Life & Work with Isabella Joy Totpal of All of Southern California

Today we’d like to introduce you to Isabella Joy Totpal.

Hi Isabella Joy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up with myself. I have an older brother, but he was usually hanging out with his friends. My mom, God bless her, was constantly working to provide for me and my brother. I have a really good relationship with them both now, just growing up I felt lonely. So I spent a lot of time in my bedroom, and attached to my dresser is this pretty large mirror. And I talked to my mirror almost daily- if I was excited about something, or had to process a hard day, I told my mirror. And that’s when I learned how much I loved storytelling. It gives me this great feeling of hope, of catharsis, of understanding.
In high school, I started acting in my school’s theater department and I never looked back. I continued on in college, and studied at Vanguard University; a private liberal arts college in Costa Mesa. That school gave me memories that either traumatized me for life, or that I will cherish forever. Out of the handful of things I’m grateful for that came out of that college, it’s myself and my friendship with Harrison Blodgett. We became friends in the most messy, vulnerable, accidental chain of events- It convinced me that God has the most unhinged sense of humor. It also convinced me that this was a story worth telling. Harrison and I had our rise and falls in our friendship, and I think they’ve been a pivotal part in our growth as human beings and creatives.
For the past 6 years, we’ve been writing the story of how we became friends into a television series called Long Story Short. We will be filming, and getting this project off the ground in August of this year. The dream is for me to act in it, portraying the character that represents myself. And for Harrison to direct it. The world can always use more queer coming of age stories, especially ones with happy endings.

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?
Being an actor and a writer, the road is almost never smooth and it doesn’t exactly have an end destination. But I wouldn’t choose to go down any other path- at least not happily or willingly. With this particular project, there were times I realized I was the villain in someone’s story. It’s hard because I think we all inherently believe ourselves to be in the right, and everything we do can be justified. But it’s a hard pill to swallow when you see your actions caused harm and there’s no way around it- when it’s truly your fault.
And sure one can say, “It’s because of x,y,z that I am this way,” and I believe everyone deserves a little grace, but that doesn’t change that at the end of the day, in this spotlight, I hurt someone. I think the lesson that intention does not equal impact, that what one’s intentions for something does not mean it’s received or reciprocated in the intended way, is an easier concept to identify when you’re on the impact side, not the intending side.
It’s all perception, perspective, and how do we find common ground with empathy as humans. I believe the most effective way to grow in this area are stories.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m an actor and a writer. I got my bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts with a concentration in Performance & Directing. I’m mostly known for making content online with my friends- and though I love my friends, I wouldn’t know life without them, I pray that one day I’m known for the stories coming out around the corner.
I’m most proud of a play I did in San Diego right after college. It’s called Hiraya. It followed the lives of different Filipino women from each generation during the covid pandemic and the rise of Asian hate in America. I hope that after Long Story Short picks up, I can revive Hiraya into a mini series.
I think what sets me apart from other actors and writes is my upbringing. I’m half Filipino, half Romanian, first generation born in America. The women who helped raise me are Kenyan, Chinese, and Cuban. My best friends growing up were Black, White, Hispanic, Asian or Middle Eastern. My childhood home sit in the middle of a hill, where if you go up two streets you’ll see mansions, but If you go down two streets and make a left, the sidewalk turns into a dirt path. My dad’s Seventh Day Adventist, my mom’s Catholic, and I landed on Christianity. And the cherry on top, I’m a bisexual who identifies as a woman and uses the pronouns she/he/they. I’ve seen the world in such a unique lens that I believe my stories feel new and intriguing yet familiar and nostalgic.

What matters most to you?
Growth. A quote I’ve held onto for years is, “Be brave. Your courage to do what’s right, needs to be greater than your fear of being hurt. So be brave.” It’s from one of Hasan Minhaj’s comedy specials and he was quoting his father.
Whether it’s a relationship with a loved one, or genocides in Palestine and Congo, we need change. Whether it’s something in our personal lives, or something on a world-wide scale, we need change. I believe humans need to evolve both mentally and emotionally, and with every protest, voting both, conversation had, and story told, we get closer to becoming something better. Maybe someone sees Next To Normal, or Dear Evan Hansen and decides it’s time to start therapy. Maybe someone sees an exhibit about the Earth dying and decides to stop using ChatGPT or any form of AI. Growth is important, our survival depends on it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/_isabellajoy
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_isabellajoy

Image Credits
Photographer Jonathan Otero, company name Jojo And His Photos