Conversations with Faye Nightingale

Today we’d like to introduce you to Faye Nightingale.

Hi Faye, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It’s a funny story actually. I’ve always dreamed of being some young hotshot fashion photographer and did go to school for it. After graduation I moved to NYC from Boston and started interning at a few different photo studios, assisting in commercials and things like that while also grinding to get my own gigs. So my birthday rolls around and I didn’t know that many people in NY yet at the time so I decided I was going to peruse Groupon and buy myself a cool experience and maybe make some new friends and connections. There I stumbled upon an acting class that was probably something like $30 taught at an off-broadway theater. I’ve never done acting before and figured it would be something fun to do on my birthday with a bunch of people who’ve also never done it. If anything, it would be a good bonding experience. So I found myself in class and there I was, completely captivated by the craft. Since then, acting as taken me on such a wonderful journey and has become my true passion. I moved to LA and since then have gotten some pretty cool parts on TV, film, commercials, and a number of amazing indie projects.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not! Apart from struggling with the starving artist thing that most artists and actors do at some point, I was also struggling with the immigrant thing. It was a long and challenging journey to say the least to finally earn the status to live and work in this country – took a total of seven years to be precise. I’m aware it has taken much longer for many people but the circumstance of always falling into a state of limbo between being able to work and wanting to pursue my life as an actor here was nothing short of stressful. So the financial struggle on top of some other personal struggles led me to take a 4-year hiatus from acting and taking on a full-time job in production instead. While I now know I’m definitely not built for corporate life, it has helped my return into acting become even more special. I became grateful and excited for every opportunity whereas in the beginning of my career, I remember wanting to “book” the job so much I forget what it was like to actually enjoy the journey. Now because I’m just happy to be here pursuing what I love, it’s made every audition so much more enjoyable and in some ways less “precious” in a sense that I’m no longer trying to perfect performance but rather to learn and discover something new about the craft every time I get to act.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
During my 4 year hiatus from acting where I took up a corporate job in production, I did learn a whole bunch. I learned a lot of technical things to do with being behind the camera and storytelling. I think that’s one of the biggest gifts that have become something that is unique to me. I’ve gone on to mass-produce viral short films on social media as well after leaving my corporate gig. It was a part-time job I picked up for a year. During that year, I directed 74 short films, worked with hundreds of actors, and definitely watched thousands of audition tapes. It was a bootcamp that led me back into bringing myself back in front of the camera and pursuing this career for myself after learning about so many different aspects of filmmaking and also learning from all the actors I’ve had the pleasure of directing.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Diversity and representation. I’m so glad to see it really happening in the entertainment industry over the past few years. People speaking up and being supported for it. Perhaps the word “foreign film” will disappear at some point because who is it really foreign to when everyone is watching? A good film is a good film. Of course, all this isn’t to say that I’m not celebrating the wins from creators of different origins. I’m saying the opposite. I’m a part of the AAPI community and to see work from my community being popularized and recognized as exceptional internationally is a huge step forward – knowing we’re not just being acknowledged within the confines of being foreign.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/faye.nightingale

Image Credits
Glass Darkly Photography, Brent Yoshida