Meet Sharon Desiree

Fast forward to when I was ten and my father got his Visa to come to the U.S.  During that time there was massive unrest and protesting in the streets, but we celebrated skipping down the city streets dancing while tear gas and protesters collided.

We landed in Washington DC where we all proceeded to assimilate. My sister and I learned English to Mariah Carrey and Celine Dion ballads on our rides to and from school. My parents had to work so they didn’t socialize much, we didn’t have an extended family here like I was used to as a child, so I was really missing a space that felt familiar. In high school, some friends and I took initiative and started the Latin Dance Club, and it brought back my love for organizing and creating a space for joy and entertainment.

During college, right as things were feeling like a new normal, I was diagnosed with cancer at nineteen. My parents though very skeptical about my dreams of acting finally ok’d my pursuit of them. I took my first acting class which felt therapeutic, trying to conceptualize existence under the pressure of death is a solid life lesson. I started the On Campus Cultural Exchange Club which continued to explore culture past comfort zones, and it was a great excuse to explore global cinema. We won club of the year that year. Though It was a hectic schedule, managing student life, doing plays, finishing my education and working multiple jobs, I loved it.

I gave myself five years to enjoy the actors life, and enjoy it I did. I built my resume in community college, and at the two Hispanic theaters in Washington D.C, (which I surprisingly had told myself I’d work at when I was much younger.)  Teatro de la Luna and GALA Hispanic Theatre were my original playground, and I got to do bilingual traveling theatre, which pretty much prepares you for anything. I did my first TV lead in an Investigation Discovery show,  and culminated my five years with my arrival to LA. Once in LA I jumped into the film scene with “Flight 666” and then landed my first guest star role in the hit disaster film “End of the world”.

It turned out to not be the end of my world though, and after fulfilling that dream, It’s been a consecutive string of surprises. Soon after,  I was brought on to “Sharknado 6” as Joan of Arc, and while working for The Global Asylum studios I decided to finish my B.A in psychology. I’d wait out L.A traffic after work while finishing papers at the office. I got to graduate right as the pandemic shut all the studios down, and I jumped right into the front line as a behavioral therapist and later as a COVID compliance officer once sets began opening again. During the throws of COVID-19 I was offered a supporting lead in the hit film “Monster Hunters” as Sgt. Melissa Mora alongside Tom Sizemore. After killing space aliens I decided to try my luck with sharks and ended up in the “Devils Triangle” a B movie throw back to the 80s.  Aside from watering my horror roots I’ve also enjoyed jumping into the sci-fi world. I’ve gotten to be in “The Orville” as well as “The Mandalorian” &  most recently in a Tubi tv original “War Of Worlds:Annihilation.” I’m very excited to say that I am also in the upcoming film “I Am Mortal” and as a cherry on top I got to speak in spanish for “Megaboa.” I think if I had not been under threat of death, I probably would not have had the courage to get out here and start. I got to live to die, again, and again by various incredible creatures.

Life continues to unwind in mysterious ways, I’m still a fan of running right at my fears and snarking at them with some sassy wit. I’ve had the incredible luck of getting to work multiple aspects of production and it has opened doors for me on other projects that I’m very excited for everyone to see. Every new level amazes me, and I look forward to whatever comes next.

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?

I consider it a smooth road. You will always be better off and worse off than somebody else. I find no joy in comparison. All life is a challenge, and we all have more or less access to resources than others, we learn more from the times we fail than from when we are succeeding. I mentioned some of the things we may consider struggles; being born in a different country, being accustomed to natural disasters, creating spaces for when I can’t seem to find myself, working to afford it all, fighting for my health. We can see our challenges as struggles or as the sauce that made us.

The challenges guide our story, how do you counter balance in order to continue to flourish?

I believe in progress, just because it was hard for one person, it doesn’t mean it must be hard for the next. Through knowledge we can make changes, and even with the best of intentions progress has its own challenges. But I attempt to work for progress. I make safe spaces for the dreamers who think better is possible, I stage fears so that we can think about alternate endings. I find it exciting to understand the human experience from an emotional and a logical perspective. I think if anything, my biggest challenge is the transitioning from one job to the next, the faith in knowing that something cool is just around the corner. I struggle with that insecurity. I didn’t plan for longevity so I find myself surprised to find the ball rolling. Now I just have to keep up.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Well, I’m an actress. So, my ego thinks my parents made something beautiful and the world should see it. My soul shows up to learn. I’m intrigued by personalities, I’m moved by stories and ideas that inspire us to action. The characters I’ve encountered so far have been fun to play, they’ve been fighters. I do a lot of sci-fi which is exciting. I’m also a therapist, which is exciting because I get to talk to P.A’s, actors, cinematographers, set designers, wardrobe, makeup, art department, directors, writers, producers, editors, sound mixers. I get to ask why they do this and learn a bit about us all. It’s the microcosm of the macrocosm we all dream about. I can’t leave the therapist at home when I act, and I can’t turn off the acting technique when I provide therapy. We as a species are constantly seeking mirrors of validation and through creating healthy boundaries and understanding the stories, we tell ourselves, we are able to navigate reality. As a therapist, I advocate for more investment in the arts for education. We need more access to healthy forms of self-expression to navigate the big questions that face our generation. What I love about this industry is that it’s all teamwork, it takes a village to make movie magic, and it’s those creatives that understand this that grow.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Curiosity and persistence. The only thing constant is change, these past couple of years have really showed us that. Being able to roll with the punches and getting up after you’ve fallen down is the only thing that matters. Great careers are built of small moments. The little things seem to go unnoticed until the years have past and the pile of accomplishments can no longer be ignored. Show up to learn, show up to help and there will always be something to do. You don’t know what you don’t know, so be curious, learn and keep trying your hardest to participate and create the reality you once dreamed of. I sat down and went over this list with friends, thank you for having me remember the dream, the battle and the present.