Today we’d like to introduce you to Fernanda Fernandez.
Hi Fernanda, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and I’ve always loved acting and storytelling. I started to perform and make funny faces to entertain my family as a very young kid. Even though I knew about my passion for performing from a young age, it wasn’t until I was 14 years old that I took my first improvisation class and I haven’t left the stage ever since. However, after graduating high school, I was hesitant to pursue acting from an educational standpoint due to its inconsistency and percentage of success, especially where I’m from, so I ended up getting a degree in Architecture and Urbanism – all the while still taking improv classes, singing lessons and participating in school musicals and plays.
After graduating, I accepted a job as an Architect and after one year of working full-time, I realized that not having time to dedicate to acting was making me very unhappy. It was then I decided it was time to take a risk and pursue the career I wanted. I promptly quit my job and after a lot of research, financial planning, and some auditions I was able to move to the US to enroll in the 1 year Acting For Film program at New York Film Academy with a Talent Based Award that cut my tuition in half.
There I learned a lot about the craft, met amazing people with shared goals, made great connections, gained confidence in my work, and started to learn a little bit about how to navigate the entertainment industry in L.A. After one year of study and 21 short films later I got the OPT – 1-year working visa – and started working in Los Angeles.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’m not sure smooth would be the word I would use to describe it! Becoming aware of how much I enjoyed acting and being a part of the entertainment industry was very fulfilling, but with that, I also became aware of the struggles that come with it. Where I come from, the entertainment industry is mostly made up of telenovelas, the most popular tv entertainment we have. The road to get to the point where opportunities are flowing is very tricky, and there are very few opportunities. So, dedication, patience, and persistence are definitely the keywords in this equation.
During the research process regarding the next steps in order to pursue acting as a career, I realized that the transition was going to be a lot more challenging than anticipated. Making the decision to study in the U.S was not easy, it would imply high-cost tuition and not being able to work due to the student visa restrictions. I had to invest all of my savings and count on my amazing and incredibly supportive family to be able to take this step.
After the program was over, it was really hard to find the balance between accepting jobs in order to be able to pay the rent while also finding time to audition and work on projects that would allow me to act and which I was passionate about. Since the OPT is a very limiting visa, only allowing me to work in the entertainment industry, I did a lot of extra work – allowing me to meet great people and to learn the inner workings of a real set – in feature films, music videos, commercials, and tv shows.
In order to get jobs as an actress in featured roles or in bigger shows, it is almost imperative that you have an agent. However, agents don’t usually accept people with short-term working visas so I had to self-submit through all the websites available to the public and those don’t usually post auditions for roles. Furthermore, some of them don’t even accept people on OPT. Despite all of that, I was able to work on some amazing productions, learn a lot, and met incredible people along the way. Struggles are a part of the journey but it’s always important to look at the bright side, see how many amazing things happened in the midst of the chaos, and remember the reasons why you’re doing that in the first place.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others? What are you known for and what are you most proud of?
I am an actress, I am an architect, a director, a writer, a production designer, and a script supervisor, but first and foremost, I’m an artist. I always loved drawing, painting, singing, expressing myself, and nowadays, I love being on set – surrounded by creative people getting together to tell a story. Acting is definitely the first on the list when it comes to my interests and I love to read interesting scripts, research, study the text and bring characters and stories to life.
After spending some more time on sets and getting more familiar with the different roles people play in a production, I started to invest some more time working as a crew member in short films to acquire more experience mostly as a script supervisor and as a production designer. I think that understanding how everything works on set and being behind the camera gave me a very new and interesting perspective on acting and contributed to the development of useful skills. Whenever I’m not working as an actress, I like to accept those crew roles that allow me to be on set, have more direct contact with the crew, and learn new things.
What sets me apart from others? That’s a good question. I’m pretty sure that if that question was asked to my friends, family, and professionals I worked with, they would say that I’m very determined, reliable, punctual, and truthful. But I think that what really sets me apart is that I come from a Brazilian family whose jobs are very corporate and the closest connection they had to the arts were piano lessons, ballet lessons, and maybe a little bit of painting as a hobby. Not having grown remotely close to the entertainment culture has certainly given me a very different perspective of the world and I try to bring a little bit of that to my acting. Moreover, that compelled me to find my own path and by making my way to acting without the connections, I was able to prove to myself with certainty that this is what I want to do.
I am proud of having taken the step of being able to pursue the thing that makes my eyes shine a little brighter. And I’m most definitely proud of my dedication, my resilience, and having received recognition and very warm compliments for it. I wanted to end with this answer because so many people around me overcome something new every day and I couldn’t be prouder of them for it. If you surround yourself with amazing and supportive people, you’ll be able to find little things to be proud of every day and stay grounded because of it.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I wanted to start answering this question by saying that everybody has a different journey and different things work for different people. What really worked for me was coming here to a 1-year program in the field I wanted to pursue. That gave me a routine and when you’re moving completely alone to a different country, having a routine is key. In this program, I was able to learn how to navigate the industry, grow tremendously as an actress, and meet incredible people who ended up becoming my best friends, mentors, and safety net. Being enrolled in an acting program also allowed me to build a resume and my reel in English by working with directors, filmmakers, and writers on their short films.
By the time I graduated, I was already more used to my new life and I had all the tools I needed to get out there on my own. If you’re not able to enroll in a program, I would undoubtedly recommend attending improv classes, dancing lessons, or more specific classes in studios in order to create a routine and meet people. I also met a lot of incredible people working as an extra. Spending lots of hours on set doing background work is a great way of having more direct contact with big productions, making new friends and even acquiring connections for future jobs.
This is a field where persistence and patience are your biggest allies. It usually takes time to break into the industry and be able to perform in bigger productions so it is always important to have your safety net, have fun, and enjoy the ride. Try to surround yourself with supportive people and always try to make time for your hobbies. That way you’ll be able to work towards your goals and be proud of your journey when you get there.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fernandaffernandez.wixsite.com/official
- Instagram: @feffernandez
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernanda-fernandez-492323135/
- Other: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm13821768?s=14c3b89d-9478-6982-5e3b-cc7a018660f3&site_preference=normal
Image Credits
Images in NYC – by Dilpreet Shah Headshot in blue shirt – by Pranav Mehta Purple picture “The birth of violence” directed by Shri Krishna- photo by Pranav Mehta B&W “The last Take” directed by Brian Foyster- Photo by Samara Mousmar The one in the car “The last take”directed by Brian Foyster – Photo by Samara Mousmar Photo DTLA “Destined for more” directed by James Velasquez and photo by James Velasquez Photo with slate “Going up” directed by Isabella Allison and photo by Isabella Allison
