Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Cardona.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Samantha. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in a small suburb of Sacramento and have been performing since I was a kid. I was a dancer throughout most of my childhood and loved it, but never particularly wanted to make a career out of it. When I was 11 or 12 one of my dance teachers encouraged me to audition for a local musical that she was choreographing. As soon as I stepped on that stage, I knew. I could never sing particularly well, but I loved story telling through acting. I started reading plays and watching movies like crazy. I became obsessed with character study, particularly Arthur Miller in the theater world and any Quentin Tarantino film. I remember watching the opening scene of Pulp Fiction as a 13 year old and seeing the “bad guys” having such an average conversation about a foot massage. It amazed me to see a villain portrayed as a multi-dimensional character rather than just an evil stereotype I had seen in so many Disney movies growing up. By high school, I had pretty much decided that acting was what I wanted to do with my life, so when it came time to look at colleges, I only applied to theater programs in Southern California.
I was accepted to UCLA where I got a BA in Theater with a minor in Film. My major emphasized acting and my minor emphasized screenwriting. I worked hard in college and graduated with honors in three years. I was so eager to start my career in the entertainment industry. It’s been constant work over the past nine years, but I’ve been on several TV shows, done both national and regional commercials, and was able to go to the Sundance Film Festival this year in my first feature film debut. I’ve written and starred in two self-produced web-series and am currently working on a third with friends. It’s been an amazing journey and it’s far from over.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. Everyone tells you how hard it is to make it as an actor. In fact, it’s pretty much the first thing people say when you tell them you are pursuing acting. The amount of “Wow, that’s a lot of rejection” or “Aren’t there millions of people in LA trying to do that?” can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t really hit until you’re here doing it. I never thought it would be easy, but the lows can be so low. On two separate occasions I’ve had both my manager and agent dropped me within the span of a few weeks. I’ve gone long stretches of time without a single audition. I’ve been broke, working three jobs, sharing a bedroom with my best friend just so I can have the opportunity to audition. I’ve thought about quitting a few times. Several years ago, right when I was starting to get traction and get casting directors to notice me, my manager decided to leave the industry completely. Then literally a week later my agent also dropped me. It was extremely disheartening to go home for the holidays and have everyone asking me “Are you famous yet?” when it couldn’t be farther from the truth.
No one from my hometown nor any member of my family is a performer. They are all kind and supportive and love me, but it can feel so lonely to not have anyone understand the struggle. The amount of people that have encouraged me to quit and find a more practical job is astounding. But of course, I can’t imagine doing anything else. The first job I ever booked was a Telemundo commercial. We shot outside in a parking lot in Studio City in the middle of July. It was about 100 degrees and it was a 14 hour shoot day, but it was one of the best days of my life. I called my Mom immediately after and assured her, this is what I’m meant to be doing. And every single day I’ve been on set, I’ve had that same feeling. All of the struggle is absolutely worth it to do what you love.
Please tell us about your work.
As a writer, I tend to focus on more realistic comedy/dramedy. I love how hilarious the mundane can be and the struggles of millennials in today’s society. I think in some of our most dramatic moments we can find humor and irony. I’m inspired by shows like Insecure and Atlanta that depict very relatable young adults trying to find their purpose in the world. I enjoy focusing on the unique aspects of situations that everyone goes through. I wrote a web-series on dating in LA where I went on a date with a guy who told me he did “freelance work.” Turns out he was actually a drug dealer and tried to sell my mushrooms at the end of our date. That actually happened to me and afterwards I called my friend crying and then burst into laughter. I can’t not write about how those ridiculous moments shape your 20’s and 30’s.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I think I’m extremely hardworking, but also very appreciative of the opportunities given to me. I work hard for every audition I have. I prepare and research as much as I can. Then if I book the job, I make sure to thank every person that helped get me there. My agent, manager, the casting director, and every person on set that I work with. It pays to be personable and know how lucky you are to be given a job in this industry. I know that for every job I book, thousands of other actors lost out to the role so I make sure to not take it for granted. When people see that type of work ethic, they want to hire you again. They know you’re both talented and reliable and that is key for getting the next gig.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/sammajammaaaa
- Twitter: twitter.com/samcardona
- Other: imdb.me/samanthacardona
Image Credit:
Tavaris Smith, still of YouTube Premium’s Liza on Demand, still from the music video by DRFTRS, AnnaLesa Rizzolo
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