Out of the three which one do you feel that allowed you to experience the most character development on? I only worked 1 day on the other 2, so again, “Murder Rx.” I want to say I did a full-week on that— though they were mostly night-shoots, starting between 4-9pm and wrapping between 2-6am— so it felt like much, much longer! I was a complete vampire-zombie by the end. What advice can you give other who want to get into acting? OK, you ready? I have lots to say. #1: Love what you do— seriously look deep inside. I don’t care what people say, it’s a hard business. Unless you LOVE IT, you should do something else. And by “it,” I mean, the work. Not the idea of being rich and famous and walking red carpets. Because that’s only a small part of it, and even then, there are no guarantees. Besides, there are easier ways to do that. Anymore, becoming famous means dating the bachelor, surviving on an island, taking great selfies with perfect duck-lips. Whatever! I didn’t just want to become famous. I wanted to become famous doing work I’m proud of: trying out new characters, transforming into them, and taking the audience on a journey— be it hilarious, moving, or better yet, both! If there’s ANYTHING ELSE in the world you could imagine yourself doing, save yourself and do that instead. I tried to— I found myself at home in foreign lands, learning new languages and lifestyles— and yet, I could never quite shake the acting thing. Which is indicative. #2: Don’t have a Plan B. Again, if there is a Plan B, do that instead. In my case, it was Plan A, or... there wasn’t another option. There was simply nothing else that fired me up in the same way. So despite my years of pitfalls, I had no choice but to stick with it. And sticking with it is kind of the name of the game. #3: Don’t have a deadline (or rather, quit when it stops being fun). People would ask me, “So, how long are you going to give this? When are you going to move back to Denver, settle down, get a real job?” My answer: when it stops being fun. And it did stop being fun. But because I had no Plan B, and Plan A was truly all I loved and wanted in the world, I had no choice but to find the fun again! I did that by taking control and creating. The minute you impose a time-limit, you’re giving yourself an out. You’re implying this may not happen for you, so you’re preparing yourself
with a Plan B, which means you don’t actually love Plan A enough! Love Plan A, don’t have a Plan B, and don’t even think about not making it. Ideas become actions—don’t bring that into being! #4: Stay in the game. I realize I said, “quit when it stops being fun,” and then “stay in the game” basically in the same breath. But truly, have fun first and foremost-- that will keep you in the game! You gotta figure, if you’re not in the game, you’re definitely NOT going to succeed. So even just by showing up, you’re that much more likely to be successful! You think I found success because I’m talented? I’m stubborn! I just wasn’t going away! Deepak Chopra said something along the lines of: “That which you pay attention to flourishes. That which you take attention away from withers.” So if you want something to flourish, give it attention! If you want it to wither, take your attention away. It’s that simple! I don’t think anyone wants their career to wither, and yet, they often don’t give the attention necessary. #5: Don’t wait— create! Gone are the days when a young, aspiring starlet is plucked from a Hollywood barstool, and given a 3-picture deal. Having a fantastic rack, or a rich, important relative certainly never hurt, but it’s not enough. In my case, I didn’t have either. In order to get the opportunities I needed to be seen, I had to create them. Which, in turn, not only allowed to be seen, but fueled my passion, and kept me in the game. If you’re like me, your happiness is, unfortunately, wholly dependent upon keeping creative and feeding your artist’s soul. So, do what you gotta do to be happy! To this day, my solo shows are the most fulfilling work I’ve ever done— mostly because they’re all me! My success with AHS can be credited to hundreds of people, not to mention a massive, studio budget; whereas my one-woman shows are something I wrote, produced, starred in— practically even tore the tickets for— paid for by my meager, Spanish-teaching-side-job at the time. My director, Richard Embardo, may be the baby-daddy, but they’re MY babies. And though I may be known for the few syllables I grunt on TV, my solo shows are the work of which I’m most proud. That’s what we all want, ultimately. Do you have any social media handles and website? @naomiwgrossman / www.naomigrossman.net