Today we’d like to introduce you to Ranjiv Perera.
Ranjiv, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’m a 1st generation Sri Lankan, who just happened to be born and raised right here in Los Angeles, CA. Burbank more precisely. Growing up in “the Valley” during the 70’s and 80’s was definitely an experience. Despite being surrounded by a mix of ethnicities, I would often be asked “what are you?”. Since most kids (and a surprising number of adults) rarely knew or heard of Sri Lanka, the common follow up to me stating the country of my heritage was: “it’s an island off the coast of India”. “Oh! So you’re Indian!” was typically the next line, followed by me shrugging. But once the initial ‘uniqueness’ wore off, I just become another ‘ethnic’ person in a mix of Latin, Asian and predominately white friends and classmates.
Growing up in Burbank, 15 minutes away from Warner Brothers and Walt Disney Studios, I was privileged to experience many of the uniquely Southern Californian experiences, like seeing Star Wars at the Mann’s Chinese Theater when it opened back in 1977 and even seeing the musical Evita during it’s first run in Los Angeles at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. In my teens, concerts at the Hollywood Palladium, the Roxy and Hollywood Bowl along with regular movie outings just deepened my love for art.
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’d dabble in varies acting classes around L.A. over a number of years, but it wasn’t until I was taught the Meisner Technique from Martin Barter at the Sanford Meisner Center that the thought of Art as a Career started to be real. After completing the program, I went out, got the agent, who started sending me out for 5 minute auditions after a 45 minute drive in LA traffic. While I enjoyed those 5 minutes in the room, the driving gets old fast! During this time, I was also introduced to Lisa Essary, who took me under her casting wing and taught me the backside of the film industry. I found a great love for casting work and specifically, working with actors. That brought me back to Martin Barter, and the Sanford Meisner Center in 2009, where I began teacher training under Martin for the Meisner Technique. 4 years of observing and learning from him, led to me teaching classes for the Sanford Meisner Center here in Los Angeles, which I’ve been doing since 2013.
Please tell us about The Sanford Meisner Center.
Our school was founded by Sanford Meisner himself, and Martin Barter. We pride ourselves with upholding the final version of this world-renowned acting technique and continuing to teach it to a new generation of actors. The popularity of the Meisner Acting technique has exploded over the past ten years with many teachers adding it to their ‘curriculum’, but most only scratch the surface. We maintain the technique the way it was taught by the original master himself. My own experiences as a POC in this industry as well as my casting background brings an additional layer of understanding and experience for other ethnically diverse actors, which this industry is clamoring for. I’ve actually seen the change happen slowly over my own life and while plenty of POC wants the change to happen immediately and now, I believe it will be a continuously ongoing change over all our lifetimes.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’m a huge believer in the adage that ‘Luck is when preparation meets opportunity’. The key for me has been recognizing those opportunities. They may seem small or even irrelevant, but when they present themselves, or even when you simply ASK for what you need, but you’ll likely be surprised by what you get in return. Always be prepared, and that doesn’t mean just “well trained and knowledgeable”. It can simply mean, eager and open to take on the opportunity. And if something bad DOES happen, be willing to learn from it and move forward. Don’t let it shut you down or make you bitter.
Contact Info:
- Address: 112 S. San Fernando Blvd. Burbank, CA 91502
- Website: https://www.themeisnercenter.com/
- Phone: (800) 988-9051
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Jordan Cho
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