Today we’d like to introduce you to Arnol Zepeda.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
When I ran away from home at the age of 18, I moved back to Wisconsin from Mexico. I lived there for three months but wasn’t fully enjoying it. I worked 12-hour shifts at a factory, wasting my youth. I realized this was not the life for me, it didn’t make sense I knew I wasn’t living up to my full potential. So, I flipped a coin. Heads.: New York; tails: LA. It landed on heads. So I went to New York. It was close to Wisconsin so that was convenient. I got into a youth shelter where they had an acting program and Rachel Bronson was teaching, not aware of who she was at the moment. She told me to pursue acting, and I asked if people even make money in that career. She continued with her improv class, then hugged me and wished me luck with my career. So I moved to LA and pursued acting. The first acting job I booked was a speaking role. I didn’t do well so. I knew I. needed acting classes. And ever since, I’ve been a working actor. And now I do it for a living. I am currently in a play called Octopus In Its Own Ink at the French Film Festival.
Alright, 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?
Though I was making a living, I didn’t have a place of my own. I lived with people or in a van, and most times there was no work. My passion for acting and the people I meet along the way who are on the same journey keep me motivated to continue. I know one day, it will all pay off and I can use my story to motivate other actors in my position.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Acting. Creating, facing challenges, telling stories, living in someone else’s shoes, emotional boundaries, vulnerability, making people feel what I feel, and connecting. I am most proud of overcoming my fears by working through them. I don’t let fear stop me, in fact, it pushes me to go harder. I constantly push myself to do the impossible. I like to think of myself as the main character of my life. I’m the butter on toast, a surfboard to a wave, the cherry on an ice cream, the last slice of pizza in a pizza box. I never lose because every fail is a lesson. This mindset allows me to always grow, and you don’t see a lot of people with that mindset.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Be yourself, as long as your yourself, there’s never going to be anyone just like you. At the end of the day, they don’t have your experiences, they’ve learned things in a different way. For example, one person can make a joke one way but another person can make a joke about the same topic in a different way. I never stopped being myself no matter how much people try to change me or affect me or influence them or just become like them.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @arnoldstuff
- Youtube: @arnoldstuff
- Other: @arnoldstuff
Image Credits
This picture was taken on a movie set for a Netflix movie that is coming out this year.
