Today we’d like to introduce you to Esther Moon.
Hi Esther, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
After a 15 years career in the field of social work and mental health, a (successful) battle with breast cancer gave me the courage to pivot into acting – a passion since childhood that was never pursued. That was 2016. And for the past six years, I have leaned into every bit of the actor’s life. The hustle, the grind, the rejections, the occasional joys of booking and working- and meeting some of the most creative people along the way and building an artist community.
It’s definitely not an easy career – you often wonder what is (mentally) wrong with you that you so passionately love an industry where the odds are stacked against you! But yet, there is nothing more fulfilling than pursuing this path. I have also been very lucky. I was in an Oscar-winning film (Minari) and also on a Netflix show (Partner Track). I also have a couple of films currently on the festival circuit and receiving good reviews. Incidentally, I am currently battling cancer for the second time. Recurrent breast cancer. I am going through treatment and I will be ok. And I am looking forward to the day I can get back to working! It is one of the joys that keeps me positive and motivated during this trying time.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I cannot think of many career paths that are as difficult to sustain as acting. There is no set formula, no proven plan to guarantee success. Shoot, forget success- not even a guarantee to make a living wage! If you’re lucky you will be pounding the pavement with auditions that bring you occasional work. Many people don’t even get to pound that pavement- they are waiting by the phone for auditions. If you are super lucky you will get work that actually pays the bills and gets you health insurance! But no guarantees how long that will last. You could be broke the very next year. It’s tough and it’s what breaks a lot of people.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an actor. I am a proud Asian American actor in Los Angeles. I am also a middle-aged female that has managed to work somewhat steadily in various projects over the last six years. While some might think middle age is too late to jump into acting, I have found the opposite to be true. I will never be an IT girl and I may not be the leading lady type. But what that allows me is to lean into roles of all shapes and sizes- which is a way bigger pool to play in! I think I’ve become somewhat of a go-to person when a project calls for a Korean-speaking mom. And I am happy to play that till I die. But I do hope to expand how I’m viewed and start getting roles that have nothing to do with my ability to play a dramatic Korean mom 😉
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
In this business, you have to have a bit of luck on your side. Because sheer talent and even great looks don’t guarantee success. Obviously, you must be prepared to be able to receive that luck! In our industry, they say luck is when preparation meets opportunity. You cannot have one without the other. I was lucky with the timing in which I entered the industry. Soon after I started acting came Crazy Rich Asians followed by Parasite followed by a boom in kpop popularity in the US. And since then a slow but steady drip of Asian-themed projects, some of which I was extremely fortunate to work on.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @esthermoonstagram
- Other: IMDb.me/esthermoon
Image Credits
David Muller Photography Netflix A24
