Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Ellen Wilson.
Hi Laura Ellen, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
It’s been one wild ride! I started back in 2014 taking on roles in student productions to gain experience. At the time, I was working as a dancer/singer overseas and wanted to gain some experience on camera as it had always been my dream to act. In 2017, I decided to ‘hang up the dancing shoes’ and really commit to acting. I put everything into making it work and jumped straight in. In the first year I worked small roles in features and shorts and worked on my social media presence. Early 2018, I shot my first leading role in a feature film, which was a book-to-screen adaptation and as the author/writer/director already had a worldwide fan base, there was a lot of publicity surrounding his first adaptation. The film premiered at Crypticon Seattle in May 2018 and from there, I made made several contacts. One of those contacts flew me out to Washington early 2019 and I spent around 10 weeks in the country and around 3 weeks on set. I absolutely loved living and working in the US so I started working on my petition to move here (I’m British in case I hadn’t already mentioned!) and early 2020, I submitted that petition. Unfortunately, as I was still very new to the industry and the O1 visa is an ‘exceptional ability’ visa, I was denied as I didn’t have enough evidence. As disappointed as I was, it certainly happened for a reason because then Covid hit and everything was grounded. I spent the entire lockdown networking with various filmmakers and having several contacts already here in the US, I was cast in 3 projects that were set to shoot when the lockdown ended. I made it my mission to obtain the O1 visa and in November 2023, I had my interview at the Embassy in London, UK and was finally approved! I moved to LA in mid-January 2024 and haven’t looked back!
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?
As mentioned above, it’s been a wild ride! It certainly hasn’t been a smooth road but I’ve enjoyed every minute of the journey. As an actor, you must have resilience and determination to continue pushing through the knock backs and every actor experiences this many times times throughout their career. Many of the struggles I’ve encountered has been trying to stand out over 100’s of other actors with the same skills, looks but with more experience. Of course, there is a certain amount of rivalry to be encountered too but no matter what, you have to remain professional. My biggest struggle has been obtaining the visa to move here. It was such a crazy amount of paperwork and evidence that was needed, I think this most recent (successful) application, I submitted 999 pages of evidence. I was then asked for further evidence in certain parts and I submitted an additional 500+ pages. As it had to be printed and mailed to my Attorney, it was a long task!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a British actor currently living in Los Angeles. I’d say I’m most known for my roles in the horror genre, as that’s where I first started out and was typecast for a few years afterwards. Since moving to LA, I’ve had the opportunity to expand that experience and have now worked in pretty much every other genre!
I am honestly proud of every single project that I’ve been a part of but currently, I’m most proud of how quickly I adapted to living and working in LA, especially without a car and navigating public transport to get to set on time, especially the early call times. I’ve also recently started working in an American accent which has been a lot of fun!
The million dollar question: What sets you apart from others? Without going into skills or looks etc, I’d say it’s the fact that I always show up, am always present and I NEVER get up out of the wrong side of the bed! Positivity and mindset go a very long way in this industry, as does word of mouth – it’s a VERY small world. I’d always rather be on set with a constant morning person than someone who complains or is grumpy. It is such a privilege to be an active part in this industry and I just can’t not smile when I’m working.
What matters most to you? Why?
Doing what I love and going to bed looking forward to the next working day. I grew up watching my father work long hours in a job he hated and I vowed to never be like that. There have been a couple of jobs that I’ve started (non-acting) that I thought I’d enjoy but ended up absolutely hated. As always, I try my best, work hard and always smile, but the moment it starts to have a negative impact on my mood, I’ll start to look around for another job. Life is too short to be miserable and unhappy at work – the place you spend so much of your life in – so I will always prioritize my mental and emotional well being over anything else. This is why I love being an actor. Set is my happy place!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5974745/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura_ellen_wilson
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraEllenWilson
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Lauraa_E_Wilson
Image Credits
(Head missing double) Amelia in The Lizzie Borden Game, shot in Oregon
(Purple face) Serafina in Andromeda Wars
(Balaclava and gun) Stunt Artist in Alien Horde
(Stage 21) Untitled Pilot at Paramount Pictures
(Military Clown Motel) Sgt. Gunny in Clown Motel 3, shot in Nevada
(Observatory and view) Recent hike taking in LA
(Santa Clarita) Recent shoot at Santa Clarita Movie Ranch
(Headshot) Kobe Levi Photography
