Today we’d like to introduce you to Mona Trujillo.
Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today. You can include as little or as much detail as you’d like.
I was born and raised in a country where wanting to become an actress and an artist was and is “insane”. A place where this career is not even considered a profession by the vast majority of people, where they used to ask me, “Are you going to make eat from acting?”. My name is Mona Trujillo, I am 22 years old and I am originally from Medellin, Colombia.
I am currently leaving in Los Angeles, California and I had the opportunity to study 3 years of theatre including Shakespeare in England. I moved from London to California almost 2 years ago to continue acting and shaping myself as an artist. Even though I had the great experience of living and studying abroad, it wasn’t easy, and I had to work hard for it from the beginning.
My passion and love for the arts started when I joined a ballet studio at two years old. My dance classes were the space and place where everything was magical and perfect. Since then, my love for performing and creating art has grown and evolved. I remember the first time I watched ‘Dog Day Afternoon.’ I was seven or eight years old, and my parents were actually the ones watching it. I was literally mesmerised by Al Pacino’s performance. I was in shock with him, even as a little girl.
And since that day, I knew I wanted to become an actress.
At that time, I didn’t know much about acting, but I was moved by the idea of having the ability to affect someone in such a way. I knew I wanted to learn how to do it, how to transform my body and mind, how to tell stories and connect, but mostly, I wanted to learn the ability to make someone feel something just by transmitting them energy with my performances. I started acting in my school’s theatre club when I was nine years old, and it immediately became my favourite thing in the world. I fell in love with theatre and films. It felt like this new rare world that was full of possibilities, but unfortunately, it felt so far away from my reality. As mentioned
previously, back home, theatre or being an actor wasn’t really a “big” thing. It’s growing now, but it used to be limited in learning opportunities and experiences. Still, I didn’t know much, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to pursue my dream.
Throughout middle school and high school, I kept working towards my dream of becoming an actress. My love and passion for the arts grew stronger each day. I danced until I turned 16 and explored all sorts of styles, even being part of a dance crew that participated in national competitions at the time. The theatre club in my school ended when I was around 15 years old due to a lack of funds and people, but fortunately, I found a studio for acting for film outside of school called “Resplandor” where I continued my acting training. I stopped dancing at the time because I wanted to dedicate my whole time to acting and my training. I believe acting is an academic profession; understanding and playing a character is psychology, understanding the human race, investigating the character physically and psychologically to the point where you can increase personalisation. It goes far beyond what people think it is.
All my life, I wanted to study in the States. My dream was to go to Juilliard (like everyone else, I guess haha). I wanted to move there so badly, but things changed, and life had other plans for me. I ended up moving to Cambridge, England when I graduated high school. I was 17 at the time. I did a foundation year in Drama and Performing Arts at CSVPA (Cambridge School of Visual and Performing Arts). After that, I decided to extend my stay in the UK and move to London to continue my training. I did one year of BA Acting at St. Mary’s University, but before my 2nd year started, I went through a lot of personal changes that made me feel the need to leave London and move to Los Angeles. But then COVID happened, so I stayed in England during half of the pandemic because I couldn’t travel home to Colombia.
I used that time to keep training as an artist, even from home. I was able to do an art history course that till this day is another one of my passions and holds great meaning in who I am and my art. There are so many inspiring time periods, painters, and artists in art history that shape and inspire me to do what I do. Art hears the
people, comes from the people. Art is the only thing that unifies our past with our present while showing us what our future could look like.
It’s incredible to look back and think how many good movies and shows I was able to watch and re-watch. I have always thought that a good actor should know what’s out there, should have watched the classics, know from the pioneers, and learn from what was done before our time. There is so much that can be learned from just watching, and I feel like all that free time wasn’t wasted but invested in my growth and training, and I was being taught. All my teachers were these great actors on the screen in front of me. Watching them, analyzing them, over and over in different projects and different stories, paying attention to the difference in cinema and directors, and the way everyone tells a story differently; starting to understand and perceive each person’s essence and what they bring from themselves to the screen. There is no better way of learning about the world and everything it has to offer than by being an actor.
I was able to go back home in November of 2020. I went back to ‘Resplandor,’ my acting studio in Colombia, but the pandemic wasn’t over yet, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to come to Los Angeles. Everything was just being postponed and postponed and postponed. But I finally was able to move to Los Angeles, California, in August 2021. I joined New York Film Academy for a one-year conservatory in Acting, and things changed dramatically in my life since I moved. The road suddenly became more bumpy and rough, and life decided to shake me up a bit to show me what I was made of and how I could transform myself within my art.
