Meet Lin Yin of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lin Yin.

Hi Lin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m a child of first generation immigrants born and raised in Australia and was solidly on an academic path, so its kind of crazy that I’m now a professional actress living in Hollywood. Its so fascinating when in interviews I hear artists talk about how they grew up acting, or singing and dancing around the house because that was very far away from my experience. As a kid I was attracted to the arts but my parents didn’t have the capacity or know-how to nurture these interests, so without exposure or access I just didn’t know. They had to start over in their late 30’s in a foreign country where they couldn’t speak the language, so their main focus was survival, working factory jobs and side hustles seven days a week so our family could have financial stability. I was left to explore my interests on my own, but without seeing any adults around me work in anything creative, I didn’t think it was a legitimate path.

The expectation of studying a degree to have a career in something respectable like law or medicine was deeply ingrained. I was interested in human behavior and humanities subjects in school, so I majored in psychology at Uni with the intention of becoming a practicing psychologist. When I graduated I was totally over institutionalized education and wanted some life experience so I got a ‘real job.’ I beat out thousands of applicants to secure a super competitive graduate position in the Australian Government, but I was sitting at a desk from 9-5 every day and the lifestyle really didn’t suit me. I must have spent that entire job in some kind of low-level panic, feeling like I should be spending my life differently but so confused at what that would look like. I eventually quit and ended up on a wild goose chase to discover what I loved, leading to a stint as a journalist, moving abroad to pursue becoming a foreign correspondent, interning at various companies, and working in the VFX team in the remote mountainous regions of China while production shot one of the most expensive films ever made there. Now, somehow, I am a professional actress.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No doubt my greatest obstacle was not even knowing what I wanted to do in the first place. I’d always envied people who knew exactly what they wanted out of life, because my journey has been endless trials and errors. I picked up new skills quickly, but I couldn’t figure out what would be worthwhile devoting the majority of my time to. All I had was clues, so i followed them one by one – my interest in human behaviour led me to studying psychology, my interest in the world and culture led me into journalism, a chance meeting with a couple of producers opened my eyes to the film industry. When I was at Uni, I visited London and ended up seeing ‘Wicked’ by accident. It was the first musical and professional stage performance I’d ever seen, and I cried so much! I never experienced storytelling that was so full of life, so uplifting, so magical. I’d only just discovered this magical world of theatre, so it would be a long before I started to think I could be part of it.

Eventually my clue-following led me to work on the production of a massive feature film. I was getting to know what working in the different departments like art, music or VFX would be like, but deep down I was fascinated by the actors. I kept shutting this little voice down because to admit to myself that i might be interested in acting at the time was too crazy for me. I already had multiple start-stop careers, I had never done it before, I didn’t know anyone who was an actor, it was much too late, and it definitely wasn’t a viable career option. But the voice kept gnawing at me until eventually, without thinking too much about the hows, whens, wheres and what ifs, I started exploring everything that had to do with performance; I tried classes, casting director workshops, sought out other actors and teachers, explored community theatre, learnt everything I could about the industry, figured out how to get representation, annoyed everyone I knew for resources – you name it. I didn’t even register that I was an actor until I was already doing it. Sometimes you just have to follow the path and see where it takes you.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a TV, film and theatre actor lucky enough to have a body of work thats taken me across the globe, spanning the US, Australia, Asia and the Middle East. I thought I loved acting because of the depth that playing in imaginary circumstances and characters brings you, but I never knew how expansive the actual job could be, exposing me to a huge range of people, places and cultures. My first job was touring with Australia’s leading theatre company, Sydney Theatre Company in ‘White Pearl,’ a critically acclaimed modern play that premiered in London’s West End. I got to work on Australia’s hit LGBT teen drama ‘Flunk,’ Chinese-Australian co-production ‘The Whistleblower,’ and play opposite Singapore’s beloved stars in award-winning Singaporean drama ‘Shero.’ One of my favorite full circle moments was filming Australian comedy favorite ‘Utopia,’ which has won multiple awards for outstanding comedy series. Having started my career working in a government office to end up filming a show making fun of government organizations felt very poetic. A few months ago I shot a feature film in Dubai where I spent three consecutive night shoots doing my own stunt scenes in the Burj Al Arab, the world’s first sixth star hotel. My character gets beaten up badly and has to fight for her life, so getting my ass thrown around one of the most luxurious hotels in the world was just so funny. You can really experience some crazy things in this line of work, and I’m so grateful to this industry for showing me so much of the world, and life.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I want anyone reading this to know that you don’t have to know exactly what you want or have a perfect plan to get there. Sometimes you just need to take that first step. I think the most important thing is to figure out who you are. Otherwise you’ll always be living someone else’s definition of what life should be. Follow your natural interests, and you’ll be amazed at what can open up to you!

Contact Info:

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