Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Robbins.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Daniel. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
I’m originally from a small college town in southeast Louisiana and was bounced around a lot from the time I was nine until I ultimately ended up in Ontario California for junior high.
Moving from school to school was a weird experience, but that’s when I first realized that I was a performer. I’d do these funny little impressions for people at every new school that I went to, and that was my “in” to making friends. I guess that’s really the start of it all. I liked to make people laugh. I did theater and improv in high school which was my main focus back then. I didn’t get great grades or apply myself to anything else really, so college wasn’t really an option for me.
Plus, my family didn’t have a ton of money, so that was a reason too. I just wanted to make people laugh and have a good time. After High School, I attended a well-respected improv and sketch comedy school in Los Angeles where I met some great friends and paid my dues as a performer. It was grueling at times and not the most supportive institution, but it’s really where I got my bearings as an actor and performer.
Oddly enough, now I mostly work guest starring in dramatic television shows. That’s largely due to the specific casting directors that I’ve been fortunate enough to have believed in me for a while now. It’s odd how that worked out, but I love it.
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 anyone believes that their life is a smooth road. So for me, it’s all relative. Maybe I’m wrong though. That would be incredible for the person who says they’ve had smooth sailing their whole life but from my perspective life is full of its little trials. No matter who you are.
Being an actor is a constant struggle. It’s a struggle in determining your self-worth. Jobs, fame, attention, etc. are all so fleeting. It’s like, one day you’re up and the next you’re down. There’s no definitive way of calibrating your success. Confidence is a battleground in our industry.
When I was starting out, I felt like the whole thing was a constant tight rope of catch-22’s. You can’t book work without an agent or manager, but you can’t have a manager or agent unless you book work. You can’t be seen unless you’ve got something great on your resume, but you can’t get something great on your resume without being seen. It was wild.
There are always exceptions to these rules, but this was the hardest thing to navigate for me in the beginning. Thankfully, I was able to get past that but it was only because people helped me out. If they hadn’t helped me out who knows what I’d be doing. I think the biggest struggle for me specifically was trying to make a living wage as an actor. It’s so hard.
Last year was the best and most fulfilling year of my career, and I still work side jobs. Thankfully they are creating jobs that I’m passionate about, but there’s just not enough work for every actor out there. That’s no one’s fault, it’s just an over-saturated market. It’s been a climb to being somewhat stable. I have health care now and a car, which is awesome because there was a time when I didn’t have those things.
I had to stop riding my skateboard at one point for fear I’d hurt myself and have to go to a doctor. I was literally a starving artist. I was eating snacks that were left for the performers at my theater for breakfast and lunch and then rice and beans or top ramen for dinner. I’m glad that time in my life is over now and that my wife and I can not only eat but make healthy choices for our meals and treat ourselves when we want to.
In a way, I’m proud of that time in my life because my dedication outweighed my means, but I’d also never want to do it again. I feel like that’s enough about the struggles. It’s all about the journey anyway.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I’m an actor. I hope that what I’m beginning to be known for is my ability to play many different types of characters. I’m not a leading man by the traditional standards, but I also love that those standards are changing. I’ve been fortunate enough to never have to play the same type of person twice.
I’ve been a NASA engineer, a mass murderer, a South Boston heckler, a pimp… Liberace… and the list goes on. I’m most proud of that fact, and I know that it’s not easy to do. I’d like to think that what sets me apart is my range as an actor and my ability to transform.
What were you like growing up?
I was a shy kid at first. I remember hiding behind my mom’s leg a lot if I had to meet new people. My family says that when I was really little, I was very loving and affectionate with those close to me. I think that’s sort of remained the same.
When my parents got divorced, and I started moving around a lot more, I developed a more outgoing personality. I don’t think I’m naturally extroverted, but I learned how to use that as a tool to make my life a lot easier. I was funny though. I think introverted people sometimes see the world in really interesting ways and that was definitely me as a kid.
I was interested in a lot of things as a kid but never really got into any one thing. I liked elementary school and hated every grade after that. I would get moderately good at a hobby or sport and would move on pretty quickly. That was just sort of my thing. That’s until I found improv. That’s lasted about seventeen years now. I was always pretty adventurous.
When I was probably five to eight years old, I’d disappear in the woods behind my house for hours making trails or pretending to be Indiana Jones or something. I climbed almost everything I could find. I rode dirt-bikes and go-carts with friends a lot. Later, I got pretty into skateboarding. I was never really good, but I could do some tricks here and there. I always liked stuff that scared me a little.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @Danielrobbins
- Twitter: @danielrobbins_
Image Credit:
Nick Toren
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