We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Erica Lynn Cunanan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Erica Lynn with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I’m positive I get my work ethic from family. I grew up in a household of really, really hard workers. Honestly, for me, working hard felt a little competitive because there isn’t a single person in my family who doesn’t have an incredible work ethic, especially when we are passionate about something. Between my parents and both of my sisters someone was always accomplishing something so that constant inspiration to work hard was kind of engrained into my personality. I’ve always been surrounded by the greatest role models.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I love that I get to call myself an actress. I fell in love with being a performer as a young dancer, but pretty quickly found my way to musical theatre too. I loved everything about performing. I took classes, I was in musicals, I worked backstage or in the light booth during shows. There wasn’t anything about storytelling that I wasn’t in love with. My entrance into to the film and tv world was later in life but I had known that I wanted to be apart of it more than anything from a really young age.
Recently someone asked me about myself and getting to explain to them what I get to do reminded me how exciting it is to be in this industry. Sometimes in the midst of constant auditions or self tapes and being told no, it’s easy to forget the excitement of it all. I am proud to have dipped my toe into the entertainment world and thrilled for what’s to come. Story telling is the most fun job of all!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Curiosity. Independence, and Patience.
I would say that I am an inately independent person. I’ve been told that the luck I’ve encountered in my life is often opportunity that I’ve created for myself. I’ve always made it a personal mission to pave my own way. But even though independence is a quality that has seemed such a big part of my life, it’s presented itself as a learning curve in this industry. Independence is so necessary for survival. You have to be able to pitch yourself, know your worth and stick up for yourself, and be there for yourself in the very highest highs and the more common lows. This job comes with amazing opportunities like traveling, talking to inspiring people, and diving into stories and experiences that test will you. Without a strong sense of independence, even with the best support system, you’ll struggle. I’m so thankful that I was brought up in a way that allowed my independent qualities to thrive because they’ve really helped my journey.
Curiosity is a fun quality to have. The Prom was my first film experience and I was a sponge of knowledge on that set. I was eager to be there as a performer but even more excited to learn from the best in the business. The greatest part about being a dancer on that project was that there was ample opportunity to sit and soak up what the actors were doing. Boy, did I take that challenge. Since then, I’ve really made an effort to soak in the same kind of knowledge on every set that I’ve had the honor of being on. Learning from my peers and role models continues to make me a better story teller and professional to work with.
Patience is a quality that I am continuing to learn and improve. Life is full of moments where patience is a key factor to success and the entertainment industry is no different. I have to keep reminding myself to stay optimistic and eager in those moment where it feels like life is taking forever to get to the next milestone. Opportunities will not pass you up if they are meant for you. You just have to be patient and keep working hard.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
My brain tends to run anxious and time scares me. I feel like life is happening too quickly and that I’m not doing enough with it. It’s a thought I’m sure I’m not alone with but one that has taken a bit of a mental tole on me. I tend to keep myself motivated by constantly looking forward to the future. I’ve been trying to focus more on living in the now. It’s easier said than done, but time really does go quickly and there’s so much current living to do. This all kind of goes back to the patience quality that I’m working on. It’s really important to focus on enjoying the moment and growing with time. The future and all of its opportunities will come.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisericalynn/?hl=en
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.
com/@thisisericalynn?_t= 8l5vPgploTb&_r=1 - Other: https://m.imdb.com/
name/nm8240223/
Image Credits
Vince Trupsin