I am currently still living here in Los Angeles, and so much has happened and changed. I have been able to collaborate in so many different student projects, photoshoots, music videos, and independent short films that I am so grateful for and that have helped me keep exploring and growing in the arts. I have been able to experience acting, art, and life in so many new and challenging levels. I finished my conservatory last year in April, and since then, I have been in my OPT (Optional Practice Training). I was part of
Ivana Chubbuck’s studio for a semester, where I kept expanding my training. Now I am still training, just in different ways and places.
Since April 2022, I have been on a journey where I have met so many amazing people and artists who have kept adding to and inspiring my work and life process. My mind, body, and art have
transformed and are moving in the direction I have always dreamed of. Regardless of all the adversities, I am still here, and I have so many projects coming out soon, including personal projects and short films, that convey who I am and are a good representation of what I want to continue doing with my art. I want to add value to this industry and leave behind a legacy for future generations.
Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Smooth? Ha! No, it hasn’t been a smooth road at all, but I strongly believe that everything that happened had to happen that way. And every little bump has helped me to get where I am today and become the great person and artist that I am becoming.
From the beginning, there was a big factor that I wanted to be an actress in a country where the arts were still not supported financially, even ignored by some people. My parents always supported me and encouraged me to work hard and pursue whatever I wanted, but they were always really clear about the fact that if I wanted to be an actress and study abroad, I would have to find a way to pay for it. Not because they didn’t like my decision, but just because the simple idea of studying abroad is way too expensive and out of budget. I was privileged to have been born into a family that had a roof, food, both of my parents present, health, and education; because unfortunately, in my country, the majority of the population does not have those luxuries. Even though I had all of this, my parents are not super wealthy, and they couldn’t afford to send me abroad and pay for it in another currency when Colombian pesos are already so devalued.
Even though I knew it was a very hard possibility for me to move somewhere else and study acting, that never stopped me from believing I was going to be able to do it.
Growing up, I felt “pushed aside” for being ‘too much’, for being quirky, loud, with big body language, for wanting to be an artist and actress. I do have a strong personality, but those things stay with you and become part of your insecurities. Many times, I was questioned by friends, family, teachers, and even random people. They used to ask me what I wanted to study or what I wanted to be when I grew up, and no one seemed “convinced” or satisfied with my answer. That definitely affects a little girl and makes the artist and creative creature inside us shake and hide. We feel like maybe we are not good enough to deserve our dream or even try to pursue it. At least, that’s how all those people made me feel back then. But I didn’t care. I didn’t care how many times people would tell me that I was crazy, that I wasn’t going to be able to leave Colombia, that I wasn’t going to be able to eat from acting, or that I wasn’t going to “make it”.
I also had people who believed in me, and I feel privileged to say that they are all still part of my life and journey.
No matter how many hours I had to work or how many scholarships I had to apply for, I wasn’t planning on giving up because I felt privileged enough to have found my passion in life at a young age, that thing that made me truly happy; the thing that I wanted to do for the rest of my life and I wasn’t going to just leave that aside because it was hard. I was willing to work and help my parents with money, I was willing to do anything to have the opportunity to study acting.
After long hours of working everyday to save money, after writing a ton of essays, letters for all sort of scholarships plus recording auditions for talent scholarships too; I was awarded almost 85% of financial aid plus scholarship for talent to study in CSVPA (Cambridge School of Visual and Performing Arts) and live in Cambridge, England.
Even with that amount of help it was still a big investment for my parents. (Just to clarify, I couldn’t get a student loan neither in the UK or here (The USA) due to the fact that I am international and my country doesn’t give loans for people to study abroad either).
Getting to England and being able to study acting, was already for me achieving a dream; it felt like I wasn’t going to have any other things get in my way and that it was all going to work out smoothly from there, but I wasn’t ready for what was going to happen after being there.
I was 17 years old, living by myself on the other side of the world from home, in a country that is completely different from mine, my culture, and to add on, they speak another language. It wasn’t easy. I remember feeling really lonely, and I would cry after my Shakespeare classes because I didn’t understand anything. Even some of my British classmates didn’t get it; now, me, whose first language is not English??? It was hard, and it made me question my dreams, and I felt at a disadvantage most of the time.
The majority of people in my class grew up doing theatre and going to the theatre. I didn’t have that experience, and everyone had more knowledge, which was intimidating, but it always pushed me more. Even if I felt frustrated at myself, it helped me. It proved to me how much I believe in myself and how much I wanted to learn and grow.
I decided to stay longer in the UK after that year. I moved to London, and I was able to work with my student visa, which helped my parents and my situation a little bit. It was hard to work and study at the same time, especially in London, which is a crazy, fast city, but it was all worth it. (At least I was able to work. Here in the United States, you can only work on campus while studying, which is pretty limiting and makes the financial situation for international students even harder.)
Working in London helped me gain more discipline and work ethic, and even though I was tired, I gave my 100%. I was living in London and learning from theatre directors who were working on
the West End. No matter how hard it was to be away from home, to work crazy schedules, to feel lonely, and keep up with school and rehearsals, all of that prepared me for life and my next step, which was life in Los Angeles.
