Rising Stars: Meet Ai Yamato

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ai Yamato.

Hi Ai, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Growing up, I was a very busy kid. I was a competitive figure skater for ten years and took dance, vocal, and acting classes while also attending Japanese school every Saturday up until 10th grade. I had an unexplainable itch to be an actress ever since I was eight years old. It was crazy!

There was really no hook or incident in my life that I recall that lead me to dream about becoming an actress. It was almost as if I was born with this desire. So I participated in my high school theater department, notoriously known to produce high-quality musicals, and students who eventually would study at the most prestigious art schools such as Julliard, Carnegie Mellon, Syracuse, etc. However, after four years, I left my high school feeling more insecure and unworthy than ever. I experienced microaggressive racism in that department which led me to believe that I would never make it to Hollywood as an Asian American woman. When I entered my college era, I ignored my desire to pursue acting and studied Kinesiology instead which at the time, I found a deep passion for fitness and anatomy. However, when COVID-19 hit and we were all cooped up inside, dealing with ourselves for an uncomfortable amount of time throughout the day, it made me realize how much I would regret myself if I didn’t just try again with acting. Life was too short to have any regret. So I used the time we were blessed with and took an auditioning class over Zoom, and now fast forward three years, I got myself an agent and manager, enrolled in an ongoing intensive class with Actors Ave taught by the awesome Michael Petrone, and I am auditioning for projects big and small, living the life that I know my 8-year-old self would be proud of!

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?
Nothing is a smooth road. Nothing should come to you with ease. That’s just how life works. You have no idea how many meltdowns and breakdowns I had over the past three years pursuing this career. This industry is BRUTAL. There really is no easy way in. My teacher reminds me every day to just show up and do the work. And the work is straining. Acting is an invisible art form that is very personable to each individual and there is so much that goes to the training that people do not see. I have had the most difficult time trusting myself in my work. Allowing yourself to jump into a scene and create spontaneous moments is only done with trust and good film/tv techniques. I still have trouble letting go of the past i.e. my high school experience and the feeling of not being good enough for that department. It’s still a wound I am trying to heal, but the more I learn how to let go and believe, the better my work becomes.

The second biggest struggle I find myself in is patience. The amount of rejection is unbearable on certain days, and you wonder if you will ever have your time or ask yourself when it’s going to be your turn. I have to learn that certain auditions fail because I am simply just ‘not ready’ or ‘it just isn’t my time’. There are way too many factors that play into an actor booking, and they are just out of your control. When the time is right, I know the universe will have some awesome bookings for me. But for now, I need to play the patience game and continue to train and get better every day at this craft.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Besides acting, I am the social media manager and creative director for an Asian-owned Hard Seltzer company called ‘Drunk Fruit’. I recently started this job at the beginning of 2023, and I cannot be more proud of the work I contribute to help spread this company and its message within social media! I help curate and execute content ideas and help overall with their digital marketing. The co-founders are ex-corporate tech employees who decided to quit their stable job to pursue their dream of starting an alcoholic beverage company that incorporates Asian-inspired flavors such as Yuzu, Lychee, and Melon. They also launched Yoju, a yogurt soju-based cocktail in a can. Since starting, we successfully went viral on tik tok and got an uprise of followers loving the product. We are expanding every day and generating lots of buzz, especially on Tik Tok (check us out @sipyoju)!

I am just happy to work for a company I am equally passionate about in spreading our Asian flavors and identity in an American market.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I hope you find this read to inspire you to go for whatever your heart desires and to not follow any specific timeline or rulebook. Just go after your dreams/goals and it will happen. Put in the work, believe, and let life do its thing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/aiyamato
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiallieyamato/?hl=en
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/sipyoju/