Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarafina Ludlow.
Hi Sarafina, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born as a baby and then over about 25 years and countless hours of therapy, I grew into a semi-functioning adult. I’m the 3rd of 5 children and my “middle-child syndrome” is aggressively apparent by my choice of a career in entertainment. I’m a comedian-actor-writer and recently directed my first play, and am looking to do more of that. My family bounced around growing up—Utah to New York to Central California to Minnesota and then back to Utah—and I think that the chaos of that and the need to be able to adapt to change prepped me for my professional pursuits in adulthood. A throughline amidst the chaos was “Saturday Night Live.” No matter what was going on, you could find me every weekend sitting in between my parents with Ben and Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk ice cream watching SNL.
I tried to trick myself into a life of stability by going to college for Human Nutrition, but the night of graduation I ditched the degree and was on a plane to Chicago to start training at The Second City and Improv Olympic. I moved out to LA almost 3 years ago to continue my training at the Groundlings, and to have more access to the various careers within the entertainment umbrella. The pandemic pushed me to explore the stand-up side of comedy, which has been an adventure, and as mentioned previously, we’re jumping into directing. It took me a minute to warm up to the sunshine and smiles of LA, but it’s really grown on me in the past year. I’m happy and regularly astounded that I get to call it home.
I’m grateful for supportive parents and siblings who inflated my ego beyond my actual abilities so that I can be out here clowning, and for people who like to get silly. Y’all make my world turn.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
*manic laughter* No. If anyone answered yes to this, please introduce me to them so I can learn their secret. The road has not been easy. Honestly, I wouldn’t even call it a “road.” I’m on a rollercoaster, but I’m strapped in and not getting off any time soon. People love roller coasters, right?
Depression, 23 jobs since graduating college, missing friends weddings due to lack of funds or opportunities that just cannot be missed, rejection on rejection on rejection, the constant self-questioning of why I’m doing this and if I’m just a horrible narcissist, insane rent prices, zero guarantees, and very little stability. It’s a shit show, but I soothe myself by thinking of what good stories all of this will make on future talk show interviews.
The “path” is messy and sometimes hard to see and regularly heartbreaking, but at the end of the day I’m writing jokes and playing pretend and telling stories. What a wonderful thing to get to do. The lows are low, but the highs are spectacular. They may be few and far between, but they make it worth it!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
The primary goal is “Saturday Night Live.” My Instagram is more or less a tornado of different wigs and eccentric characters; I love to change my voice and “container” to embody a new person. I observe people in my day to day life, mining for the funny because EVERYONE has something—a personality trait, a vocal quirk, a mannerism, etc. that can be exaggerated into a character. Nothing makes me feel lovelier than a hideous wig.
I also love a “slice of life” comedy (ie. “The Way Way Back,” “Silver Linings Playbook”) and I’d love to write and direct my own some day. I want to be in a position to provide opportunities for others. I want to create work environments where people feel supported in their creativity and know that their work is valued and important. I want to work with good people, and make amazing shit. Can I swear? Edit that out if I can’t. Success isn’t limited to a handful of people—we can bring people up with us, and I have every intention of doing so.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
I have “11:30” tattooed on my arm as a reminder of a quote from SNL creator Lorne Micheals, “We don’t go on because we’re ready; we go on because it’s 11:30.” That’s the motto I most proactively try to live by and that would be my advice to those starting out or considering starting. Circumstances and timing will never be precisely perfect, and you may not feel completely ready, but at some point, you just need to jump in. With both feet.
I’m relatively new to all of this as well, so take my advice with a grain of salt, but I’d also say to trust your gut, as cliche as that may sound. Everyone will have an opinion of what you should or shouldn’t do and it can get loud. There are a million different views on when to look for an agent, what headshot to go with, which classes to take, what roles will make or break you, and even what color your hair should be. Sure, seek input from trusted sources, but at the end of the day you know yourself and where your abilities lie. There are no real rules to this, and you know best what you want and what you’re capable of, so trust that and make the moves. It’s 11:30, babyyyyy.
Contact Info:
- Email: sarafinaludlow@gmail.
com - Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/fina_ludlow/ - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/sara.ludlow.9 - Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Sarafina_Ludlow - Youtube: https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=SksyUEbjBA0
Image Credits
Headshots: Rob Mainord Photography
