Today we’d like to introduce you to Becca Buckalew.
Hi, Becca. We are so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up in Monterey County, which I only realized was small (population-wise) once I moved to LA. I did the gamut of young child activities, including Ballet, Tap, and Christmas reenactments of the baby Jesus story. As a kid, I loved putting on performances for my family and truly loved making people laugh. I only dipped my toe into true acting in high school. I was in a midsummer night’s dream and was one of the dancers (I didn’t know there were dancers in the play either). I loved it; it was a heady experience, but my focus in high school was sports, surfing, avoiding school at all costs, and making out with boys. Although I was somewhat of a degenerate, I was always drawn to a career in law enforcement because my dad worked as a District Attorney for 35 years. I grew up around cops, laws, criminals, and breaking down a case to present to a jury. I found running around and trying to chase the bad guys exciting and interesting.
Fast-forward to college. It was mandatory. You go to college and get an education (is what my parents said). So I went. I studied English, as it was the only subject I was really good at and didn’t have to work hard to do well in. I minored in the Administration of Justice because that is what I found interesting.
I finished college, did a year of internship with the sheriff’s department, got married at 22, headed to Europe for a well-extended, if not arduous, 9-month honeymoon, and had a slight mental breakdown over my career choice. When we returned stateside, I applied to a police department, passed the physical, the written, and DQ’d on the drug questionnaire (I think; they don’t tell you). Go figure.
So then I reflected, prayed, meditated, and came up with my true calling: being in LA and aspiring as an actress. I needed a foundation of understanding regarding what an actress needed to do. I was allowed to watch an hour of TV on Friday nights (Saturday if we were lucky). I needed to be better versed in the world of Film, yet I went.
When I landed, green and confused, in more excellent Los Angeles, I got the routine waitress job and hustled. I took classes at UCB, Groundlings, and AMAW. I did background work, took PA jobs, and suffered for the cause. I booked student films and small commercial jobs. It was a perpetual battle to balance working full time at night and submitting daily to lesser acting gigs; theatre would have been excellent, but who has the time?
I landed a manager on a job I was paying at the time. He took me under his wing and gave me a recurring role in a TV series filming in Qatar. That was six years ago since it has been a string of movies (good and bad) and has been another recurring role on a series filmed in Romania and Bulgaria (how fun). Covid took everyone out; I banged out two kids, found a profound love for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and am now embarking on my first Feature film that I helped create, am currently producing, and will eventually star in.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story. Has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
Nothing about this business is smooth. You are in a craft that you need to devote copious amounts of time to without having copious amounts of time. It is a constant struggle to better yourself in your craft while maintaining a way to live in Los Angeles (not cheap). Add in a small growing family, and it’s a true recipe for chaos. The hardest part of this business is that it’s a business. It’s not enough just to be good at what you do (ideal if you are good); you need to approach the industry like the business it is. You must have suitable materials (headshot, reel), a sturdy resume (chicken before the egg?), network, hustle good jobs, and get good agents. It’s a balancing act of epic proportions, not for the faint of heart. Did I mention the mental aspect? Oh yeah, you can’t hate yourself, think you’re not good enough, choke on set, get dismayed you’re not on the right show, haven’t done enough, and don’t have the right credits. Definitely not smooth.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am an actress, for better or worse, sometimes both. What sets me apart from others is that I am uniquely me. I am not trying to play at someone else because I’m not good at it. I can only be myself to the best of my ability and bring myself to the roles I play. I think that grounds a lot of my performances. I like honest, grounded work, so I try to exemplify that; I often miss the mark, but I do try. I also do sports. Sure, many actresses do sports, but having a background in boxing and martial arts has helped me land roles because it’s not something I have to sell; it’s just who I am.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Risk-taking is what you have to do if you want to give profound performances as an artist. I play it safe a lot of the time, but alas, it is more tedious. It’s way easier to show up on set, know your lines perfectly, and try to execute the scene without incident. A risk would be showing up on set and trying something out, even if it’s not “perfect” or “right,” because you have the impulse to do so and take the chance to look like a**. Ideally, everyone would take risks in acting because that is when the magic happens. It’s when you are free enough to let yourself go and play. People watching are intrigued, and it feels right when you do it. That’s always the goal.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.beccabuckalew.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beccabuckalew/
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@buckalewbecca
Image Credits
Glass Darkly Photography, Dana Patrick
