Today we’d like to introduce you to Elyse Byers.
Hi Elyse, 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 am originally from a small town suburb Northeast of Atlanta called Dacula, GA. I have lived there my whole life till I decided to move here to Los Angeles. I have now been in Los Angeles for a year and a half and I love it! I have two amazing parents and I have two siblings. We are triplets, two boys and I! If you are wondering what being a triplet was like growing up, well… it was very interesting that’s for sure! We eventually all grew up, graduated high school, and went off to college. I attended Georgia Gwinnett College for two years and then transferred to the University of Georgia for three years. There, I majored in Biology and was on track to be either Pre-PA or Pre-Med. After college, I decided even though I was good at working in the medical field, I wanted to pursue acting instead because that was my true passion. It had been my secret passion for so long and I finally decided to pursue it. I can always go back to medical school, right? So I spontaneously said let’s do this and I decided I was going to move to Los Angeles. I enrolled in the One Year Acting for Film Program at the New York Film Academy in Burbank, found a place to stay, and booked my ticket just one month before I moved. I got everything ready for my move before I told my parents and friends I was leaving. I told everyone two weeks before I was leaving because I did not want anyone trying to talk me out of it. I was determined to get to Los Angeles to pursue my dreams and no one was going to stop me. Once I got there, I started school immediately. When I finished a year later, I received a certificate from their One Year Acting for Film Program and a ton of knowledge/experience. After graduation from this program, I have been auditioning, reading acting books, writing my own screenplay, and doing anything I can to keep me accountable and still on track towards my goal during these crazy times till the acting industry opens back up.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Obstacles that I have overcome: 1. COVID has caused a lot of turmoil not only in my life but worldwide and has put many people out of work. It has caused financial struggles which have impacted my ability to afford to fund anything acting related which impedes my progress tremendously. When the industry finally shut down, it left us artists out here to fend for ourselves. Since I can’t work as an actor, I had to find another job to support myself. That job now takes time away that I could be using to further my acting career. Even though things are getting better in the industry, the lasting impact of COVID is going to impact the industry for a while which will cause more bumps in the road over time.
2. In February of 2018, a tragic accident happened to me which almost left me dead. After the accident, I soon realized how short life is and that I wanna live my life doing things that make me happy. I was currently ending my last semester of college and graduating to go on to become a Physician Assistant or Doctor. I realized even though I was good at it, it wasn’t what I wanted to do. I realized everyone else was putting the idea of becoming a physician in my head and I eventually started to believe it was what I wanted to do. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it but there was something I loved more that was repressed. I always dreamed of acting since I was little but never told a soul. I feared people would tell me that it is dumb and that they will make fun of me. I have also heard people say that it is an unrealistic job and you have to be good to make money, so I never gave it any thought. When this accident happened in 2018, it opened my eyes and helped me decide that I was going to take a big risk and pursue something completely opposite of what I am currently doing. I decided I am going to do what I am passionate about. It was a scary leap but ultimately, it leads to me making the best decision of my life. 4. Being a triplet actually caused a lot of struggle in my life. My parents worked so hard to support us that they often did not even have time for themselves.
Therefore, when any of us wanted to do anything extracurricular (sports, clubs, friends, etc.), it often was declined because my parents couldn’t take us or they didn’t want to spend the money. I remember thinking about acting classes but I never brought it up for fear of rejection and humiliation. I then decided I needed to do another extracurricular that was more practical with my situation instead of doing what I wanted. My brothers wanted to play football as their extracurricular, so my parents got them on the same team (it was so they could be dropped off together so they didn’t have to drive to multiple places) and I decided to cheerlead for their team so my parents could drop all three of us off at one place. I just stuck with it till I graduated high school. I never did anything theater related till after college and I was on my own and could make my own money to work to support my desire of acting. This struggle of me caring what people thought about me and my desire to act really impeded me. The fact that I couldn’t do the extracurriculars that I wanted also impeded me. These two things caused me to wait 23 years to finally get the push to try acting. If I only listened to myself, I probably could I have been acting for years now. But hey, at least I am here now!
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?
My work is something I take pride in. This along with my curiosity, desire to learn and resilience are what set me apart from other actor’s who work. When I lived in Atlanta, I attended multiple classes at Nick Conti’s Professional Actor’s Studio and the Alliance Theater. I used these classes to dip my feet in and fell in love. I was in my first two ever student films in Atlanta. I got to feel what it was like to be behind the camera or the first time and see if it was something I liked. I had no connections in this industry at all and I had to start making them somehow so I created a LinkedIn to talk to fellow peers in my industry and ask questions to help me navigate alone. When I moved here to Los Angeles, I studied in the One Year Acting for Film program at the New York film academy. I am so happy I received formal education because I learned so much more than I could ever teach myself, which was what I was doing. I was in many student films and I even got to shoot on the warner brother’s back lot. I learned from many wise teachers who have been in the business for a long time. I also made some new connections there and friends I will never forget. I am currently working on writing a screenplay for my own feature film to challenge myself in other aspects off the industry. I hope to be able to pitch it by the end of this year. I am also writing my own scenes that I will eventually shoot for my reel. Since everything is closed down and no new projects are being filmed, I need new content for my reel somehow to keep updating everyone with my progress. Keep an eye out for new stuff coming soon on my website.
What does success mean to you?
Success to me is something each person has to define for themselves. What matters to you most is what will determine your definition of success. To me, being successful isn’t about how much money you have. It is about being happy, loving yourself and others, and continually striving to be the best you. It took me so long to master these things. I am still working on them continually each day, but the more I worked on these things, the more fulfilling my life became and success just followed.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.elysebyers.com
- Instagram: elysebyers_
Image Credits:
Deidhra Fahey Photography
