Today we’d like to introduce you to Robbie Ryde.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Well, I’m born and raised on the Mornington Peninsula in Melbourne, Australia. I was working as a Carpenter as it was just a job I fell into out of school. My real passion was AFL (Australian Football League), ever since I was a kid I wanted to play professionally and despite a lack of natural ability, I persevered and managed to play at a semi-professional level. Unfortunately due to injuries (broken collarbone, wrist, torn quad and lower back trouble) I was spending more time off the field than on and eventually it lead to an early end to my playing career. I continued to work in construction but something deep down inside me was telling me that it wasn’t what I was supposed to be doing with my life. I ignored it for as long as I could but one day I just broke down. I still remember it like it was yesterday, I sat down in the doorway of this job-site for a good couple hours as I went through a rollercoaster of emotions. Whilst scrolling through Facebook feeling sorry for myself I came across a video titled ‘The Butterfly Kid’ the Jonathan Pitre story (if you haven’t seen it I highly recommend checking it out on YouTube).
Basically, Jonathan had a rare skin condition that makes even the most mundane tasks like bathing or changing clothes agonisingly painful and yet despite all he had to complain about he was just still so bloody positive. His story was the turning point for me, I was envious of his strength and love for life, I just thought if this young boy could endure so much on daily basis, it really gave me perspective on the pain I was experiencing in my life and just how much control I actually had over it! I wanted the thrill of chasing a dream again, the feeling of really being alive, like what I had with football for so many years but this time I wanted to go all the way and nothing was going to stop me. There was just one problem, I had no idea what I could or wanted to do! I google ‘best job in the world’ and acting popped up. I hadn’t acted since I was about 16 in high school but it was always something I had so much fun doing and truthfully was the only subject other than sport that I was good at. I found an acting class in my area and booked in then and there. I told no one I was going as I really didn’t expect anything to come from it.
In this class, there was just great energy amongst the people and everything the teacher said just resonated with me, the same thing that was telling me that I wasn’t supposed to be a construction worker was telling me that I was where I was supposed to be. I got up, did my scene and I remember a few people asking me how long I’d been acting for, it was really humbling. After that, I booked another 8-week part-time course at ‘Tanya Powell’. At the end of the year, I needed to have an elbow operation from an old skateboarding injury and took it as a sign to pursue acting full time. It was about at this stage that I had started to let me friends and family in on my new hopes and dreams and couldn’t believe how supportive everyone was of them. I signed up for an acting program with The Australian Film and Television Academy ‘TAFTA’ under John Orcsik. I completely threw myself into the industry doing extra work whenever I could and acting in some student films. After the course finished I didn’t want it to stop, luckily for me, I met Jessica Orcsik (my now Girlfriend) who convinced me that I should come train in the US with their ‘LA experience’ program.
When I got here for the first time it was such an eye-opener, people have such a respect for the arts and it felt like acting could be a career and not just a hobby, or so I thought. I’ll be honest I thought I was pretty good, I thought I was ‘ready’ but I was very quickly put in my place, I had so much to learn about myself and the industry. I was a good at acting but I had no idea what it meant to be an actor. It was exciting to be working with industry professionals like casting director & coach Matthew Barry (casting director of The Notebook and many more), writer/director David Matalon (known for ‘The Clearing’ with Liam McIntyre from Spartacus and Sydelle Noel from Glow), acting coach Lisa Robertson (who has worked with- Alexis Bledel (Emmy Award) for THE HANDMAID’S TALE (Hulu), Logan Browning for her series lead in DEAR WHITE PEOPLE (Netflix) ) and dialect coaching with Amy Chaffee (Who has worked with- Oscar/Emmy winner Ellen Burstyn, Oscar/Olivier winner Colin Firth, Oscar winner Melissa Leo) to name a few but all the teaches we had were unbelievably talented and wise in their own particular way. We met with a few managers and agents who really gave us the honest truth about where we were in our careers and where we needed to be, which I loved. I had so many highs and lows in that first trip to Hollywood and by the end, I knew I was far from finished. I came back a 2nd and 3rd times to study and was starting to book professional jobs back home in television, film and commercially, as well as starting my career as a director filming showreels for my acting friends and creating my own films. I signed with an incredible Australian manager back home Charmaine Gilchrist of ‘Gilchrist Management’ and a fantastic talent agent here in the States, Pedro Tapia of ‘CESD’ which meant I started getting some auditions I could have never even dreamt of. In my most recent trip, I landed the role of William in the Independent feature film ‘Fallen’ (distribution/release tbc) and signed with US management ‘Brave Artist Management’ under a very exciting young manager Kimberly Kottwitz (watch out for her, she’s already doing amazing things).
As for next year, I’m already in a promising position with two more exciting projects that are in the early stages of development and have some big names attached, they’ve got the potential to take my career to the next level which is such a surreal feeling (but can’t announce anything just yet). I still pinch myself every day and can’t believe not only four years ago I was a carpenter on the verge of a mental breakdown and now I’m on this dreamlike journey. I just hope that this helps at least one person out there that can relate to my story and I can help inspire them to believe in themselves. If that is you and you’ve got that feeling deep down inside you that tells you you’re meant for something more, believe in it and believe in yourself, go for it! You won’t regret it!
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?
Externally:
The entire industry is filled with loopholes- what comes first the chicken or the egg? You think the first step is; I need an agent, right? Well you need to work and have footage and a resume to get an agent but you need an agent to get work, right? Not necessarily. You can self submit to student/amateur films on various platforms. BUT you can’t even get those films without a showreel to prove you can act? SO you need a showreel but then they cost a lot of money. So you save up and invest in a showreel and then you get the job, right? Nope, still can’t get an audition for these films (at least in my case that’s how it went) and so on and so forth with auditions, jobs, visas and everything in the industry it really never ends. But the advice I give to many young actors starting out today is to be in class, always be prepared and always put your best foot forward no matter who or what it’s for. Build relationships with teachers and your fellow classmate and most importantly get out there and create your own content.
Internally:
You can not be result-driven you have to be driven by the process and completely give yourself to it, there is no other way! And boy was I results-driven at the start of my career! But honestly, if you do the work for the obsession and curiosity of the process you can never fail!
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’m best known for my work on the long-running TV series ‘Neighbours’, leading roles in award-winning films ‘Enid’ and ‘Actrix Stone’ and as well as the national commercial campaign ‘Our Watch’ (won best interactive commercial). I think what sets me apart is my consistency, commitment and willingness to grow. A lot of people mistake growth for success but it’s not. Growth isn’t always forwards it’s backwards, left, right, up and down and it’s far from easy, you’re consistently uncomfortable. I think the quote goes ‘You’ve got to do the things today that others won’t so you can do the things tomorrow that others can’t’. I love that saying but for me, I’m just trying to be better than I was yesterday, in acting and in life.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
The only luck I’ve had is with the people who have supported me from the start and amazing people who continue to believe in me today. Larry Bird says ‘the harder I work the luckier I get’ and I think it really sums up my relationship with luck.
Contact Info:
- Website: imdb.me/robbieryde
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robbieryde/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robbie.ryde
Image Credit:
Grant Terakis, Ollie Ward, Patrica McKenzie, Tim Pollock
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