Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Daniels.
Hi Leslie, 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 moved to Los Angeles as soon as I graduated college and began acting right away! I spent my first couple of years mainly focusing on training and preparing myself to be the best I can be in terms of skill. I started out training with Katt Shea (the casting director who gave Leonardo DiCaprio his first role) and then trained with Lesly Kahn (comedy queen) and, finally, completed all the courses at Upright Citizens Brigade (improv nerd over here). There were a couple acting classes I tried here and there that I discovered didn’t work for me – you have to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t in this town – but the three that I mentioned helped me out a lot as an actor!
After a couple of years of training, I began auditioning and really hitting the pavement. I was booking things left and right! I did a few unpaid student films, which is sort of a rite of passage for any actor in Los Angeles. Then, I began booking more paid projects – short films and episodes of popular web series’. I eventually felt the need to do more than just act, so a good friend of mine and I wrote, produced and starred in a web series that we shot (with a lot, like a LOT of help) right before the pandemic hit. Like, literally the week before everything shut down. We got really lucky. Since then, I’ve worked on a couple of new acting and writing projects. My most recent job, which I can’t tell you much about… yet, is a major role in a series that will be on Lifetime Network!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I really struggled with confidence when I first moved here. Everyone I met was so cool and talented and successful and seemed to know other people who were also successful. I didn’t feel like I had any of that – and I didn’t. But with the right training and hard work and resilience and a little bit of luck, I started to slowly build my confidence. I learned to really put myself out there, which was a game-changer!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I love love love comedy. I want to put happy stuff out there, you know? I want to make people laugh, not cry. Don’t get me wrong, there’s tremendous value in all genres, but comedy is my thing. I’m really proud of the work my partner and I did for our comedy web series and I’m currently working on a comedy feature film that I’m excited about.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I have double-jointed pinkies and I’m afraid of E.T. Other than that, I’m pretty boring.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.leslieerindaniels.com
- Instagram: @lesliedaniels_
- Twitter: @lesliedaniels_
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClGamtgLG_eiEWtquiynjoQ
- IMDb: https://imdb.me/lesliedaniels
Image Credits
James DePietro Hiram Michel Sanchez
