Check Out Erika Apelgren’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erika Apelgren.

Hi Erika, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I originally moved from Sweden to pursue acting, and storytelling quickly became something much bigger for me than just performing. Working as an actor and being on sets made me realize I also wanted to create stories from the ground up and develop projects of my own.
Over time, that led me into writing and producing. I eventually created my award-winning short film BFFR, where I wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the project. That experience completely changed the way I viewed storytelling and collaboration because I got to be involved in every part of the creative process.

Today, acting is still a huge part of what I do professionally, but alongside that I’ve continued developing original projects across film and audio. Right now, I’m producing a horror feature this year, and I’m also developing a cinematic audio narrative series called City of Ambient.
At the same time, I’m writing a zero-dollar feature film project that we’re building publicly online as we develop it. We recently launched an Instagram around the process, and the goal is to document what it actually looks like to make an independent film from the ground up. We want to share the wins, the mistakes, the problem-solving, and everything in between so people can learn alongside us while we figure it out in real time.

A big part of my journey has been learning how to create opportunities instead of waiting for permission. Balancing acting while building original work has made me really adaptable and resourceful, and I think that mindset has shaped who I am just as much as any individual project has.

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?
Definitely not a smooth road, but honestly, I think that’s part of what shaped me creatively and personally.

I grew up in a small town in Sweden, and after high school, I moved to Stockholm on my own. After that, my path became pretty unconventional. In my early twenties, I lived in Miami, moved back to Stockholm, then to London and Abu Dhabi, before eventually relocating to Los Angeles to pursue acting.

Constantly starting over in new places and adapting to completely different environments was exciting, but also really challenging at times. Then, on top of the normal uncertainty that comes with creative industries, I also went through some deeply difficult personal experiences, including an abusive relationship that forced me to really reconnect with myself and reevaluate my life.

That period actually became a major turning point for me. It led me into a much deeper spiritual and healing journey through things like inner child work, shadow work, meditation, and plant medicine. Learning how to ground myself internally and trust my intuition has honestly been one of the biggest reasons I’ve been able to continue pursuing such an unpredictable path.

Creative careers can feel very uncertain at times, and I think having a strong sense of spirituality and connection to something bigger than myself has helped me stay centered through both the highs and the lows. It’s also made me much more connected to my creativity, my voice, and the kinds of stories I want to tell.

Looking back, I think all of those experiences shaped not just the artist I’ve become, but the person too.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m an actor, writer, producer, and director, so my work really lives at the intersection of performance and storytelling. Acting is still a huge part of what I do professionally, but over the years, I naturally expanded into creating my own projects because I became really passionate about building immersive worlds and emotionally grounded stories from the ground up.

A lot of the work I gravitate toward blends cinematic storytelling with psychological, emotional, or atmospheric elements. I’m especially drawn to projects that make people feel something deeply, whether that’s through film, audio, or experimental formats.

One of the projects I’m most proud of is my award-winning short film BFFR, which I wrote, directed, produced, and starred in. That project was incredibly meaningful because it proved to me that I could take an idea from concept to completion and connect with audiences across multiple creative roles.
Right now, I’m developing several projects across different mediums.

I think what sets me apart is that I genuinely love every layer of the creative process. I understand storytelling both from the emotional side as an actor and from the larger structural side as a writer and producer. I’m also very adaptable and collaborative because I’ve had to build a lot of things independently and learn by doing.

At the core of everything I make is the desire to create stories that feel immersive, emotionally honest, and human. Even when a project is stylized or genre-driven, I always want there to be something emotionally real underneath it.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I think something that surprises people is how much of my creative process is tied to spirituality, intuition, and inner work.
A lot of people know me through acting or filmmaking, but behind the scenes, I spend a lot of time exploring psychology, healing, meditation, dream work, and personal growth. Some of my biggest creative breakthroughs have actually come from periods of deep inner transformation rather than external success.

I’m also someone who genuinely loves experimenting and learning in real time. Even though I work professionally in film and acting, I’m still very open to trying new mediums, new formats, and building things publicly before they’re perfect. That’s a huge part of why I’m excited about projects like the zero-dollar feature experiment and the audio narrative space.

I think people sometimes assume creatives need to have everything figured out before they begin, but I’ve learned that a lot of growth comes from being willing to create while you’re still evolving. That mindset has shaped both my work and my life in a really big way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.erikaapelgren.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erika.apelgren
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erika-apelgren
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/zerodollarfeature/

 

Image Credits
Mark Steines, Andrii Lantukh