Today we’d like to introduce you to Lesley Grant.
Hi Lesley, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I fell in love with acting when I was very young. My mom used to take my sister and I to the local children’s theater and every weekend, we would go see the shows. Growing up I did theater classes and camps, but I was extremely shy. I was always embarrassed and never felt I was very good. It’s funny because when you’re little, everyone tells you that you can be whatever you want to be. So you say, okay, I want to be an astronaut, a ballerina, a chef! But as you get older, everyone looks at you like, no, no sweetie, we meant anything you want as long as it’s a doctor, lawyer, or teacher- a “real job.” So even though I really loved acting, I decided not to pursue it.
I went on to college where I double majored in Business Marketing and Japanese and when I graduated and I moved to Spain. All of my friends were getting the corporate “real jobs” but I just didn’t feel quite ready so I bought a one-way ticket and left the month I graduated just to see how long I could make it. A short while after moving, I was sitting at a restaurant when a woman approached me and told me she had an agency and that I should join. I was working a horrible job at the time that I was desperate to escape from and I said yes on the spot. From there, I started doing films and television shows and it’s been an amazing adventure ever since!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I laughed reading this question because I think regardless of your profession or what you decide to do with your life, it’s never really a ‘smooth road’ and that’s the beauty of it! Without the struggles, we wouldn’t appreciate the good moments. (Or at least that’s what I tell myself when I’m really going through it). I’ve tried so many different things and I think I’m a person that’s drawn to the intensity and with that come a lot of challenges. I think no matter what you do, life will be tough, so you just have to choose things that you’re willing to fight for. My best friend has a photo taped to her fridge that shows a bunch of swirly messed up lines that say WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE NOW. Below is a perfectly straight highway that says WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE IN HINDSIGHT.
I guess I’m still in the ‘messy’ bit, but I’m looking forward to one day looking back at the straight road.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I love acting, but I don’t really like calling myself an artist/creative. Maybe it’s because of imposter syndrome, or maybe it’s because I think deep down, everyone is creative and is capable of artistic expression. But I do really love acting. It’s the most challenging thing I’ve ever done. Every single time, I still get butterflies in my stomach, almost to the point of wanting to throw up. What I really love is getting to live hundreds of lives in one. One of my favorite plays is Duncan Macmillan’s “People, Places & Things” and there’s a part that says “You get to live the most intense moments of life over and over again, with all the boring bits left out… But you keep going because sometimes if you’re really lucky, you get to be on stage and say things that are absolutely true, even if they’re made up. You get to do things that feel more real to you, more authentic, more meaningful than anything in your own life… When I’m on stage, I know it’s all pretend. Everyone else knows that. But somehow, it doesn’t matter. We all just sort of decide that it’s real.”
I’ve done so many roles and projects I’m really proud of, but I guess that what I love most is getting to live out all of these different lives and stories.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Absolutely. Obviously, the whole world was deeply impacted and I think we’ve had to adapt in a lot of interesting ways. I both like and dislike that everything has become more remote. Now, you can do castings from anywhere which is great, but you also miss a lot of the human element. I miss interacting with people in scenes and it can be so challenging to not only try and portray life in a compelling and realistic way, but now you also have to pretend people are handing you things, hugging you, punching you, and a million other crazy things on top of the scene. If you’ve ever watched an actor’s self tape it looks so silly because it’s just one person sitting there inventing this whole world without the real set, lights, music or even other actors. That’s why I think we all value connection so much now. We’ve all had to go through long patches of isolated and for me, it’s made me realize how important all the people around me are.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://imdb.me/lesleygrant
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesleygrant/
Image Credits
Andrea Esteva Dana Dveris Max Schmitt Enric Fradera
