The Office.” I also liked Larry David’s style of rather than writing dialogue, creating an outline and “whatever happens happens.” I used my friends and classmates and created my comical series that followed different “characters” in New York. I received incredible training and gained valuable work experience while I was a student in New York. A few months upon graduation, I decided that it was time for me to start a new chapter and that if I wanted to work in the film industry I had to go west. I sold most of my things packed a suitcase and moved to Los Angeles. Now, here I am navigating LALA Land. I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked with some amazing people and companies both in front of the camera and behind it. Since being in Los Angeles I have worked on content with NBC, Snapchat and Buzzfeed, to name a few.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road has been bumpy and there have been potholes. The struggles often outweigh the successes, but as Vanda Jordan would put it “It’s just — the business, you know? The goddamn fucking business.” I find it truly puzzling when people look down on those trying to pursue the arts. The film industry is one of the most difficult professions to be in. It’s true that I hear the word “No” on a daily basis, but it just makes the word “Yes” sound that much sweeter. The constant, rejection “you’re too fat, too tall, too skinny, you need botox”, etc. can really bring you down. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, I just tell myself that I simply wasn’t right for the project and maybe I’ll be right for the next one. Your only ally is passion. You have to really be passionate about the work and the business to put up with all the bullshit thrown your way. The pay can suck, the hours can be long, and I sometimes find myself partaking in unfulfilling projects simply because I need to pay the bills. One piece of advice that was given to me is that if you don’t like the work you’re being offered, create your own. Which is exactly what I have decided to do. I know my strengths, I know what stories I want to share and I don’t need to rely on anyone else to do so. I like being in front of the camera and behind it. I’ve produced, directed and acted in work and creating my own production company allows me to really take the reigns. Plus, we need more women in film! Or, we at least need more recognition.

I’ve made a lot of sacrifices to work in this field. My family is across the country and that can really be hard for me. But, nobody said it was easy. It’s a long and winding road and I make mistakes on the daily, but every decision I have ever made has led me to where I am today. I don’t live my life thinking about what could have been, I just dive right in and hope for the best, it keeps life exciting that way! My life motto is finding the funny. Life is better when you’re laughing. So, yes it can definitely struggle city over here, but turn those hardships into triumphs!

We’d love to hear more about your business.
My main business has been myself as an entertainer and now adding “Oh Hey Hogan Productions” to the mix. We are currently working on a television pilot as well as some exciting projects in development, so watch this space!

What were you like growing up?
I was very shy as a child. My best friend has always been myself. I would act out scenes and play both characters and I remember doing that once in school and one of my classmates thought I was talking to myself. No! I was just a very imaginative little girl. I became obsessed with Madonna when I was seven years old. I even acquired the nickname “Madonna girl.” I once got in trouble at school for singing “Like a Virgin” on the playground. I would choreograph and perform her songs all the time. I still love her to this day. Madonna if you ever read this hit me up!

My interests were always different than my peers and that’s quite difficult when you’re growing up because when you’re young all you want is to fit in. I was really quiet, so I think people just made their own judgments about me without truly knowing me. Being rejected by your peers for being different is hard, but different is good. Different is interesting. And, no one could ever tell me that I was boring. Perhaps, it was hard for people to get me because I didn’t always get myself. In high school, I wore crazy outfits, and just did my thing regardless of what people thought. I think that’s why going to NYC was such a good move for me because even if I thought I was weird there was always someone ten times weirder than me out there. Even though I’m older now, I feel like people no matter what age are constantly growing and changing. I am comfortable with who I am today and it took some crazy outfits, different hair colors and lots of mistakes to get here, but hey take me or leave me! I still have shy moments. But today, I would say I’m really bubbly, witty and have a big personality. A lot of the work I have gotten in LA so far has been because of my personality, which makes me feel good. So, kids let your freak flag fly!

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @sierragracehogan @ohheyhoganproductions
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Oh-Hey-Hogan-Productions-150725109087158/
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVoMMKV5uLknNLPkDobFbGw

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