Conversations with Enrique Garcia

Today we’d like to introduce you to Enrique Garcia

Hi Enrique, 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 as a national tennis player in Indonesia. Being raised by an olympian father, naturally, sports was everything at home. That being said, I was always a creative soul and saw myself as a performer or entertainer. I just never really gave myself the chance to pursue arts since tennis was all I did.

When I quit tennis, I went on to pursue what I thought was a normal life, something I felt like I missed out on. To me that was to get a degree and work at some company. It was right before turning 25 that I had what many would call an identity crisis, one that would change the course of my life forever. I was working a decent office job when it all clicked to me. I had everything I thought I needed to be happy. I had a stable income, family close to me, a great girlfriend, great friends, a good routine, a healthy lifestyle, yet something was missing. I wasn’t allowing myself to be myself. After a night of insomnia, cold sweats, and racing thoughts, it became crystal clear that I had to drop my comfortable life in Madrid, Spain and pursue acting in Los Angeles, California. What a crazy idea, yet it made so much sense!

Now, I’ve been here for almost 2 years and I can say this was the best decision I could have ever made. While I am not some rich or famous actor and I am still carving my path as an artist, my life is much richer than it has ever been because I am finally living a life in alignment with what I believe is my purpose on this planet.

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?
It has without a doubt been far from smooth. I think especially for non-US citizens it’s a tougher road in general. In my case, I had to take the student visa route. I took a one year acting program at the New York Film Academy, where for a full year I couldn’t legally work as an actor, so I found myself living off of savings and at the same time trying to build my portfolio acting in student projects with no pay. I guess everyone can agree that LA is not a cheap city to live in so it wasn’t the easiest year. Then, when I finished I obtained my OPT, which is supposedly a 12 month work authorization for international student graduates. I wasn’t the luckiest and got a 7 month OPT instead of the full 12 months. Now I am using all the work that I’ve done in these 7 months to build a strong enough case for an artist visa and hope to be able to stay here longer. Otherwise, I’ll have to leave LA and pursue acting elsewhere. So yes, it isn’t the easiest or smoothest road that I signed up for but at the same time, the challenge really drives me to work hard to get to where I need to get to.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an actor, known for playing the role of the young troubled male with a complex inner world. I’ve acted in over 20 independent short films and am still pushing to land my first feature film. Additionally, I’ve also worked in commercials and UGC (user-generated content). The project I am most proud of is perhaps playing the role of Howard in Dancing on my Own, by Dave Chen, an independent short film about a young Japanese rapper who struggles to find his authentic voice in Los Angeles. Howard is Ian’s (the protagonist’s) best friend and he guides him through the process of finding himself upon arriving in LA. I relate to Howard’s character because even though I am young, I’ve lived in many different countries and cities where I’ve had to adapt to the culture and I feel like I am someone capable of helping others in this tough process. Howard, like myself, has his insecurities too, but has to stay strong in order to be there for others who need it more.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up I was a very dedicated tennis player, with hopes and dreams of playing professionally as an adult. I lived a very unique and disciplined life compared to my peers. I still was able to socialize here and there but generally my weekly life consisted of school, tennis, homework, sleep, and during the weekends I would travel to compete in tennis tournaments around the country or internationally too. This made me a stronger person, but at the same time it also closed my eyes from exploring other talents or interests I may have had. I have no regrets, though. I am who I am because of the childhood I had. Now, that I have found my true calling, I still apply the disciplined lifestyle I grew up with, just in a different way now.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://enriquegarciatv.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enriquegarciatv/

Image Credits
Rielle Oase, Walker Grossi, JP Williams, Kushagra Jain, Dave Chen, Parv Bhavsar