Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Santa Cruz.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I vividly remember being asked what I wanted to be when I grow up when I was five years old. I answered back, “A Movie Star.”
Of course back then I thought movie stars were some type of magical being, and I hadn’t yet realized that they were professional actors.
Like anyone else, my aspirations changed multiple times, a doctor, a vet, an artist, but somehow I always came back to acting.
When I was 13, I got really into horror movies, and when I watched Scream (1996) my dreams solidified before me. I knew I wanted to be an actor and I would do whatever it took to be in horror movies of my own.
People started to tell me I should try modeling, and since it was mostly strangers and not my friends saying this, I decided I might as well give it a try. I signed with a boutique agency in Orange County and started shooting small print jobs and test shoots.
I loved being in front of the camera, so when the opportunity to move into commercials arose, I felt that I was moving in the right direction towards my acting dreams.
With a few commercials under my belt I decided to pursue acting aggressively. I started submitting to anything I could, shooting countless self-tapes and auditions, and attending acting classes.
Recently I shot my first lead role in the horror short, “Draft,” and it was an amazing learning experience. I got to live out all my horror dreams and have fun while doing it. Hopefully, it gets into a few festivals and provides more acting opportunities!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I don’t know if I would consider the entertainment industry a smooth road, there is always rejection and setbacks, but I like to look at them as learning experiences.
One of my favorite parts of the entertainment industry is its unpredictability. I have no idea where I’ll be in 5 years, but I don’t want to know. If I wanted that kind of life I would have gotten an office job after college.
Acting keeps me on my toes and I’m thankful for every lesson I’ve learned, even if it seemed like the end of the world at the time.
I think the biggest struggle, at least for me, has been wanting a role so bad – doing callbacks and so much research for the role – then not getting it. It happens to all of us at some point, but it’s definitely one of those things that makes you think, “am I meant to do this at all?”
You just have to keep pushing past the insecurities and doubts because you can’t let them stop you from pursuing your dream.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
Acting is my main thing, but like so many people in this industry, I do some other cool things as well.
I love screenwriting, and it’s what I focused on the most in college. I have one feature film completed (a horror, of course), two shorts, and I’m somewhere in the first Act of my next feature script.
Screenwriting has definitely given me a creative outlet that keeps me happy when acting isn’t as busy as I’d like it to be.
I’d love to produce some of my screenplays and act in them as well, that would probably be the moment where I know I’ve made it.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I try to only plan ahead a couple of months to a year in advance, I like to keep myself open to unexpected opportunities.
I’m hoping to move to LA from Orange County (the audition commute is definitely rough sometimes), but I love Orange County so it’s hard to pull the trigger.
In terms of career, I would love to shop some of my screenplays around while continuing to audition for projects.
I’m just planning on a lot of career growth, as long as I stay focused I think anything is possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: adamsantacruz.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamsantacruz/?hl=en
Image Credit:
Adam On Set Of Draft, Joey Espina, Ke Han, Ryan Santa Cruz
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