Today we’d like to introduce you to Su.
Hi Su, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Well, it’s been a crazy, unexpected journey. I started out as an actress when I was 17. I was in university and had an amazing acting teacher who became my mentor, Leonardo Torres Vilar. He had studied in New York at the AADA and won several important theater awards — and that’s basically where I began: theater. But I always loved movies and TV shows, so I wanted to break into that industry. That’s when I started dreaming about coming to LA.
First, though, I had to finish university. I graduated as a journalist, worked at a newspaper for five years, and eventually became an editor so I could save enough money to move to LA. In the meantime, I was doing a lot of theater and taking classes at the Conservatory of Performing Arts at night.
A bit before graduating from the Conservatory, I decided to apply to a school in LA. I got accepted and moved the following year. I met incredible people there — some of whom I still collaborate with — and that’s where I discovered another passion: producing. I had done a bit of theater producing back home, but film and TV producing is very different. A friend of mine, Joel Junior — a super talented actor, director, and screenwriter — asked me to produce a project he was developing, and something told me to say yes. I had to take a crash course in production and rely on what I’d learned in university, but nothing teaches you more than doing the work: the pre-production meetings, being on set, and handling the day-to-day operations.
After that, I worked with a few other talented directors and then, I decided I was ready to start creating my own projects. I co-wrote a TV pilot with a former creative partner, and we won a grant to produce it. It went on to be selected at three major markets/festivals, including the Guadalajara Film Festival, where we won a few awards. That show is still in development, along with another TV series and a short film script. Those are my personal projects — my babies, as I like to call them — and last year I landed a job as an executive producer at an international production company that operates in the US and Mexico, with partnerships across Latin America and Europe. Did I imagine dreaming about living in LA would pave the way to land in places like Mexico City to shoot projects, being in the music video of one of my favorite bands or landing a lead role in a commercial for US Bank? No, no, I didn’t.
But looking back, I don’t think I’d be where I am today without the incredible people I’ve met along the way. I feel really lucky to be able to do all the things I love: acting, producing, and creating.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t. I don’t think any creative job goes smoothly, but I’ve also learned to “ride the wave”. To trust the process and see where it takes me. For example, the pilot I co-wrote that got selected in a few festivals was filmed in 2019 and we screened it in February 2020. We were already looking into some markets we could attend when the pandemic hit, which forced us to rewrite a LOT of the episodes. We felt we couldn’t continue the story as it was, as if nothing had happened. At the time, it felt like 3 or 4 months of work going down the drain. But what we wrote next, I think, was much better.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Well, as I said, I work in the entertainment industry. I’m an executive producer, actor and creator. I don’t like to call myself a “screenwriter” because I wouldn’t be able to do that for someone else. I can only write for myself, for some reason. As opposed to when I’m acting or producing, for example. I love working for other people/directors/companies.
I’m most proud of all the chances I’ve taken — of how brave I’ve been. Moving to places where I barely knew anyone and just… believing there was something there for me. Those leaps of faith have opened so many doors and created opportunities I never saw coming.
And I think what sets me apart from others is that I can see a project from multiple angles. For example, when I have my “producer hat” on, I can also see it from the actor’s and the creator’s perspective. Same when I’m acting. Plus, I like to lead with humanity. I like to take care of the people who work with me and for me, treating them with respect, making sure they are well, paying fair wages or negotiating as fairly as possible when it’s a low budget project.
Any big plans?
I plan to finish polishing the short film I mentioned before the end of the year. It’s beautiful, very poetic and yet- something EVERYONE can relate to because it touches on a very human life experience. It’ll be directed by a wonderful director I’ve worked with before, Teo Belton, whose short films have won countless awards. We’ll start the whole funding process soon. I can’t wait to see it come to life.
And I also want to finish writing the pilot of a TV show that is very dear to my heart. It’s got to do with modern dating, it has all the potential to become one of those shows that inspires debate, one of those you can’t wait to talk to your friends about. That’s all I can say. I’m excited!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.suhananel.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suhananel
Image Credits
Photo creds:
– Pamela Pozo
– Zori Megias
– Edu Albarracin
