Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelby Wright.
Shelby, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always been a very creative person and certainly had an imaginative & interesting mind growing up. Ever sense I was ity bity I would watch lots of movies with my family, and about three times a week I would go to the movie theater and feel like the best version of myself. Movie theaters were a safe space for me and reminded me that there’s a place for me to thrive, telling stories. I began dance at the age of three and instantly fell in love. Dance is a universal language and to tell a story through my body is such an impactful feeling that I’ve carried with me my whole life. All of this lead to acting and my love for wearing another’s shoes. I’ve always wanted to create a feeling for an audience and an escape to experience a world either far from theirs or close & relatable. I decided very early on in my life that I was going pursue what I love and so when I was eighteen years old I moved to LA to do just that!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road, but I feel incredibly lucky to have some seriously amazing people in my life. I have mentors, friends, family, and collaborators who genuinely believe in me, and they’ve made the journey feel a lot less lonely. The industry can be tough, especially as a woman. I’ve had experiences where navigating men in positions of power felt uncomfortable or confusing, and I had to learn how to protect myself, hold my boundaries, and speak up even when it was scary. But those challenges made me stronger. I’ve grown into someone who knows her worth, knows the rooms she deserves to be in, and isn’t afraid to walk away from the ones that don’t feel right. Those moments shaped me, though. They taught me to truly trust my instincts, to advocate for myself, and to surround myself with people who see my talent before anything else.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m an actress, dancer, and creative storyteller. I wear a lot of hats, I act, dance, direct, choreograph, and develop my own projects, and that’s honestly what I love most about my career. Acting is at the core of everything I do, but is my first love was dance. Dance has been in my life for so long that movement naturally becomes part of how I create characters and build emotion. I work on film, television, and music videos, etc. I’ve been lucky to play characters from the ‘final girl’ in horror films to more grounded, dramatic roles to comedic light hearted roles. I also direct and create my own projects, which has become a huge part of my identity as an artist, being able to merge acting, storytelling, and choreography into a single vision.
I think what I’m most proud of is the body of work I’ve built at such a young age, especially the projects I’ve shaped from the ground up. Those are the pieces where my voice feels the clearest. What sets me apart is the blend of training, movement, emotional truth, and the surreal, dreamlike tone I naturally gravitate toward. My through-line is always about honesty, raw emotion, intensity, and a sense of blurred reality. I love exploring the space between dreams and consciousness, beauty and unease, and letting performance live in that in-between. That’s where I feel the most me.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
This is a really interesting conversation that I think is important to have. I think as artists we need to stick with what feels right and exciting to us. The industry is constantly changing, and I think the next 5–10 years are going to be really transformative. We’re already seeing the shift in a smaller way right now, people craving originality, authenticity, and stories that aren’t afraid to take risks. Honestly, I feel like we’re entering a chapter where authenticity gets it’s flowers. The artists who are breaking through right now are the ones who are the most unapologetically themselves. I think at the end of day people want work that feels lived-in, personal, human, other-worldly, relatable, and on the other hand, far from their reality.
That’s why I’m so excited about the future, because all of the insanely talented people I know who have been quietly grinding, creating their own work, telling their own stories, I think they’re about to get their moment. I think we’re going to see an industry that rewards vulnerability and originality again, not just spectacle.
As actors, dancers, and creatives, we’re learning how to navigate constant change, but at the same time we’re also pushing the industry toward a more honest place. I really believe the next wave of art is going to come from people who are brave enough to show who they really are, and that’s the kind of work I want to make and be a part of.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shelbywrightdance.my.canva.site/shelby-wright-acting
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itshelbywright/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@itshelbywright
Image Credits
(In order of photos)
1. Audrey Forrester
2. Kylie Roseanne
3. Audrey Forrester
4. Hunter Thompson
5. Joe Griffith
6. Dan Gordon
7. Camilo Godoy
8. Hunter Thompson
9. Chris Jon
10.Lada Egorova