The pandemic was a clear struggle and rough moment for EVERYONE in the world, in different and similar ways, from which we still see repercussions. The pandemic hit while I was finishing my 1st year at university in London, and life was getting a little heavy for me at the time. London was overwhelming, and I felt lost, which I guess is normal for a 19-year-old girl who had been living 2 years away from home. I was working 2 jobs at the same time while going to class. I was always cycling, rushing, and running from place to place, so life just started feeling like this race that I didn’t even know I was part of. That’s when I felt like a change of air was what I needed, and I finally decided to move to LA. This was around February of 2020, and my boyfriend and I were living together in London and both decided to take this step together (He is a British actor/screenwriter). And then COVID officially happened.
I stayed in England for the beginning of COVID; everything went into lockdown, and I couldn’t go back home. I wasn’t sure of my life at that point; everything was on hold, and I had already decided to move here, but that definitely wasn’t happening anytime soon considering the situation. I was able to go back to Colombia around November of 2020, as mentioned earlier. At that point, things were rough back home, and my parents’ financial situation had taken a strong turn due to the pandemic.
My dad and my mom are the most hardworking people and the best parents I could have asked for. They have always worked their backs off to make sure we were all okay in our home, and they were always willing to sacrifice anything for my brother and me and our stability. But the pandemic almost broke them financially. My dad’s business was affected 100%, and we are still recovering to this day.
I didn’t move to LA until August 2021. In the meantime, while I was back at home and the world was facing the transition of COVID, where things were slowly opening up and then closing down again, I knew my parents weren’t going to be able to support me financially for the rest of my studies, let alone in Los Angeles. So I had to get a job, but the country was in an economic crisis like the rest of the world, so there weren’t a lot of job offers. I managed to get a job working as a call center agent from my house for Amazon UK. My schedule was from 2 AM until 10 AM in the Colombian time zone. It was really rough, and people can get rude in customer service, especially if it’s Amazon and they haven’t received their packages. But I needed to make money because there was no other way I could move here.
Time went on, and I had to apply for all sorts of scholarships again for my studies because what I was making wasn’t enough for everything, and my parents were still struggling a lot, and I also have a younger brother. I was able to cover almost half of my studies thanks to financial aid and talent-based scholarships, but obviously, living costs and the rest were up to us. I remember all the essays I wrote, literally begging for more financial aid to study. In the end, all of our efforts and hard work paid off, and I was able to move here. There were definitely more bumps in the road and still a financial struggle, but we did it.
When I moved here, I moved here by myself and didn’t know anyone. I had never been here before, and I didn’t have a place to live yet. Los Angeles is a crazy city, for sure, and I was really depressed during my first two weeks here. I was staying in this motel by myself near the school I was attending here in Burbank. I was scared, didn’t know what to do or how to start looking for places, and all of a sudden, it felt like I made a mistake and that I didn’t know how to do this alone.
It’s been almost two years since I moved here, and it has been a crazy journey. I have experienced a lot of rough moments but also a lot of joy, and I have learned SO MUCH! It was hard finding a place to live, and I have had to move more than four times since. I still
don’t have a car (I haven’t had the money for that), which is a shock to everyone because moving around in this city without a car is literally IMPOSSIBLE haha, but I have been surviving.
It was really hard not to be able to work while I was studying due to my parents’ situation and how expensive things are here. I graduated last April, so I have been on my OPT (Optional Practical Training), which allows me to work JUST in the industry (which is really limiting, but we do what we can haha). I live on a budget, and even though it’s hard and tight, it has been worth it, and I am okay with keeping it up just to stay here and work for my dreams.
Right now, a big “struggle” I’m facing is my visa situation. My OPT is almost coming to an end (in one month’s time) and the options for me to stay are really difficult. To be considered for the O1 visa, which is the artist visa, I have to meet certain requirements that, as an actress, are really hard to fulfill when I have been in the country for less than 2 years and have been allowed to work for less than 1. Some lawyers have even said that the best option is to get married, which, if you think about it, is crazy that that is the easiest way.
I don’t know what is going to happen next, which is very overwhelming and scary. I am working on little gigs here and there, auditioning of course (it is hard sometimes because I am not “enough” Latina apparently, because of my looks, and even though my skin is white, I am not “enough” white or whatever that means haha), and working on my podcast “What’s Next with Mona,” which is coming out soon. I know it’s a slow process, but the ball is rolling and I just want more time here to keep on working and growing to see where it goes. I know I have potential, and I am passionate to the bone. I just hope I can stay here, keep figuring it out, learning, and growing as an artist.
If I can’t, I won’t let this stop my journey! Struggles will keep coming, but so what? We keep going and we keep fighting for what we love and for what we want to do!
