Meet Erica Mae McNeal

We were lucky to catch up with Erica Mae McNeal recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Erica Mae, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

With being an actor, model, writer, director and (sometimes) a producer, and just working in this industry; imposter syndrome is something I’m very familiar with. Whenever I get in my head and start to doubt myself, I like to turn to podcasts, specifically Backstage’s “In The Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast” hosted by Vinny Mancuso. This is probably one of my favorite podcasts, and one I hope to be on one day! Anyway, Vinny Mancuso will interview working professionals in the industry and in the episodes they will talk about their journey, their obstacles and the things that have inspired them to continue working and pursuing this crazy profession.
The episodes that really help me the most are Ke Huy Quan’s and Coleman Domingo’s. I will say there are many episodes I listen to on repeat to feel inspired and to get out of my ruts, but Ke Huy Quan and Coleman Domingo have really helped me with overcoming imposter syndrome and just getting inspired. I’m sure people are familiar with Ke Huy Quan’s story, but in summary, he started as a child star and then in his early teens, he stopped receiving auditions, just out of the blue. But that didn’t stop him from continuing to pursue other outlets in this industry. After about 20 years he finally booked a role, Waymond in “Everything Everywhere All At Once” , and won his first Oscar! I implore everyone to listen to his episode because it is so inspiring. And to hear the amazingly talented actor talk about his doubts with this specific audition and his career to then watch him walk on stage to accept his Oscar is beautifully inspiring!
Coleman Domingo is equally as inspiring. I love to listen to this podcast because often there are times where I feel as though I am not where I am supposed to be in my career, that I am supposed to be doing more. But episodes like Coleman Domingo, where he talks about being in the industry for 30 so years and just now having his “number one” is very inspiring. I feel like so often, I’ll think about my career as check marks you know? Like I need to accomplish this by this age or by this month. But listening to Coleman Domingo talk about how much he enjoys the craft no matter how “big” or “small” the part is (though he mentions there are no small roles – which is true!) reminds me to remember why I wanted to become an actor; it’s a lot of fun! You get to be so many people, and that is something he talks about. You get to do some many things in this career, things you wouldn’t be able to if you weren’t in the industry. And if you focus on what you want to be instead of the roles you’re booking now, it will hinder you more than help you. Hearing that averts my mind from hurtful, non productive thoughts.

Long answer short, haha! I love to listen to the Actors Podcast by Backstage. There are so many helpful tips and tricks that help me with so many things in my career and life, especially imposter syndrome. So if you want to listen to a new podcast and get some inside scoop, I suggest that one!

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am an actor, model, writer and director. Something I feel is so special about being in this industry is to be something new every time. With each role I take on, it’s a new life and universe I get to explore. There was one shoot I had where I was shopping at a grocery store and then 12 hours later I was jumping around and screaming about zombies attacking Los Angeles! It’s so fun, and amazing to me that I get to do this!

There are some things I’m quite excited about! A short film I was in earlier this year has its first screening in June at the Palm Springs Film Festival which I am very excited about. I am also about to start filming end of May, early June for a short film with a team I absolutely love. I just got back from UCSB after speaking at conference about Women In Media, which was such a great experience! It was my first time speaking at a panel and though I was nervous, I had so much fun!
I’ve got some really cool things in the works!

On the modelling side of things, I’ve been working with brands like Yitty, Fabletics and Syddel to name a few, as an ambassador where I get to model some amazingly comfortable and cute pieces of clothing and jewellery.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I would say there definitely are a couple of things that have made an impact in my career. One for sure I would say is the Backstage podcast. It always helps me get out of my head and back to focusing on why I want to pursue this career. One of the other skills I’ve learned throughout my career and schooling is to leave everything on the stage and to not choose the safe option. I tend to get in my head and end up not allowing myself to fully let myself go when performing. I always have great ideas for a performance/ audition but at the last minute I stop myself and choose the safe option. You have to be bold, and choose the “weird” option, because it may book you your big break! And lastly, one that I will always take with me, the people on the other side of the table are rooting for you. The casting directors, producers and directors on the other side of the audition room are rooting for you and want you to get it!

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

I would say an area of growth/improvement for me in the past year would be, my consistency with reaching out to brands. Within that past 12-14 months, I have signed on to work with brands like Yitty and Fabletics along with various jewellery brands. Yitty actually asked me to come in and shoot for them at their headquarters, where I was able to meet and talk to Lizzo! Because of this connection, I messaged the team at Yitty to try and work with Fabletics. They sent my information to Fabletics and within the next couple of days, I was signed on to work with them as well!
Reaching out and networking is such a scary thing for me, but a random email and message can change the direction of your career. It’s always a great reminder for me whenever I am nervous about reaching out and networking but a simple “hello!” can make your career!

Another area of growth for me would be my self care and making sure I am healthy and happy. In this industry, it is so so important to make sure you are healthy and happy inside and out. There are many personal things I have and am still trying to overcome within the past year, and it is so important to have a team around you who supports you and encourages you to keep going. It is also very important that you remind yourself that you deserve what you have, you deserve to be happy, to eat, to live, to be loved by others and most importantly by yourself.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_ericaamae_/

Image Credits

Rocky Chang, UCSB, Jessi Martinez