Meet Taylor Murphy-Sinclair

Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Murphy-Sinclair.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born and raised in a small coastal town in California. As a little girl, I really wanted to be a singer and an actress, but I was totally tone deaf and painfully shy. Eventually, my parents put me in voice lessons where I learned to match pitch by placing my hand on the piano and imitating singers I loved. This led me to audition for my first musical (“Annie,” obviously), and I sort of never stopped. I graduated from Arroyo Grande High School and was accepted into the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television’s musical theatre major.

During my senior year of college, bitter that I wasn’t getting all the roles I wanted within the department, I started writing what became my first one-woman show. “I Can’t Draw A Heart: and Other Episodes” premiered at UCLA in February of 2012. It then experienced a revival in July of 2012 under director Jake McGuire at the Spot Theatre. Carving out my own space in an overwhelmed industry gave me a sense of agency that I has helped me greatly to this day.

Upon graduating, I continued to work, but no longer in the musical theatre realm (as much). I became interested in on-camera work in particular, in part because my parents could see it without leaving their home! I have had the privilege to work with many impressive artists on Lucifer, #blackaf, Unusual Suspects, and most recently in the film The Womb, written and directed by Frank Cappello (Constantine, American Yukuza). I have also written and performed three more solo shows, including “Forcing the Issue,” directed by Cynthia Levin at the Broadwater Theatre in 2019.

Additionally, my first memoir was published in 2019 thanks to Jenae Noonan (yes MMA) and Victory Publishing. I also went back to school for a graduate degree in Psychology, and somehow survived through completion. In a sense, this pandemic has been a much-needed reset.

I live with my partner, actor Chase Coleman, and our dog and two cats. While I’m very appreciative of the collective forced pause 2020 has been, I’m definitely ready to get back to work.

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?
Like any career path, this industry takes casualties. As a woman, I’ve certainly been burdened with many of the same stressors the #metoo movement has shed light upon. I’m familiar with constantly having to prove my value and assert my boundaries. I’ve dealt with pressure about my weight because apparently a size 4 is some kind of “statement” in this city. Unfortunately, I don’t see a lot of content that mirrors the stories I want to tell – stories about multi-faceted, well-rounded, deeply flawed women who behave like real people and aren’t expected to have active eating disorders. I want to challenge the absolutely absurd requirements Hollywood piles on us, from an authentic place. So many of us have survived so much in order to still be here. Also, free the nipple.

What else should our readers know?
PLEASE VOTE ON OR BEFORE NOVEMBER 3rd. Other than that, I love jigsaw puzzles, true crime, and the fall.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I am hopeful for the future. My plans are to continue to do what I love and to continue to share that with people. I trust that fortune favors the prepared, so that’s also part of the plan. Keep preparing, keep working, and opportunities will come.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.taylorm-s.com
• Email: taymurphsin@gmail.com
• Instagram: @taylormurphysinclair

Image Credit:
Shanon Berlin, Chuck Espinoza, Jack Houser, Alexis Dickey, Dana Patrick

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