Today we’d like to introduce you to Isabella Johnson.
Isabella, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started acting in school musicals in the second grade. I went to a small catholic school, so it was a good program to grow up in. For high school, I attended an all-girls school where we did four shows a year in combination with the all-boys school down the street. I learned my work ethic in high school and truly got an understanding of why I loved to do theatre. I was a pretty big theatre kid, I auditioned for nearly everything and even went to theatre camp over the summer. I am extremely grateful to the directors I had in high school, who taught me craft and discipline, I now attend Loyola Marymount University where I entered as an English major. The first semester of school, I was cast in ‘Little Women’ the musical in the student-run theatre. I felt so out of place as a freshman who wasn’t a part of the theatre program, but the cast of that show was so welcoming and we truly became a family.
After that show, I applied to be a theatre major and have fallen in love with our program. I am lucky enough to have worked with some of LMU’s amazing film students by acting in their short films. Most recently, I played my dream role as Nina in ‘In the Heights’ and am currently performing as Myrrhine in the play ‘Lysistrata’ through Zoom. This past summer during Covid is when I got into film acting. I took a class through AGB studios where I showcased and found my agency, AEFH, who I absolutely love. I filmed my first movie a few weeks ago and it was the most fun I’ve ever had.
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’m very blessed to say that I haven’t had many struggles. The only obstacle I’m facing right now is starting an acting career during the middle of a pandemic. It’s hard to connect with people and take acting classes when everything is online. I also have terrible anxiety, so I feel like I am constantly working through a roadblock of overthinking everything I say. Especially entering the industry and feeling like I am bothering people by asking them for advice, I can get in my own way.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’m most proud of my experience during ‘In the Heights’. I have a strong emotional connection to Nina and it was a challenge vocally. I also felt immense pressure to be perfect because I didn’t want to let anyone down. It was my first role on mainstage and it was a lead, so I thought that I wasn’t deserving of it. I am really grateful to our director Daphnie Sicre for trusting me with telling the story and for the many many people who helped me train vocally. The faculty of LMU gave me an award for ‘Sustained Achievement in Acting’ after that show closed, which eased my worries that I was doing everything wrong.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
For the future, I want to keep acting, but I also intend on finishing my degrees in English and Theatre Arts. I am also interested in casting; I worked as a casting coordinator for Roar Studios for a couple of years, which was a dream. I love to do work that is meaningful for the mind and heart, which acting fulfills. I plan to keep taking classes to constantly learn and grow, and hopefully book more projects!
Contact Info:
- Phone: 5625650856
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: izzy_bee_
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