Today we’d like to introduce you to Ace Cross.
Hi Ace, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
“Just a small-town girl living in a lonely world.” Yup, that was me. How did I go from growing up in a small town in North Carolina to living in Hollywood? Well, it all started with an ad on Craigslist. My whole life I knew I was meant for more than what my little unknown town had to offer. So I did what any teenager did, I searched for a job on Craigslist.
Oh, you’ve never done that? Have you even lived!? I came across an ad to be an extra on a little tv show called One Tree Hill. I thought to myself extra? Literally, everyone calls me extra so this must be the job for me! I applied and got the call. I was in baby! The moment I stepped on set, was the moment I fell in love with the tv/film industry. From the director yelling “check the gate!” to crafty making sure the cheese balls were stocked, from wardrobe lint brushing strays to PA’s sweating bullets every time their walkie went off. I was hooked. IN LOVE, I tell ya. I signed up for every gig and spoke with just about everyone I could to learn more about the craft. I eventually made it my goal to become an actor.
After attending classes, signing with my first agent, and many many MANY auditions I finally scored my first speaking role on TV. That’s right, your girl was on Swamp Murders. Stop, no pictures please. All jokes aside, what I love about being an actor is being an integral part of someone’s art. However, the most draining part of being an actor is the auditioning process. Your life is 99% auditioning and most of the time, you’re not hearing anything back. Like what was it, did I have something in my teeth? Was I too tall, too short? Did I say a line wrong? There’s nothing like feeling ghosted by someone you’ve never met, am I right? I was now at a point in my life where I was lonely and I wasn’t exploring the world around me. I had a dream and about three jobs to help me make ends meet. Want to know something crazy? Social Media saved my life. Yup, true story. We always hear, “kids these days live on their phones, they never go outside and experience the real world”. Well, I disagree, social media made me realize the world is so much bigger and that it was important to explore and capture moments in life to post and inspire others to do the same!
Let me explain, my life felt like I was a gerbil on a wheel, literally going nowhere. Even though I was auditioning and booking tv/film gigs, they were few and far between. My creative soul was not being fulfilled. One day a friend sent me a video from Instagram and said, “this is so you”. From that video to the next, I found myself consuming new media content and saying, “You know what, I can do that”. I went from consuming to creating. It became a way escape my life, express myself, and I even found myself looking for places to go and people to meet to make content with. I took everything I learned from being on set and applied it. From directing, producing, acting, editing and distributing content, this was my calling. I was thriving. There is no better feeling than the instant gratification of getting feedback the moment I post a video. When I can put a smile on someone’s face, or inspire them to explore or remind them of the beauty of life, I feel like I am fulfilling my purpose. The moment the course of my life changed dramatically was the day I decided to film myself walking down the aisle of a plane, lip-syncing to the Spice Girls. Yes, I did. Girl, I know, I can’t believe it either.
However, after that experience, I had a mom come up to me and thank me for helping her daughter’s anxiety with flying. That immediately made my heart soar! But also, I had these two gentlemen approach me, The Parabros, and wanted to connect to help me become a Facebook creator. Surely I said yes and from there, it was a snowball effect! I met so many other creators at different Facebook events and one of which, his name is Joshua Sadowski. We instantly bonded and he told me to join Tiktok. I was hesitant as this was a new platform, but I trusted his advice. I posted 4 videos and the fourth went viral. I was obsessed! Especially because I quickly realized what an amazing community Tiktok was. This was at the very early stages, as Tiktok had just evolved from Musical.ly. I grew quickly on that platform and I felt seen, I felt heard, I felt like I could finally share my message and make a positive impact I’ve been working so hard to do on Instagram. My life has changed in the best way, and it’s because of the people who support me. I don’t have “followers’, I have besties. We support each other. Knowing they have my back, I knew it was finally time to make the move with other creators to Hollywood. The best decision I ever made because not only am I living my dream of creating content, but I met the love of my life! (Thanks Tinder!) We are expecting our first baby girl on November 22. Oh my, Ace is going to be a mama y’all! She’s no longer just a small-town girl living in a lonely world.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It certainly hasn’t been a smooth road, but what fun would it be if it was? From growing up with family who was experiencing addiction, toxic relationships, EDs…the list goes on. But I’m thankful for those experiences because they helped mold and shape me into the woman I am today. I love me, and it took a lot for me to realize that you know? Happiness without sadness has no meaning.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
You can find me on Tiktok, Youtube, IG, and Pinterest as AceFullyAlive. My message is simple, I’m your best friend Ace. I want to make you smile, laugh, inspire you to explore, love yourself and others and so much more honey! I’m proud of the community we besties have made, and I only hope it grows bigger and bigger!
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was that kid that sat in the back of the room on the first day of school, absorbing the atmosphere and watching the other kids play. Initially, you’d think “oh she seems shy and quiet”. Oh contraire. The moment anyone spoke to me, you couldn’t get me to be shut up! I love people. I truly do, everything about humans fascinate me. I’ve just always read the room before opening my mouth, you know? Sometimes a blessing, sometimes a curse, what can I say.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/acefullyalive
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acefullyalive/
- Youtube: http://youtube.com/acefullyalive
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/acefullyalive/
