Meet Zeus Ley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zeus Ley.

Zeus, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
How can someone even begin to tell the most magnificent story of their life? I guess I can start with my name. My parents had thrown this name on the table with many others. It was my nana (momma’s mom) who insisted on this name over any other. It’s a powerful name and you’d think someone named after the God of thunder would be a confident and electrifying personality.

This wasn’t the case for me at first. I see myself as an ex shy, non-English speaking, mixed kid who has stumbled upon the most competitive and cut-throat industry in the globe! California born, Chinese, Hispanic and many other ethnicities by decent. Spent most of my childhood moving all over in the U.S., Mexico and even China. Palm Springs, CA became my hometown as I entered my teens.

It was around 4th or 5th grade in a stage production of The Magic School Bus, where I played the neck bone, that I realized I kind of love to be on stage. Unfortunately for ten-year-old me, my parents never really supported any after school activities. That lack of socialization, my then language barrier, and all the moving had created a good student but an introverted kid. The arts have had an immense impact on shaping the person I am today. Fast forward to adulthood: I obtained a college degree, experience in construction, landscaping, serving, travel, and even a real estate license. While it is vital to possess skills like such, or similar to, they were all things I had been guided to do. Amidst all of this, I had been able to stay involved in theater classes and production here and there because it brought me joy.

Probably due to my height, hair and build, the industry had also always been available for me to dip my toes into. Though it had never really occurred to me to pursue a career in it…yet. Being in front of the camera and/or on stage for either acting or modeling eventually became a well paying and productive hobby. Palm Springs is FULL of art and talent so I would take advantage of that when I could. I would also book the frequent audition or “gig” in Los Angeles, which wasn’t too bad of a commute at first. Due to working with new people, new projects and networking, these trips to LA became more frequent. Everything had let up to my first big opportunity at the time; participating in a commercial spot for and with the one and only, Wiz Khalifa.

It wasn’t until my last job at an airport that I decided to turn my “hobby” into a full-time job. This decision did not come overnight, though. It came from years of searching within my previous careers and within myself. It had gotten to the point where I only wanted to do something for me and for me only. Acting and modeling have never felt like a job to me but like something exciting that I get to do; something that’s completely mine. It is so easy for me to get up for a 4 am call time on set as opposed to a 5 am shift at the airport. Which is a very exciting job, mind you, though the summers are very slow. So it was naturally during the summer when I decided to give the industry a real try instead of commuting.

At first, I moved for only the summer. That’s turned into a year and, to my surprise, I’ve been able to sustain myself doing something I truly love. In this first roller coaster of a year, I’ve been able to be involved in several TV shows, national and international commercials, music videos, magazine covers, and other published works with juggernaut brands. I’ve been able to work with actors, directors, and even a Grammy award-winning artist that I’ve looked up to since I was a kid. To top it off, this job has enabled me to travel a lot more, which is another invigorating hobby of mine. I cannot express how humbled and ecstatic I feel that shy-10-year-old Zeus came out of his shell to experience all of this. At the same time, I realize this is still a very early stage of my career so who knows what’s to come! It’s only the beginning.

Has it been a smooth road?
As one would expect, it has been such an unpredictable and long road. No one can ever truly be prepared for the low lows and the high highs this industry throws at you. There is mostly rejection, your social life tends to disappear, you’re away from family, and it is difficult to know who you can trust. One major challenge at first was housing. I imagine we all go through a couple of bad places before finding a good one. Another one is the wear and tear on vehicles. LA has pretty bad roads! When I say it this way, it’s very difficult to imagine how it’s possible to even stay motivated. I just like to remind myself how dreadful it is doing something for a living I don’t truly enjoy and that tends to get me up when I get down.

Please tell us more about your work.
Being your own business is a tricky business! One usually thinks of a “business” as a building that provides a service to a consumer. Which is how you should look at yourself if you’re an actor. Your body is the building, Your face is, well, the face of your business. The product your business sells to consumers is the skill, looks, talent, voice, that match what the clients are looking for. Auditions are a selling pitch to the companies. The one who believes you can portray and tell their story best will buy and distribute. It is a symbiotic relationship and the business side of “showbiz.”

What’s been so interesting for me to find out is that getting to be on camera is just a small part of my job as an actor/model/host. Don’t even get me started on if the footage even makes it to the air! Most of my responsibilities happen behind the scenes. That includes always staying on my toes, keeping my schedule open, going to and preparing for auditions and callbacks. Just late last night, I got a notification about an early audition and a chunk of dialogue to memorize for this morning! Don’t get me wrong, it turned out to be such a fun audition, but it comes to show that this is not for everyone.

That said, all of us doing this share endless similarities but our journeys are all unique. What works for one person may not work for the other and vice versa. I like my work to speak for itself. I like to stay under the radar but also need to market myself. It’s a fine line to walk on. Other than my immediate family, I did not tell anyone (but two of my closest friends) what I really came out here to do. I also do not go home and show everyone what I’ve been up to. Simply because I’d rather people organically stumble upon a commercial or a show I’m in and tell me about it. As opposed to me telling everyone in my hometown, “Hey, look at me!”

We always love to ask about the support network – have there been people, perhaps mentors or advisors, who have played a big role in your success?
Definitely a humungous (is this even a word?) THANK YOU to all of those casting directors who have taken a chance on me! To their assistants who come across my headshots and think I’ll be worth seeing for an audition. The clients and brands who create a concept and make it into a reality. The directors and photographers I have been fortunate to work with. The crews who work so hard behind the scenes. The glam squads who make us all look our best for the camera. My family and all of those who truly support me.

The people from my hometown who enabled me to build a decent resume to bring to LA. Lastly but not least, my representatives who so eagerly said “welcome aboard” when they signed me after an in-person meeting. My agents send me out to auditions and have been able to present me at many doors with incredible opportunities. The rest rests on my shoulders. This is an incredible, life-changing ride. My feet are firmly planted on the ground and I have my eyes on the goal. I am aware of what I have signed up for, and though it can be difficult at times, I am loving every moment and I wish to be able to keep doing this for a very, very long time!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/zeusley

Image Credit:
Kaiyang Photography, Skydive Perris, Xplor Cancun, @rtin, CBS Palm Springs.

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