Today we’d like to introduce you to Sami Nye.
Sami, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in San Diego, CA and was bit by the acting bug quick! As an only child, I loved escaping to make believe worlds and creating stories where I could be a warrior princess, a magical mermaid, or a dolphin trainer (sometimes all three at once)! I started doing youth theatre with a group called BBYT when I was seven years old and my first show was Les Miserables (a super kid-friendly show) and I was hooked! It was the first time storytelling ever truly moved me and made me feel something, and I knew I wanted to do the same thing for others. I spent my childhood going from dance lessons to singing lessons to rehearsal- and I loved it! When I was 16 years old, I went to my parents and told them I wanted to be a professional actress- they were not stoked on the idea so I figured I should probably think of another plan. I settled on Broadcast Journalism- it’s kind of like performing, right? I was thrilled to be accepted to my dream school, the University of Southern California, and I could not wait to begin my new adventure.
However, when I stepped into my first journalism class, I knew something was off- everyone else was so passionate about journalism and telling stories that mattered. They talked about the hustle and struggled to make it in the industry and I realized, if I am going to have to hustle and struggle no matter what, why not do it for the thing that lights me up, the thing that sets my soul on fire? I think I had always known that I wanted to be an actor, ever since I was a little girl- but I was too afraid to admit it. I remember crying on the phone to my mom telling her I wanted to be a performer. My parents needed some time to come around to the idea and so I spent the entire summer between my freshman and sophomore year of college trying to prove to them and myself I could do this! I got in contact with my old vocal and dance coach and started training every single day. I worked so hard to make up for the time I’d spent away from the arts, but I felt alive like I had purpose again. When I got back to USC, I made the decision to switch my major to Public Relations and minor in Theatre, though I knew then that I would without a doubt pursue acting after graduation. I started getting parts in student shows, school shows, concerts, readings, and cabarets, and I truly found my community. My parents were so proud to see how hard I’d worked, how much I had grown in my skills, and how happy I was to be performing again, that they not only came around to the idea of me being a performer, but they became the most supportive and encouraging parents ever. For the next few years, I continuously pushed myself and tried to grow as much as I could so that by the time I was ready to graduate, I would be able to find a good agent and begin my lifelong pursuit of performing. A lot of drama students at USC did a local musical theatre competition as a way to get an agent or manager, and I naturally thought that I would follow in their footsteps.
During my second semester of senior year, I got into the competition, worked my butt off for six weeks, was critiqued by the judges in front of a live audience, grew so much as a performer, felt like my career was ready to take off…and got no agent meetings. Not a single one. I was shocked, heartbroken, and a little depressed. This had been my plan, what I was banking my future on, and now it was all gone and I had no idea what I would do. After a few days (let’s be honest- weeks) of laying on my floor crying, eating pizza, and listening to a lot of Celine Dion songs, I decided I was going to get an agent by graduation on my own, no matter what. So I started hustling, researching, putting together packages and reels, and submitting myself to as many agents as I could find. And the day after I graduated from USC, I signed with my agent, who I am still with today. While the actor’s life has had many ups and downs, I have to say I have been fortunate to have worked pretty steadily since I’ve graduated. I’ve worked in regional theatre, film, television, voiceover, traveled the world as a vocalist on a cruise ship, been part of a vintage 50’s trio and so many other amazing adventures. And while there are many days that are maddening and disheartening, those moments that you get to perform, create, and connect- well, there’s nothing else like it in the world, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Oh gosh, I would love to meet an actor who says its been a smooth road. Please tell me what is your secret?! This life is very difficult and I’ve come up against many challenges along the way, but truthfully, that is part of the adventure. I think a lot of artists appreciate this life because no two days are alike and there is always something new to look forward to around the corner. Something that helps to get me through the hard times is to remember that life is cyclical- there will be many seasons of “yes”, and many seasons of “no”. We don’t know how long each season is going to last for, but just knowing that everything ebbs and flows and will come around again gives me great comfort if I’m in one of those “no” seasons.
I would say, as I mentioned before, a struggle I had to overcome early in my career was not getting any agent meetings after the talent competition I competed in college. It may not sound like much now, but because I was not in a BFA program at USC, this competition was really the only showcase opportunity I had, and the only way anyone I knew had gotten an agent. I had banked all my hopes on this competition and it seriously threw me when no one wanted to meet with me. But, I think those are the moments where you have a choice: you can let your disappointment and the rejection consume you, or you can choose to rise above it. And as artists, we have to choose to rise above it on a daily basis. Thats why I made the specific goal to have an agent by the time I graduated, and I poured my heart and soul into making that goal happen. I truly do believe everything happens for a reason because once I met with the person who would become my agent, I knew instantly she was the perfect fit, and I may not have signed with her had I been offered a meeting from the competition.
