Today we’d like to introduce you to Elijah Van Zanten.
Hi Elijah, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am an actor & model based out of sunny Los Angeles, California. I am Elijah Van Zanten.
I’ve always been a creative. I knew I was going to work in entertainment since I was a kid. After starting college and having been taking acting classes, I decided to turn my dreams into a reality. My first ever job in entertainment was as a model for a runway show. From here I met photographers and scheduled test shoots and eventually signed with a modeling agency. The first few months I was not getting much work, but was still doing test shoots and exploring poses and emotions through the camera. I eventually signed with theatrical and commercial agents as well.
I made a point to never turn down any jobs unless they crossed a line with my comfort levels and prioritized every gig I booked. This put me in a good spot with building up my resume, which in turn helped me get more work. I’ve continued to work as much as possible and do the most I can to help myself become as good as I can be. In doing so I have been fortunate enough to have stumbled upon opportunities to be on magazine covers, billboards, book covers, commercials, music videos, TV shows, and films.
There is still a lot I would like to do and there is such a big pool of opportunities here in Los Angeles that it feels unreal at times. Anything you want to do you can do, but it takes time and dedication. This is what I’ve learned working in this industry.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
If working in this industry was a smooth road, I’m sure everyone would do it. But that isn’t the truth. I wish it was.
I have countless stories of struggles I’ve encountered, but I remember it took me about a year to fully transition and adapt to the nature of being a model & actor as a job. I have had many embarrassing moments and falls straight on my face, terrible photos and terrible acting scenes, and everything in between. Dealing with egos and people who make work a nightmare as well as daily LA traffic and parking. Inconsistent work schedules and overcoming fears. Some struggles have been self-imposed.
I struggled with body dysmorphia when I first started modeling. Constantly comparing myself to others and pushing my diet and workouts to the limit. I, along with many other actors & models I work with, also became bipolar with work. Loving what I do and feeling like I am on top of the world one day, then being in the trenches wondering why I am doing this work and if there is a point to it. All this while also learning how to break into one of the most competitive industries has been a rollercoaster.
I’ve learned to navigate these struggles and feel through my experiences I have gained knowledge that has expanded me as a person more than any other job I have done prior. I have learned to put myself in a good head space and reset when I need to, reminding myself that I do what I do for the love I have for art and expression. It makes my soul happy. I have to remind myself of this when I am going through a low point with work.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I mainly model and act now, but what a lot of people don’t know is that I started as an artist. Like pencil and paper. In high school, I won many awards at my county fair for my art and also won a scholarship for an art class at a local college. I loved drawing, but always felt like there was something missing for me in this creative outlet. I found what I was missing when I started performing in front of the camera.
See drawing was a way for me to express my creativity, but there was a limit. I couldn’t fully express everything. Acting and modeling on the other hand has allowed me to channel my creativity as well as push myself physically and emotionally to my limits. And I have found that my limits go beyond what I had previously known.
My works have ranged all over the place: photoshoots, billboards, films, magazines, book covers, international competitions, documentaries, TV shows, runway shows, commercials, hosting and e-Commerce. I would consider my best work to be in films and fashion modeling. This is where I feel the most alive and this is what I am the most proud of.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is being able to be myself. I think individuality is beautiful. There is only one of me, and there is only one of you. Being able to be myself feels amazing, expressing yourself without fear of judgment is a beautiful thing. A lot of people are fake, especially on social media, and I never want to be like that. Being fake is being not real, it’s lying. Lying not only to others but to yourself. You aren’t allowing yourself to be yourself and this is no way to live. I love expressing myself without searching for approval from others because I did that a lot as a kid, I had no confidence. This is why it is so important to me to be myself. I have rooted this into my being, and I have built up my confidence over the years to the point that I am my strongest when I am my true self.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ElijahVanZanten.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/elijahvanzanten
Image Credits
Photography: @studiojoris Photography: @desintoniopacheco Photography: Joe Garcia PH Image credit: “Howling at the Moon” – Mike Posner, Salem Ilese
