Meet Mia Serafino

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mia Serafino.

Mia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I wanted to be an actor as far back as I can remember–I think it all started when I saw The Wizard of Oz and began acting out the movie in its entirety in full costume and make-up–I was four, I believe. I’m from Detroit, Michigan so there wasn’t a lot of opportunity to get involved in the arts there but there was some. I had a local agent and was able to audition for any projects that came to town.

In the meantime, I did theater wherever I could and whenever I had time off from Figure Skating, which occupied a lot of my time.

My high school theatre teacher, Dr. Moss, was the first person who made me realize I could feasibly have a career in the arts. He also instilled in me how competitive it is, and the importance of hard work. He told me something I never forgot; “whenever you don’t feel like doing your work, just know that out there someone else *is* doing the work, and when you face them in competition they will win.” That always stuck with me I think because perceiving things in a sports mentality always made sense to me–a way to have a little more control in a field where so much is out of your control. So through him, I began to investigate ways I could make this happen for myself. I decided to go to college in Chicago to study Musical Theatre at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts. I’m so grateful I decided to go to school to study and get better at the craft rather than move straight to New York or LA. Chicago was a nice mid-way point between Detroit and a big city.

While I was in college, Detroit got a big film tax incentive, so bigger films were coming to Michigan. They would hire local actors for smaller parts and it was because of this I got my first film credit and joined SAG. I also was able to do stand-in/stunt work which led to one line roles in bigger films like Oz: The Great and Powerful and Saving Mr. Banks. It was the absolute best next job for me after college. I was able to be on the biggest of the big film sets and learn from the likes of Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Rachel Weisz to name a few. I was a sponge on those sets and never missed out on watching a single take. It felt like kismet that I was able to have this very unique job where I could get familiar on a film set without the pressure of performing…I was lucky enough to have been mentored by the most talented and generous directors who recognized that I wanted to learn and helped teach me along the way. My first stand-in job was on a movie called Real Steel. Hugh Jackman starred in it and he became a mentor on that set–he happily discussed acting with me and so generously watched my reel, gave me notes and even got me out of work to go to a callback. I’ll always remember that.

After I finished up standing-in and doubling on Oz; The Great and Powerful after my senior year of college, I moved to LA. Slowly, I started to work my way up, deciding to turn down the safety of stand-in work so that I could focus on my own work. I started to get co-star roles, then guest stars, then recurring before landing my series regular job on an NBC sitcom called Crowded. It only went for one season but it was one of the most amazing times in my life and led to so many amazing opportunities for me here.

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?
Definitely not a smooth road. Someone once told me that everyone thinks an acting career is like a ladder–but in reality it’s more like a jungle gym. Before I got my first series regular job, I was working so hard. One of my earliest auditions here, I didn’t prepare enough and it went terribly. My manager sent me the honest feedback from casting and it was not good. I decided that I never wanted to feel like that again, so I found a few acting classes and hunkered down for the next two years, working harder than I ever had before. I was in class every other night, I swore off a social life to stay in read plays and work on my acting, and then when I finally got a lead in a pilot (and then the pilot getting picked up) it felt like I had finally made it. I signed with a big agency and thought I could finally relax and that the road would get easier. However, stepping up to the big leagues came with its own set of challenges. I felt an added pressure to show I was up to the challenge of reading for bigger projects–I worked even harder to make sure I could hold my own–and I did. What I didn’t realize was now I was going up against big names, so I had to fight twice as hard. It was bigger risk, bigger reward. There were times when I missed going out for smaller things just so I felt like I could have a fighting chance–I had a lot of regret–but I had to be true to the idea that I want to be someone who isn’t afraid of swinging big. When it does pay off–it feels much sweeter because of that.

Another struggle has been putting work into something that no one will get to see. The last two pilots I did were not picked up. It’s hard for everyone involved to do work you’re very proud of and not be able to present it to the world. One pilot in particular I was very proud of–it was about the women who created Juicy Couture and it was this amazing story of two women who completely changed the fashion game just by sheer power of will and a sense of humor. They were feminists but they also weren’t scared to be girly. It was such an important story to tell right now and it was helmed by Sex and the City royalty Michael Patrick King and Amy Harris. The whole project was really special and it was one of the toughest things to see it not get picked up but it was one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life and I learned so much from it.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
It’s really about loving the work. In between projects, I find the most joy in workshopping plays with a group of actors I respect and love to work with. I most recently did a new play written by Scott Caan that he also starred in–it was a tight-knit group of us that had the most fun just going to the theatre everyday and working until we got it right. The actual joy of doing it is the thing–the rest is just gravy.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I did a movie called Electric Love that just recently dropped on Hulu that I’m really excited to share with everyone. The most exciting thing I’m working on now is developing my own pilot. I’ve always loved writing but I finally was struck with an idea and things began to move quickly into motion. It’s amazing the gratification that comes with making things happen for yourself. I’ve always loved the story of Sylvester Stallone being near homeless and writing Rocky or Lin Manuel-Miranda making his own opportunities by writing his own shows. I think it’s amazing to get cast in something–there is so much red tape to make it through and it feels so great to make it to the finish line–but there’s this different sense of accomplishment when you are making it for yourself and not being dictated by anyone else’s rules.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm3352434/
• Instagram: @miaserafino
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miaserafinoactor/
• Twitter: @miaserafino

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