Rising Stars: Meet Lauren Quinn

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Quinn.

Hi Lauren, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve always wanted to be an actress so when I was in high school, I worked two jobs and saved up enough money to move from my hometown in Florida to New York City three weeks after my 18th birthday. I didn’t know anyone in New York and I didn’t have any connection to the acting industry so I just started by self submitting myself to projects and taking as many acting classes as I could afford. When I was 19, I submitted to an “extra role” for a crime reenactment show and when I went into the audition, they accidentally gave me the script for the lead role in the episode and after a few callbacks, I ended up booking the role! It took a whole year of being in New York before I booked my first TV role but it was very exciting and also was my first time getting to spend 12 hours on a set and I loved every minute of it.

After working with lots of different agencies and booking a few other small roles, I signed with a manager in LA and decided to move again. I loved New York City but knew at some point I’d have to leave and go to LA. The move was really hard on me, I was 21 and felt like I was now starting over again in a new place where once again, I didn’t know anyone. I felt like finding work was even harder now because everyone in LA is an “actor”. But when I would get an audition, it all felt worth it. I started doing stand up in LA as a way to calm my nerves in an audition room. I thought if I could do stand up, I could do anything. I’ve been in LA now for a year and a half and I’ve grown to love LA.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I always knew it would be challenging to pursue acting so some of the bumps in the road didn’t come as a shock. Although I didn’t expect all of the Bumps. Every time I get an audition and work on a new character, I invest so much in that person and I work on that character for hours, days, sometimes weeks. So when you find out you didn’t book something you’ve worked so hard on it’s always a huge let down. When I was in New York, I met a lot of “managers” “producers” who didn’t have the best intentions. When you’re young and so passionate about your work, it’s easy for people to try and take advantage of that. The acting industry is expensive, headshots, classes, the cost of living in the most expensive city in the country… having a job you don’t want to work but have to in order to pursue the job you do want can be challenging and exhausting. When I was 21 a few months after moving across the country from New York to LA, my manager ended up firing me. It was devastating and made me feel even more alone. But now, I have an amazing team that I am so grateful for.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m so proud of myself for never giving up and always moving forward when something doesn’t work out. I believe the only way you can fail at what you love is by giving up, and I don’t intend on doing that. Staying positive and working on your mental health is very important when pursuing acting. Acting isn’t my therapy, it’s my job and my passion.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Covid has taught me so many valuable lessons about life and about the acting industry. To me, the acting industry has always been this illusive thing that seems so hard to break into and when things shut down, I think it was a huge reminder to me that all actors should try and break the gatekeeping in this industry and make their own projects. Make that web series or short film! write that script, make that youtube channel. You cant depend on others to allow you to express your creativity, sometimes you just have to do it yourself!

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm7562805?rf=cons_nm_meter&ref_=cons_nm_meter
• Instagram: @laurenquiinn
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkKzYgCURAUnrH7UXAfluzw

Image Credits
first pic: Nick branch second: Investigation discovery The Perfect Murder third: Stars Channel “POWER” 4th: Investigation discovery The Perfect Murder