Meet Derek Crowe of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Derek Crowe.

Hi Derek, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started acting in 2015 but looking back as far as my childhood I feel that I was always being prepared for this industry somehow. Growing up I was always in some talent show or really into music. I was also pretty silly at times and enjoyed being comedic. I took a drama class in high school but was more interested in music at that time and would do a lot of freestyle rapping and soon discovered some music composition software. I continued with music and during college I started to really focus on learning guitar and songwriting. I never thought about acting. It was not until I moved to Northern California in 2015 when I got involved with a local musical theater production of Beauty and the Beast. After that production I was hooked. I had so much fun on that production and met so many amazing and talented people that I decided to take some acting classes. That first acting class helped me to grow my network and led me to landing my first acting role in a feature film. I hungered for more so I created profiles on Casting Networks and Backstage and searched for any projects I could be a part of. Next thing I knew, I had a handful of credits on my resume and was repped by a talent agent.

Fastforward nine years later, I am now living in LA, repped by an amazing agent and I am continuing to expand my network and work with amazing production companies, all who have a passion for creating and storytelling. I really love the work, and I really love the pursuit of greatness. Since moving to LA, I have doubled down on this career and I am actively training every week. I find the challenge of bringing truth to every role very rewarding. I have even found myself writing new content and I am really starting to enjoy that as well! I have so many ideas and life experiences that will make excellent stories. I have realized that being able to create a piece of work or being a part of a project that can transport someone to another world or life that in some way communicates that things can and will get better or that the underdog can win the fight is a noble cause. I am enjoying the journey very much and I am extremely grateful for all the opportunities that have come my way and for the ones that are coming my way. Working in this industry has allowed me to wake up in interesting places, work with interesting people and do interesting things and I like it that way.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have definitely been some ups and downs these past 9 years. We can talk about work life balance with the family, high cost of living, Covid, you name it. However, I always knew that there would be times that I would be tested. This industry is demanding and highly competitive, so I always try to keep the mindset of only being competitive with myself and that has made a huge difference. That perspective has allowed me to focus on becoming better and only controlling what I can. Whatever anyone else does I cannot control and ultimately it is not my business so why give it any energy at all. There is a lot of work put in with auditions, looking for an agent or manager and you never hear anything back, but I never allow myself to take things personal. This business is very subjective, and you got to have thick skin, but more importantly you have to love the work. Being passionate about it is what has kept me in the game for so long. I have done many projects for free and the only way that can ever work is if you truly love what you do. I know that all work whether paid or not, benefits me in some way and that is true for everyone. Even though I sacrificed time away from my family or didn’t get paid or even get to see the finished product at times, I know that I either learned something new that will only add to my skill set or I met someone new that could potentially end up helping in the future. I realized that I must embrace the journey and trust the process.

If you want to talk about challenges, I will say the greatest I have had to face is my own mindset and self-doubts. There have been many times when I thought that this is just a pipe dream and would ask myself, what am I doing out here raising a family in this city with such a high cost of living. I have fallen into the trap thinking that maybe I don’t have what it takes or I’m not talented enough. And the truth is, probably during those moments, I just wasn’t developed enough and that I needed to put more time in with classes and studying and developing my craft. Navigating the business and balancing my job with my family and an acting career has been a major challenge, however I have been able to find ways to make it work. When I first decided to start this journey, I committed to it. This wasn’t something I was just going to try and see what happens. No, I fully committed to it and keeping that promise to myself is what has sustained me even through all of the dark moments.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I will start with my career change and moving to California. I received my bachelor’s degree in information technology and was fortunate to land a job in California as a Field Service Engineer for EMC. So, my professional expertise is Information Technology but more specifically Data Storage. My position was located in the San Francisco Bay Area and this was very exciting news for me. I took the job without hesitation and packed my family up and we drove across the country to California. I had never been there before and had no idea where we would be living when we got there. we stayed in a hotel for about week until we were able to find a little 800 sqft apartment. It was a very humble beginning I guess but it is a move that I am proud of. Since my transfer to L.A. I now find myself servicing the big studios. Even though I am an I.T. guy, I am actually also playing an important role behind the curtain. I am on the studio lots weekly keeping their equipment operating. equipment that contains some very important data as you can imagine.

What I am most proud of is my ability and drive to build an acting career while raising a family and working a full time and sometimes a part time job. Finding that work life balance has been difficult. If it is not my day job that requires my time, then it’s my Part time job or an acting gig and of course my family. Oh, and working on auditions between all of that is another important demand. I must utilize my time very wisely in order to make it all work. There are many sacrifices made in making a dream a reality and it is not just me making the sacrifices. My wife has had to make sacrifices in order to support me, and my kids are making sacrifices as well even though they may not know it yet. Some days I don’t get to see them, but they know that I am there and that whatever it is I am out there doing, that I am ultimately doing it for everyone’s good.

Making it all work is what has set me apart from others. I have been told before by some directors that I have set the bar so high for other actors, that if I can manage it all and stay committed to being on set then there is no excuse for others. That is not something I do intentionally it’s just that I have strong work ethic and my word is my bond. If I take on a role, especially a lead role, then I am going to do everything I can within my power to be the best I can be. Making a movie takes a lot of commitment for all involved and everyone is counting on everyone else to show up and do their part. I value my time, and I value other’s time just as much and that is what I am known for.

If you are more interested in my acting work, you can find my resume on imdb. Also if you want to follow me on social media, Instagram is where I am the most active. My handle is derekecrowe

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imdb.me/derekcrowe
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/derekecrowe
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@derekcrowe2089

Image Credits
Vince Garcia
Jeremy David
Francis Hamada