Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Murray.
Hi Josh, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My first real acting experience was a short film audition and I was a bit taken back by how overwhelming it was. Before I went in to read, my hands went numb and I was short of breath. In retrospect, it wasn’t just the fear of performing but the pressure of stepping into the imaginary stakes of the scene. I ended up getting a small role in the film but it wasn’t so much the affirmation that sparked me to want to go further with it as it was how challenging the process of acting seemed to me. It was akin to jumping off the roof when I was growing up because I was scared of heights. I didn’t want to back down from what intimidated me. I knew I had a lot of personal obstacles to overcome and a lot of growing personally to do before I could even consider doing it professionally so I spent the next several years studying, training with various acting coaches, reading voraciously, and experimenting in whatever small productions I could get on.
Eventually, I decided I was getting my bearings enough and getting enough positive feedback from industry professionals that I was ready to stop working a full-time day job and pursue acting as a business. After a dubious 6-month stint of auditioning constantly, I finally started breaking through and booked a series of films that included Killing Lincoln. My experience on that set, working with top-notch pros really solidified this was what I wanted to do and that I had something valuable to offer. There’s been a lot of ups and downs in the decade since then (and even a point where I considered quitting) but I’m grateful to be working more than ever now and continuing to move on to bigger and better opportunities over time.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
After several years of pursuing acting as a profession and getting to work on some recognizable projects, I started to hit a rut. I felt completely stuck. I wasn’t booking many things and even when I did, it would mysteriously fall through. I felt like I was failing to become the person I wanted to be, believed I needed to be. I was unhappy with my progress with my art, my emotional freedom, my relationships, with my career. I felt exhausted with how much work it took just to keep my head above water. And after powering through for months longer than I probably should have I just stopped. I decided to sell my house, put a few belongings into storage and just started traveling. I didn’t really expect to escape my problems or find myself but I knew I needed to shake things up and that was the best idea I had. I didn’t have a plan of where to go or how long it would take to figure it out but I pulled the rug out from beneath me so I staying still or going back wasn’t an option. I stopped auditioning and got a one-way ticket to Europe. I took a vacation for a while, did a lot of soul-searching.
Eventually, I made my way to NY and worked with some of my acting teachers there and all of them urged me to continue, that I needed to be an artist and to use my struggles in my art. I remember breaking down in one of Josh Pais’s classes when he asked us to get up and share what we wanted as an actor. I told the class through choked tears that I wanted to not be so messed up, for things to not be so hard, and that I felt like there was no point in me continuing if I couldn’t fix myself. Every one of my classmates poured out so much love and affirmation about what I had to give and how normal my experience was as an artist. They filled out pages of notes for me to take home. I walked away with a new relationship to my struggle and a lesson in being kinder to myself. It’s so crucial to find your “tribe” where you can be real with other people, to be able to own up to your fears and shame and pain in front of people who understand your journey and can help reassure you when you’re doubting yourself. I’ve been blessed to find several of those communities over the years.
That summer I went back into the fray and booked a month on a feature film where I was able to prove a lot of things to myself and increased my faith. Soon after, I started visiting LA and after what ended up being 3 years of nomadic living, I rented a room there and started the next chapter of my life and career.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
In a word, I’m an adventurer. I grew up reading about the great explorers, frontiersmen and sailors of bygone ages, wishing I was born before the world was so small. Acting is a way to adventure with my imagination and to create a portal for other people to experience that too. Some of my favorite experiences have been roles in Killing Lincoln and Alone Yet Not Alone where I got to travel back in time with my work as an actor. But what I most aspire to is giving people a meaningful experience in that adventure of those deeper truths that you cannot put into words. When I get a message from someone that they were touched by my role in a deeply impactful way like that, I treasure it.
One of the things I’m most proud of in recent years is expanding my work as a storyteller into producing with my feature Gym Rat (currently in post-production). Producing lets me take an even more active part in the creative process and to step into roles as an actor that I wouldn’t normally have the chance to play.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I’m grateful for a great many people in this industry who’ve supported me in various ways and have given different ones credit over the years. To build on what I mentioned about that low point I hit where I was in a lot of pain, two other teachers I spent time with were Niki Flacks and Carol Fox Prescott who both generously gave of their time to work one on one with me to find more freedom in body and heart. I’ll never forget that.
Also want to give a shoutout to my man Alano Miller for always being an encouragement. When I first came to LA, I went to this big Oscar afterparty, there were hordes of people there and I didn’t know anyone until Alano walked in with his wife. I was telling him part of why I waited so long to try LA was I felt like I hadn’t even proven myself enough in the small roles in smaller markets and he and De said, “that’s because you’re too big for small roles, you’re a leading man!” He told me I was gonna make it no question and that we should grab coffee soon and added, “I really mean that,” and he did (in Hollywood, “we should grab coffee” can often mean “we should never speak again”). Well guys, I’m playing leading men now! Alano is a super solid dude and I’m super stoked for how they’re both blowing up.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.joshmurray.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshmurrayactor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshmurrayactor
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/joshmurrayactor
Image Credits
E-STUDIOS PHOTOGRAPHY – Erik Johnson Jenefer Taylor Photography Jeremy David Creative Joshua Gilbert
