Daily Inspiration: Meet Ana March

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ana March.

Hi Ana, 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 was born in Uzbekistan and my family emigrated to England when i was 4 years old. I went to school at the age of 5, and joined during wintertime my school was putting on a nativity play and as i couldnt speak any english and was super shy – they gave me the role of the star as it was the only role they could think of without any lines. I was only 5 but thats when my fascination with performing began.
From then on i went to perform in school plays and local youth theatres, where i won awards and gained some local recognition in my town in Surrey.
After I graduated school fears and doubts creeped in so I went to university in London to study Journalism and started working in fashion, however i still had the desire for the craft of acting, and i felt like i was being pushed toward it as through my work in fashion i gained opportunities to work in commercials. I decided to stop ignoring my dream and went to study acting at a Drama school in London, this is where i finally felt at home and felt like i was aligning with what i was truly meant to do, i never felt at home other than when i was performing.
Once i graduated i started trying to catch my break in London, I was getting some roles in film and TV but i still felt like i could do more and decided i want to give it my all and move to the centre of film – Hollywood! It was always my dream and i thought if i didnt do it at that point in my life then i would always regret it. So i eventually packed up and moved to LA, not knowing a single person there, no connections, no friends and no job (just a lot of positive thoughts.)

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?
In this industry its never a smooth road and you face rejection everyday however the biggest obstacle I have struggled with is having the courage to go against what was considered the norm and to be different in a place where big dreams were considered delusional. When i spoke about starting acting to friends and family it was often met with negativity and fear and it used to affect me emotionally until i realised that noone should validate my dreams but me. Also people often project their own fears onto others, every career choice has its risks and while acting doesnt have the highest success rate i knew that the only failure for me would be to not try. Eventually i turned peoples doubt and negative comments into motivation in my mind and now it doesnt affect me at all it only encourages me to succeed even more.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
One of my favourite roles so far was an action film which included stunt training, where i really found my passion for stunts and martial arts. I now train in boxing every week and love when i can combine the two skills on screen, the precision and choreography that goes into stunt scenes in really fascinating and i find it an amazing challenge.
One of my other passions is comedy, i love it as its all about impulse and timing which are great skills to hone as an actor. When i moved to LA i decided to join a stand up comedy class and enjoyed it so much i went on to perform at clubs such as Ice House and Kookaburra in Hollywood, as terrifying as it was i also found it quite liberating.
Most of all it was character building as i now know no audition i ever go on again will ever be as daunting as standing up in front a bunch of strangers who paid for you to make them laugh.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
The biggest risk i ever took was moving to Los Angeles – a city full of the most talented, beautiful and determined individuals all striving to succeed in my very industry and while i find it risky i also find it the best decision i ever made in my life. I love the creative atmosphere in LA, most people i meet day to day – from the uber driver to the barista is hustling towards their own creative dreams and i love being around that energy. Packing up and moving to the other side of the world was very challenging and lonely in the beginning but the opportunities i gained from taking this risk were far more impactful. Coming from a town in Uzbekistan i never thought i would be living in Hollywood but i learnt that only you can champion your own dreams and it takes great determination and resilience but with that you can turn those aspirations to reality.

Image Credits
Bader Howar
Antonio Zamarripa