Life & Work with Sarkis Bakalyan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarkis Bakalyan.

Hi Sarkis, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am an Armenian-American actor, screenwriter, and comedian. I discovered the performing arts while being the class clown in middle school. I began training classically from the age of 13 and proceeded to star in several theatrical productions growing up. After graduating from California State University – Northridge in 2016 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts, I made the effort to transition my career to film and television. Although theatre will always be at the forefront of my gratitude when it comes to performance, I felt the need for something new and wanted to challenge myself further.

I made my television debut as an actor on “NCIS: Los Angeles” for an episode. Most recently, I had the honor of playing the main character of the feature film “Pride Jewel”, which released on most popular streaming sites and is available to watch now. Other credits include doing voice-over work for animated productions and audiobooks. Aside from acting, I have also written multiple episodes of the mockumentary web series “Real Acting”. I am currently working on a few different projects, one of which is my very own animated series called “Ninja Survive”. I am co-creating it with a friend of mine, Brandon Swofford.

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 hasn’t been the easiest journey by any means. As an actor and screenwriter working without an agent or manager in a saturated industry, it can be difficult to find your stride. I’ve been the biggest advocate of myself, as well as the biggest critic. It can be discouraging when others tell you to try something different because it’s not guaranteed that you’ll be successful in this line of work. Success to most people in entertainment is becoming famous. Success to me is to be a consistently working actor and screenwriter. I can care less about the fame, to be honest. If I can do what I love and make a living while doing it, I will forever be happy.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As an actor, I am most known for the recent feature film “Pride Jewel”. It was my first feature that I worked on and we’re really proud of how it turned out. It’s a crime drama based on true events. My character in the film, Andre, is an Armenian immigrant who moves to the San Francisco Bay Area with his father after an earthquake leveled their small town in Armenia. After settling in, Andre quickly gets involved with some jewel thieves. I won’t spoil what happens after that, but it does remind me of another film titled “A Bronx Tale”. The film was written/produced by Armen Dilanchian and directed by Doug Thomsen.

As a screenwriter, I am most known for writing some of the episodes of “Real Acting”, a mockumentary about aspiring actors taking an acting class that’s taught by a con-man. It was such a fun show to work on. The series was created by Bron Theron and it ran for 2 seasons.

I think the thing that sets me apart from others is my particular brand of humor. Some people may know me for my physical comedy and sketches that I post online. I love making sketch comedy videos. It’s one way for me to express some of my writing in short bursts.

How do you think about luck?
My math teacher in high school always said “There is no such thing as luck. It’s all about opportunity meeting preparation.” Although I can’t argue with my teacher, there is a sense of fortune when it comes to landing a role or gig. I think your willingness to network with others plays a role, as well. Being respectful and nice to others goes a long way when meeting industry professionals. You never know when you might enlighten someone with your kindness along the way. I assure you that people will remember you for your good spirits, as opposed to negative energy.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarcastic_circus/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@sarcasticircus 

Image Credits
Jesse Bainbridge for headshots