We’d love to learn more about your work. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
Well, as mentioned previously, I am an actress and I am mostly known for my acting work. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of participating in numerous stage productions and short films, each of which has challenged and enriched me as an artist.
Some of my stage performances include my lead role as Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible’; the role of Natasha in ‘Three Sisters’ by Anton Chekhov and in the play ‘Closer’ by Patrick Marber, I played the role of Anna. All of these were stage productions done in England.
Additionally, I have been fortunate enough to work on several short films, including ‘Trapped’, directed by Francis J Pagan, which is a tribute to the memory of a young girl who was sexually abused and ultimately killed. The film is based on a poem that Harley Nicole Bopp wrote, and it serves as a powerful reminder of the injustices and hardships that women face every day. As an artist, I am honored to have been a part of this project, and I hope that it will continue to inspire and empower women everywhere. The short film was sent to festivals last week (March 13, 2023). I have been fortunate enough to take part in more short films that are in post production at the moment, like ‘Incessant’, ‘Para Siempre, Mamá’, ‘Copy Cat’, and many others. Hopefully, they will be released soon for watching.
As an advocate for climate change and equality, I am constantly striving to use my platforms and art to make a positive impact on the world. Acting is my passion, and it has helped me understand myself better, who I want to be, and what type of art I want to create.
I also model, and all my work has always been centered around artsy and conceptual art. I like the idea of expression, connection, and release through all sorts of art.
What sets me apart from others is my Colombian heritage and my education in London, which have shaped my perspective and artistic expression. Everything I create is a representation of myself, and I am passionate about every project I undertake. I believe in staying true to my artistic vision and would never compromise my values or create something that doesn’t align with my passion and energy.
At the moment, I am currently working on a podcast project that I am incredibly excited about called ‘What’s Next with Mona’, as I mentioned earlier hehe. On this podcast, I will be discussing a variety of topics with a diverse range of guests. The episodes will include topics such as what it really means and feels to be a woman, climate awareness, the reality of life in Los Angeles, studying abroad, as well as my own personal experiences and lessons learned, and many more! I am working on creating a space for healing, sharing, empathising, and humanising. I am aiming to express, help, and connect with people in a human-to-human way through the podcast, which will be available in both Spanish and English.
What am I most proud of? Hmm, that’s hard. Everyone thinks artists are really egocentric, and to be fair, we kinda need to be haha. We need to push ourselves every day and not give up, no matter how many ‘no’s’ we get. We need to understand that sometimes we will do work that we won’t love, but we still need to love ourselves and encourage ourselves to keep going. Our work is who we are, but we have to find that line where we don’t let our own criticism or others stop us from pursuing our passion and dreams. At least for me, it is hard sometimes to admit my achievements, what I did well, what I like, but I am working on that and accepting that we all deserve what we dream!
And I guess what I am mostly proud of is the person I am and the person I am becoming because of art. (As well as ‘Trapped,’ I can’t wait to share that short film, hehe).
I am proud to call myself an artist, and I want to be known as such. I feel proud that my family and I were able to overcome all those hurdles, and I would do it again if I had to. I am proud of the art I will create in the future and the work I am doing now because it is authentic and done with love and purpose, and for me, that’s all that matters.
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
In my experience, the best way to build a meaningful network is to be authentic and stay true to your artistic vision. It’s crucial to focus on building genuine connections with those who share your values
and resonate with your message. It’s important to differentiate between those who are truly interested in your work and those who may have ulterior motives.
As an artist and an individual, I find it beneficial to stay grounded in my beliefs and true to my creative goals. This has allowed me to attract like-minded individuals and form meaningful connections. In Los Angeles, there are many talented and kind-hearted individuals, but it’s important to recognise that not everyone will be a good fit for you. However, always remain professional and kind towards others.
Surround yourself with people who are passionate and motivated. They will inspire and encourage you to reach your goals. It’s not necessary to have the most expensive equipment or luxuries to create art. What’s important is believing in your craft and staying dedicated to your vision. When you’re passionate about what you do, people will take notice and be drawn to your authenticity.
Finally, it’s essential to be open to learning from others and their experiences. By actively listening and showing interest in others, you can gain valuable insights and learnings that can help you on your artistic journey. Remember that a simple act of sharing one’s story can be incredibly helpful and impactful.
That’s why I feel really grateful to be sharing my story right now. Thank you for everyone’s time and attention. It meant a lot to finally share a bit of my story. There will be more in the future, and hopefully, I will be able to share that too!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://monatrujillot.wixsite.com/artist
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monatrujillot/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mona-trujillo-trujillo/
- Other: https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/monatrujillo
Image Credits
Trey Branch Pranav Mehta Annabelle Busch Cristobal Velasquez Rayo
