Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Hernandez.
Elizabeth, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in Southern California with a love for all things entertainment. I remember watching movies non-stop as a kid and all the TV I was allowed. If I had to step away from the television, I would probably throw myself into a book. I loved escaping into other worlds for a little bit and imagining I was in this story with the characters. I continued that love all through school but didn’t actually dive into it until high school where I fell deeply in love with performing. I then went to college for acting and got a degree in Musical Theatre which gave me the idea to move to New York. I spent about two years there and loved the whole experience and while I will always love theater I felt like I really wanted to be a part of film and television so I moved back to California.
I’ve lived here for about three years now and while I haven’t done everything I wanted, I know I’m heading in the right direction. I participated in UCLA’s Writing for Television extension program and have started a production company, Avon Park Productions, with friends and fellow filmmakers. I have been able to act, direct and write in shorts that we have produced. I always knew acting was something I wanted to do forever but I feel lucky enough to be able to continuously grow as a writer and take a whack at directing, something I never thought I could do but have found a great fondness for it.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I’d say it’s been a road with many speed bumps just making it feel really slow. I think some of my biggest struggles were me telling myself I couldn’t do something. I would reject myself before I could let anyone else do it, which is not a great strategy. I luckily have a great support group who kind of had to push me along and remind me to not get in my head about something. It’s also really hard starting out somewhere new, when I moved to New York and LA, I think I got distracted by finding a job and security that I wouldn’t want to take the step into unsurety. Sometimes you have to take that blind step and realize you may not land in a ‘safe’ place. I had to learn that it’s okay to not feel secure because that’s very rare in this industry. If I wanted to actually pursue this then I had to pursue it and stop just thinking about it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an actor/writer/director. The writing and directing is more of a recent discovery and I definitely feel more comfortable acting but I kind of like the adrenaline rush that comes from not fully knowing what I’m doing and embracing the insecurity of it all. It’s always a learning process and I am always absorbing information and really taking in and understanding how other people work.
I was raised by a single mother and I have so much admiration for how much females can do. I am also English/Irish and Mexican and I’m not as well acquainted with my Mexican side as much as I’d like to be. I lived in a predominantly white area growing up, so not seeing much diversity made me self conscious about who I was. But it is a part of my identity and it makes such a difference seeing these tv shows and movies coming out now with a wonderful variety of females and different ethnicities taking center stage. I wish I grew up with this and was able to realize early on that I was allowed to be all of me. I intend to make more content that shows off women and people of color and to let people know they aren’t alone and they can be proud of being who they are.
What matters most to you?
Ultimately in life, I want to make sure that I’m happy doing what I’m doing. It feels like so many people get stuck in the monotony of life because they want to have money to do things or have power to feel like they can accomplish something with it but they forget about the joys in life. As long as I have enough to care for my family and friends and am passionate about the projects I’m working on, I’ll be happy, and happiness is important to me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @elizabethkate28
- Other: imdb.me/elizabethkatehernandez
Image Credits
Credit to: Richard A. Kroening
