Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew Scully.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My story started at Arizona State University where I was studying Graphic and Industrial Design. I was in my senior year and enjoyed what I was studying but didn’t quite love it. I had always had an interest in the arts whether it be drawing, painting, or music but had yet to discover my “true calling”.
That all changed when I heard about a low budget indie film that was being cast in the Phoenix area. I had never really acted before besides in a few elementary school plays, however the idea appealed to me and I decided I would submit myself and see what happens. Surprisingly I received an invitation to audition for a small supporting role so I dove into the script and prepared the best way I knew how. The audition happened so fast that it was all sort of a blur, and I remember leaving feeling as though I was probably viewed as a joke never to hear from production again. To my surprise a week or so later, I got a call and was offered the part I had auditioned for. I was overjoyed to hear the news, but at the same time I was terrified because I had no idea what I was doing.
The mix of the unknown, inexperience and having anxiety had me dreading the day we would be filming. The more time I had to think about what I was about to embark on the more time I had to unnerve myself and freak myself out. I’m not going to lie when I woke up on the day of filming every part of me wanted to pretend to be sick or come up with any excuse I could use to get myself out of it. Luckily, I didn’t, thanks to a few words repeated endlessly by my mother ever since I was a kid, “never give up”. Palms sweating, and bones rattling I showed up to film and boy am I glad I did. It was one of the best experiences in my life thus far, and it revealed to me a love for acting I never even knew I had.
Shortly after I graduated with my degree in Design, I set off to Los Angeles to pursue acting. After settling in LA and having no real mentor or friends to help guide me I was feeling a little lost but decided to just blindly jump into it. I started off by discovering casting websites and soon began auditioning for student short films and independent productions. I surrounded myself with books on acting, video tutorials, articles, and anything else I could get my hands on. I also joined a sketch comedy group called Hilarity Over Therapy which helped me hone my skills and opened me up to the world of comedy.
I made it a point to say YES to everything that came my way acting wise weather it was a paid gig or not. During my early years, I did background, worked as a stand in on some network shows, and took every opportunity to act I could get no matter how small the production or role was. I think it’s important to know your craft as well as the industry as a whole and all of the different positions that encompass it. My years of growing pains in the industry and in Los Angeles have taught me a lot, and after almost eight years of pursuing my love for acting things are starting to head in the direction that I hoped they would.
I’ve been fortunate enough to play many roles throughout the years, antagonists, protagonists, and even Jesus. One of which was my favorite comic book character as a kid, Gambit, which I played in a web-series called Super Power Beat Down. Currently, I am working on the show The Masked Singer on FOX where I play one of The Men in Black. It’s one of the craziest sets to be on, but also one of the most fun.
Over the years, I have also discovered a passion for writing. In 2019 my good friend Edward Halstead and I created and co-wrote a TV Pilot called Caretakers which we later filmed and will be in festivals in 2020. It’s the story of a down on his luck janitor who is trying his best to juggle his personal life and his drug dealing ways while absolute madness ensues at the pharmaceutical company he works for.
I consider myself blessed to have a chance to chase my dreams and am forever grateful for the people who have supported me and worked alongside me throughout the journey. I can only hope life continues to open paths that lead me to where I’m meant to be.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has been everything but a “smooth road” and in fact you need a 4WD mentality if you’re going to get anywhere in the industry. I knew that the acting world was a difficult one, but I guess I never really understood how difficult it was until I was fully immersed in it. The biggest lesson I learned early on, granted it took me a while to learn it was that after any audition you have to learn to “let it go”. I remember constantly beating myself up after what I considered a bad audition or waiting around for a call when I felt that I crushed the audition. Be grateful for the opportunity to act, and the opportunity to showcase what you can bring to a roll. Then give yourself amnesia and keep it moving.
The most challenging struggle of all has been overcoming my social anxiety. Trust me when I tell you it’s not easy wanting to be an actor while constantly fighting anxiety. You basically have to do the exact opposite of what your brain is telling you it needs to do, and it can be a constant battle. It’s something that I work on every day, and have slowly learned to overcome the obstacles it presents. I’ve tried a variety of things to ease its discomfort from hypnotherapy to meditation and EFT. I have learned to carry these tools with me on a daily basis so that I can access them when need be.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’m an actor who specializes in both comedy and drama. I enjoy creating characters who are abnormal or off the wall, and the more complex or strange the more fun I seem to have with them. It’s fulfilling to play “real people”, but I get pure joy out of reaching into the depths of my creativity and building someone from the ground up.
Currently, I am most proud of creating the TV pilot Caretakers. It has been a labor of love and it’s unbelievable the satisfaction you can get from taking an idea and bringing it to life. The whole process was a challenge but the team I was surrounded by was unbelievably talented and I fully enjoyed the collaboration.
What I believe sets me apart from others is that I can seem very calm and reserved on the surface but the more you get to know me the more you realize it’s quite the contrary. I also know myself to have a strong work ethic and tend to have a dog with a bone mentality. I was instilled to NEVER GIVE UP as a kid by my mother and will stop at nothing to get a job done.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
It’s the perfect place. I think there are “easier” cities (less expensive) that you could start off in, but if you want the full experience and aren’t afraid to dive in Los Angeles will provide you with everything that you need.
Contact Info:
- Website: IMDB.me/AndrewScully
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: _andrew_scully_
Image credit:
Personal photo by Michael Roud.
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