Today we’d like to introduce you to Ejay Hernandez.
Hi Ejay, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started acting from a young age and loved theater. I started really getting into it when I was 10 and did musical theater throughout my life until I was 18. When I was 12 I had signed with an agency but nothing had come out of it, so I just stuck with my school’s theater group every year as that allowed me have an outlet for acting. Once I got to college I cared way too much about what people thought of me and steered away from acting for a little until I finally graduated and realized that it really is something I want to pursue. I finally got back into it from scratch in 2022 and finally made the big move to Los Angeles from Orlando Florida this year in April.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been easy, but it has sure been fun. Some struggles I faced and currently am facing are more internal things within myself. Self doubt, and the lack of believing in myself has crept up a few times, but this time has really allowed me to get a handle on these feelings, thoughts, and emotions and mentally throw them away because they do not serve me.
Adjusting to LA life in general has been a struggle as well. Leaving something I’ve known for the last 5 and a half years where I had build a strong foundation and community has really shaken me up a little. Getting back into that new introduction phase of every person I meet feels almost like a set back, but I’ve had to change that mindset to think of it more as opportunity.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Acting is truly one of my passions and it has called to me from a very young age. Even though I feel like I am just starting my career I have been in several short films and done some commercial print work within just my first two years, where if you asked me a year ago if I could do that I’d probably laugh in your face and say no. Film has been my main priority for acting and I have steered away from theater because I want to get more experience in different fields and harness a different method of acting. I am very well known for my impressions of iconic divas such as Jennifer Coolidge or the Long Island Medium. They are great party tricks not going to lie. That is usually how I feel I leave my mark. I would say I am most proud of my ability to just push the fear aside and do what I have to do with acting. Auditions really heighten my anxiety (I think for everyone) but I never let that fear get to me, where I think a couple years ago it would be very easy to talk myself out of something that scared me. I tend to try and use that emotion to elicit a memorable audition or scene with the acting and try to pull from that emotion I am already feeling. What I think sets me apart from other people…hmmm…that’s a good one. I am trying to think long and hard about this but I am going to sound cliche and say my character or personality. I feel I am very adaptable to other people and can sense how I should behave or act around them. It has really benefitted me by giving me lots of friendships that do feel fulfilling rather than surface level.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My mom is truly someone I thank everyday. She never had any questions about why I wanted to act, she just believed in me right off the bat. She would sign me up for classes, take me to auditions, practice lines with me, encourage me when I was feeling down, but also keeps me humble when I feel on top of the world.
I also have the most supportive friends who really showed me a lot of love when I told them I wanted to act and I was kind of ashamed of it. It was almost like a “WELL FINALLY” kind of reaction which made me feel so much better about going back into my acting roots.
I know a lot of people wouldn’t say this but I also owe a lot of my confidence with acting to my ex. Similar to my mom he would give me pointers, always encourage me and told me he could see me doing anything I wanted. He really showed his excitement for me when I decided I wanted to pursue something I was passionate about even if it doesn’t seem practical to a lot of people.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ejayhernandez/profilecard/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ejayisgay?_t=8rvdhnUlQY2&_r=1
Image Credits
Mandie Lee Ohotography LLC
