Conversations with Luz Ozuna

Today we’d like to introduce you to Luz Ozuna.

Luz, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin? 
I’m an actress. I was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and grew up in The Bronx, NY. NYC was my playground. I started taking public transportation by myself when I was 11 to go to school. You become self-sufficient and independent very quickly growing up in NYC. That has shaped me as a person and helped me tremendously as an actor. The self-discipline and insane work ethic needed to keep your foot on the gas in this industry and not burn out isn’t spoken about enough. 

I attended NYU and graduated with a B.A. in Spanish Literature and Communications. I dabbled in a few acting courses while enrolled at NYU. After graduating, I enrolled in the Stella Adler Studio of Acting and completed their 2-year conservatory program. I’ve since gone on to book roles on NBC, CBS, Amazon, BET+, and ALLBLK. I’m now based in NYC, LA, and ATL. 

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?
Oh, it has absolutely NOT been a smooth road! Auditioning is its own animal. Finding an agent/manager – let alone one that you vibe with – is its own animal. Being on set is another animal. I never struggled with finances as I always had a job as a temp in some company or other, which I’m grateful for! Prioritizing financial stability as an actor is key to being able to continue pursuing this career. I struggled with not listening to my instincts during an audition or while on set. I struggled with not speaking up and not standing up for myself with different agents and managers. I was so scared to be dropped that I rarely declined an audition, even if it was a role or project I had zero interest in. I struggled with putting my personal life first, which meant that my friends and family came 2nd to acting for a long time. I would cancel plans and flights just to make it to an audition. I hate that this is factual. I’m happy that that’s no longer the case. I’m very sure of myself as both an actress and a person now. I don’t need to say “yes” to every audition. There will literally always be more auditions. My life, family, and friends will always come before acting. Once I made that switch, I started booking more. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I act. I only act. I can see myself being a multi-hyphenate one day, but not anytime soon. Auditioning takes a lot of energy and time and so does planning a wedding (haha). I mainly act in the TV and film spaces, but I’m theatrically trained. During the SAG-AFTRA strike, I was in my first Off-Broadway play, FORT HUACHUCA, at A.R.T New York Theatres. I do VoiceOver work in both English and Spanish. I have a recurring role on CBS’s SEAL Team. I recently shot a film opposite Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick titled CONNESCENCE. I’ve also been opposite Willem Dafoe and Patricia Arquette in the film GONZO GIRL. I’ve had co-star roles on THE BLACKLIST and Amazon’s AS WE SEE IT. 

I’m most proud of my hustler mentality. I don’t limit myself to one city to find acting work. I look for it all over the USA because why not? If I book, I just hop on a plane and put myself up in a hotel. I just want the credit. I realize not every actor can financially do this, and I’m incredibly grateful that I can. 

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
According to my family, I’ve always been a drama queen. I personally disagree, but apparently, it wasn’t a surprise to anyone when I landed on acting as a career, haha. I was never shy and always very extroverted. I was in all the clubs while in high school, granted it was to beef up my college resume, but still. I had a girly phase, an emo phase, a fake-it-till-you-make-it phase, and every phase in between. I guess my family was right: I was dramatic, or rather, still am. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.LuzOzuna.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luzozuna_/
• Twitter: www.x.com/luzdozuna

Image Credits
Deborah Lopez