Check Out Erin Croom’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Croom.

Hi Erin, 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?
I grew up in Metro Detroit as a competitive dancer for many of my early years, and that led to my first acting opportunity on stage. A traveling play sought out young girls in every city who could act and dance, and I was one of them. Despite my nerves, I experienced a euphoric sense of calm and knew I wanted to chase that feeling for the rest of my life.
I continued my pursuit of acting into high school at Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, an acting and singing youth training program, and then into college at the University of Michigan, where I earned my Bachelor’s in Theatre Performance: Acting and a minor in Afro American Studies. Between those two programs, I fell in love with the craft of acting and deepening my understanding of humanity. I had the chance to see life through the eyes of numerous characters and grow in my ability to trust my artistry.
Post grad, I moved to the west coast and continued my love for theatre by working with the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles on The Tragedie of Macbeth in their Apprentice Company. My on camera career took off in the unlikeliest time, the Covid lockdown. A same day audition became my television debut on The Conners, and a couple of months later, I booked my first series regular. I have also appeared on shows such as S.W.A.T, Reasonable Doubt, Quantum Leap, and others. During the Actors Strike, I co produced and starred in a production of Frankie and Johnny in the Claire De Lune as a passion project, determined to continue honing my craft during a difficult time for the industry.
Most recently, I appear in season two of HBO Max’s Emmy winning series The Pitt. I am still growing as an artist and as a person, seeking out new experiences and new ways to bring life to what I love. Although my work is never done, I am excited for what is ahead in the pursuit.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have a hard time not laughing at that question. I do not think any true artist has had a smooth road to where their dreams lie, because no path worth pursuing is ever smooth. Between self doubt, striving for stability in a fickle industry, personal losses, and many other roadblocks, I have struggled. One of the biggest was the loss of my grandmother.
In 2019, I was performing in my favorite Shakespeare play and was in a good place. I came back from a dress rehearsal to the news that my favorite person in the world had been found unresponsive and was being rushed to the hospital. What had been a beautiful moment in my life instantly became a nightmare. My show commitment was for a month, and unsure whether I would see my grandmother before she passed, I struggled to justify the choice I had made in my career.
But then I remembered a conversation I had with her. I had spent much of my later childhood helping care for her. She was a stroke survivor and lived with my family. I spent countless hours telling her about my passion for acting and my wildest dreams. I also carried guilt about the idea of leaving her to pursue them. I told her about my hesitancy to move to LA, and without missing a beat she looked at me and said, “God did not give you these gifts for nothing. Go be great and do what you were meant to do.”
A little over a year later, my grandmother, Emma Mae Hunter, passed away, but not before I finished my show run and made it home to her. It was a month after she was found unresponsive, and I truly believe she waited for me to be with her one last time. Now, whenever I find myself in an amazing opportunity in my career, I think of my grandma who told me it was possible. There are many other stories full of hardship that I have faced, but I would be remiss not to honor the beautiful moments and people that have kept me going.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My number one title, and still my favorite, is actor. I always say that being an actor is simply being an adult who never stopped playing dress up. I have been blessed with opportunities on major network and streaming shows such as CBS, ABC, Hulu, Netflix, and most recently HBO Max. Although I cannot imagine ever stepping away from acting, I have also found myself venturing into other fields behind the camera, such as directing and producing.
It is difficult to narrow down what I am most proud of in my career. There are many moments to choose from, and I am immensely grateful for that. One of my favorites has been co producing and starring in my strike project, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, written by the great Terrence McNally. That experience helped me grow as both an actor and a business minded creative. I believe the only way to grow in anything is to thrust yourself into challenges that scare you so you can prove to yourself that you are capable of whatever you set out to do. Performing and funding a two hander play was a project that terrified me, which is exactly how I knew I needed to do it. It showed me that most fear is simply fear of the unknown, and the best way to face it is to move through it. I am proud of the work my co star and I did to bring that world to life and of our relentless determination to see it through. Also, a personal compliment from Kerry Washington during my callback for Reasonable Doubt is most definitely an honorable mention.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Honestly, anyone who moves away from home and believes in their ability and work ethic enough to chase their dreams is a risk taker. LA is full of them. We all know the phrase “no risk, no reward,” and I genuinely believe it. Anything that comes easily rarely fulfills you the way something earned does, and earning anything requires risk. But because the word risk carries a slightly negative connotation, I reframe it in my mind as faith. I take faith steps toward my goals. I had to have faith that I could become a professional actor in LA. I had to have faith that I would make it home to my grandma before she passed away. I have to have faith that I can continue building a career despite the rise of AI and an ever changing industry. I have to have faith when I submit another audition into the ether that it will come back with a booking. Faith is the foundation that allows any goal to become reality, so I try to move forward with a tunnel vision grounded in faith. And thankfully, it has brought me this far.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esizzl
• Other: https://pro.imdb.com/mobile/name/nm10738826/

Image Credits
Errisson Lawrence