While there are many external struggles that come with life as an artist. I think the most difficult struggles to deal with and overcome are the internal ones. We have to contend with that voice that tells us we are not good enough, talented enough, pretty enough, thin enough, connected enough etc. etc. And again, if we let that voice consume us and we believe that to be the truth, we will have a much harder time moving forward in this career path. We have to block out the noise, the demons, and connect to why we started this journey in the first place. I believe that no matter how much rejection you’ve faced, or how many times you’ve been told “no”, if you still feel that fire somewhere in your soul when you think about your art, and a still small voice tells you to keep going, KEEP GOING! Do not let anyone or anything get in your way. Listen to that little voice, it is there for a reason. I believe in God, but you can call it the Universe, a higher power, whatever…it is telling you that this is your calling. You have a unique voice that needs to be heard and only you can tell the stories you are meant to tell. It’s not about how many times you fall down or have a door slammed in your face, it is about how many times you pick yourself up again and keep pursuing your dreams and goals with everything you’ve got because deep down, you know this is what you were meant to do.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
As of right now, I would say I am most known for my work in musical theatre, and I have been fortunate enough to perform in regional productions, national tours, and even travel the world as a lead vocalist in Seabourn Cruise Line’s production of “An Evening with Sir Tim Rice”. Some of my favorite musical theatre roles to date have been Jane in “Tarzan”, Ilona Ritter in “She Loves Me”, and Miss Dorothy in “Thoroughly Modern Millie”. Theatre has always been my first love and passion, and probably always will be, but I am a storyteller at heart, and telling stories that have the potential to move, motivate, and inspire others is where I find my true purpose, no matter what the medium… Luckily, I’ve been able to tell stories through other avenues such as film, television, and voiceover. I’ve lent my voice to several well-known podcasts relating to true crime and American History, worked on some really fun and interesting short and feature films, and this year, I got my first guest-star television credit, which I was very excited about. I love being challenged by each new project and I hope I can spend my life and career working across the board in film, television, theatre, and voiceover.
While every project I’ve worked on holds a special place in my heart, I would say at this point I am most proud of my two most recent projects: Ilona Ritter in “She Loves Me” and Debbie Ashley on “Betrayed”. Playing Ilona was such a joy from start to finish and I was so fortunate to work with a fantastic creative team led by Richard Israel, Lauren Haughten Gillis, and Don LeMaster. They truly made me feel like I could explore, take chances and make my version of Ilona unique and endearing. I was also surrounded by the most brilliant cast who made me bring my A-game to very rehearsal and performance, and who were truly some of the most lovely people I have ever met. When I booked my role on “Betrayed”, I was thrilled, but also so nervous at the same time. I haven’t had as much experience in television, and I was going to be the lead of that episode since the story followed my character’s life and hardships. I worked with my acting coach on every single scene to make sure my performance was grounded and organic, and so that when I got to set, I could just throw it all away and play. I have to say, working on that project was one of the best experiences of my life and I could not wait for my alarm clock to go off at 5:00am so I could drive to set. I loved bonding with the cast and crew, witnessing the magic of how illusions in film are created, and after I shook off my initial nerves, I had a ball playing and taking new chances with each and every take. It was challenging, invigorating, and I cannot wait to be on set again.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
This is a tough one because I do believe everything happens for a reason that God has a plan, and everything will work out the way it is supposed to. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still think back and question my path all the time and I can let my mind be filled with things I “should” have done. I should have realized I wanted to be a performer more quickly, I should have started acting and modeling professionally when I was a kid to build my connections, resume, and experience, I should have gotten my BFA in musical theatre, I should have auditioned for more short films in college, I should have had a reel by the time I was 18, and the list can go on and on and on. And sure, while I do sometimes think about what my life would have been like if any of those things would have happened, I have to remember that my life and my journey as an artist is unique to me and if I had done any of those other things, I might not have met the people that I needed to meet, suffered the hardships that made me stronger, felt the moments of elation that keep me going and so on and so forth.
We all have a journey, a story, a path that we have to follow, and I think if we can shift our mindset from “shoulda, coulda, woulda” to how much we HAVE done, how far we HAVE come, and how much we HAVE grown, it allows us to look at ourselves and our artistry with so much more grace, kindness, and gratitude. Instead of being hard on myself for not getting a BFA, I can think, “Wow Sami! You didn’t have the structured curriculum of a BFA program and you STILL have been able to work professionally.” It’s about finding appreciation for all the things you have done, worked hard for, ans accomplished in your life. And I believe, if we can celebrate our own unique journeys, it will allow us to celebrate other peoples journeys as well, because there is enough room for everyone in this industry, in this world, and everyone is on their own unique path that is taking them where they are meant to go.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.saminye.com
- Email: Direct: [email protected] Agent: [email protected] Manager: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samitaylornye/
Image Credit:
Crystal Clear Photography, Investigation Discovery, Ken Jacques Photography, Leah Huebner
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