Life & Work with Sarah Ritter

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Ritter.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My story? Jeez. I guess my entertainment story starts with my foundation in dance and theater. My mother was a dancer and I started ballet and tap at like, an absurd age, maybe 2 or 3? I really only ever loved tap though and once pointe was introduced I was like, “I’m actually good on that” and made my natural segway to theater. I say “natural segway” because I always felt this weird pressure to perform, maybe it was being the youngest in my family, or maybe it was because I became hooked on attention being the only girl out of my siblings. Either way, simply no one was asking for it, yet there I was at my big brother’s youth basketball games giving half-time performances fully equipped with dance routines, pom poms, and crowd participation points. I think I’m really lucky to have grown up where I did with the interests I had actually, while I lived in Kentucky my entire life, we lived right on the border of the state placing us close to Cincinnati which, if you don’t know, is a hub for art and musical theater. I grew up studying at CCM (the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music) and doing children’s theater under the direction of some of the most iconically cold-hearted directors I’ve ever met.

To this day, no one has ever verbally berated me in quite the same way as I was in 4th grade and honestly? It’s made me the sharp, albeit traumatized, professional I am today. I have a lot of pride centered around where I come from, which wasn’t always the case. Being from Kentucky and attending high school in Cincinnati was randomly tough as my classmates (who lived 20 minutes from me mind you) made it a point to remind me at every turn that I was less than for being from America’s beloved incest state, but that wasn’t the Kentucky I knew and loved, so the no shoes and horses comments never bothered me too much. In fact, I think I became addicted to adversity because of all of these things, which has made me the relentless competitor I am today: you may not like it but this is what peak performance looks like. I then attended Belmont University in Nashville against my wishes (34 on the ACT and a 4.2 GPA and I was accepted to one school?? I’m a legacy at Notre Dame for crying out loud…whatever!!!) where I was inspired to be a normal fucking person, and “do less” so to speak, because the school was quite literally littered with crazies –the good, the bad, the incredible, etc. From there I moved to Los Angeles where I met my manager and cultivated a group of other normies who were convicted against their will to this silly little industry for better or worse… and here we are I guess! I work six jobs every day! I’ve only ever driven Nissan Sentras! Carpe motherfucking Diem!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Listen, I have all of the love in the world for that school: the professors, the convocation opportunities, my peers, but Nashville is maybe the weirdest place I’ve ever lived. I’ve never seen a place so aggressively forward-thinking and yet stunted at the same time. I started out as a “model” there (I use that term loosely because — ain’t been in Vogue) and it was actually hilarious the amount of people who wanted to keep me locked in that box. I was essentially creative directing, styling, and location scouting every shoot, but no one really took me seriously when I wanted to go beyond that and say, make a short film. Not to mention all of the houses are tall and skinnies?? It’s a no from me. I also grew up obsessed with comedy and I found it difficult to pursue that or even be the unabridged version of myself due to centuries of internalized misogyny which told me I should talk less, smile more, etc. I’ve found some of the funniest people I’ve ever met are women because we have this vulnerability, this acceptance that men would need to be oppressed for, I don’t know, at least 100 years to even begin to understand. Sexism is literally older than time and it shows, and if you’re hot? Forget about being funny! I look up to people like Kate Berlant, Rachel Sennott, Ayo Edebiri, etc. for being smoking hot and also fiercely, unabashedly hilarious because it gives me hope for the future that I can overcome the obstacles, both internal and external, that actively keep me from promoting my disgusting little Twitter account.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m proud of the fact that I’m an honest little hoe, even to a fault. If someone’s being unchill I’m absolutely going to call them out because I don’t live in dysfunction well and I would hope anyone would do the same for me. It’s weird to me that grown ass adults wake up and choose violence when we could all actively choose to be positive and grateful instead and make this horrible shitshoot of a life easier on each other. I believe in respect and discipline (I sound like I’m literally the Trunchbull lmbo) but it’s because, while I’m not perfect, I try really dang hard to be a better version of myself every day and constantly refine who I am and how I interact with others, so it really freaking bums me out when I’m not shown the same courtesy. I’m not saying I’m above grace, lord knows I’ve been shown some major mercy in my day, I just think it’s actually pretty easy and maybe our only job as humans to make other people feel special and seen. That’s something my grandfather and my father always did really well, so it’s something I look to emulate in any situation. My dad always said, and I believe it’s originally a Goethe quote, “You can tell a lot about a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him” and I live by that shit. I think it’s vital, especially in LA where people will climb you like a tree given the chance. We’re all made of the same thing and I don’t care if I’m a bully for kindness, it’s about darn time we start lightening each other’s loads. Anyway, I specialize in film.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Oh my god, YES thank you for asking. I actually learned this from one of my favorite professors at Belmont, Richard Schneider, he was my very FIRST professor at Belmont actually, and maybe one of the first things he taught us was to let our work relationships develop like any other relationships would: naturally. I think it’s so weird when someone is TRYING to network. I know it’s somewhat of a necessary evil in any industry but it doesn’t make it any less cringey to me lol. I think the only people who will actually be able to “help” you long-term are those who truly, pardon my french, fuck with your shit??? That’s not to say don’t put yourself out there, but like, how about you let folks come to you organically? Let your work speak for itself and support others in the pursuit of their work and you’ll be amazed at the kinds of positive energy you attract. There’s truly something soo sexy about not trying too hard and just loving what you do for the craft of it all. Crazy how that sort of thing works!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sarahritter.world
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_sarahritter_/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ritt_twit
• Other: https://linktr.ee/sarahritter

Image Credits
Keely Murphy Bones Fatale Nathan Castiel Maya Umemoto Gorman Keith Boos Jamie Simone