Meet Alyssa Austin

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alyssa Austin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alyssa below.

Alyssa, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

My Grandfather, Eduardo Giliberti, once told me as a child that, “The life of an artist can be a bumpy one. It’s full of ups and downs and it’s how you ride out the low periods.” As an Artist, I believe some of us sometimes question our own work. Will people understand what I’m trying to say? Will it get twisted and turned into something I never saw coming. I’m a sensitive soul and don’t always feel ready to share a story I’m working on.

Growing up in the film industry as a child actor. I faced a lot of rejection which caused me to question my worth at about age twelve when puberty had taken hold and I was in my awkward teens. I got really caught up trying to be what everyone wanted. This trait lasted a long time in my life and sometimes rears its ugly head. We all have monsters under the bed that like to reach out from time to time. The moment you decide to spend time with that monster that’s when the healing begins.

I would encourage other artists to calm their nerves and dig into the work no matter the medium. Focus on yourself. It doesn’t matter what other actresses/actors/filmmakers are doing. What’s important is the story. The story you are working with. How can you do service to the story? I always thought it was a huge tragedy that Peg Entwistle committed suicide. She was a stage actress who had difficulty transitioning to film. At a low point in her career she ended up taking her life by jumping off the Hollywood Sign. Little did she know that her NYC stage performances had inspired a young girl in the audience named Betty Davis to become an actress. Peg Entwistle’s acting performances inspired one of Hollywood biggest careers. It makes me wonder, would she have jumped if she knew her power as an artist influenced and inspired others to do their best work. Not just show up, but do their best work! I’m not competitive but I believe in doing the work so I can compete at my top level if that makes sense. I like getting into the ring to do my best work figuratively. If you were a boxer would you be going into the ring to win or lose? I grew up playing soccer, where at the end of the game you shake the hand of your opponent and say good game. If you showed up and did your best, you respected the team that beat you. Because they beat you fair and square, no cheating. You all had the same odds, only thing that change the odds was the work you put in. You felt good that you lost out to someone that truly and honorably beat you, or if the tables were flipped I would hope the other side would feel the same. My soccer team ranked second in our divisions Championship. I protected that goal and goalie to the point I had to be carried off the field at the end of the game because of how hard I played that day and injuries I sustained. I gave it my all and lost, but that’s life sometimes. For our opponent to beat us that day I have to give them a hats off because my whole team was in lightening form. I enjoyed playing sports growing up because it focused more on skill and less about popularity. The popularity in sports usually comes from the athletes truly being incredible. Kobe comes to mind right now. I have to say there is something really classy about being able to shake your opponents hand afterwards and saying good game, and truly mean it.

Human beings tend to hold ourselves in these prisons of thought/pain/past experiences. If you sit with these narratives long enough you start to realize the keys to the cage were always in your hands. You are free to let go of your past. You are free to grow. You are free to move forward. You are free to love yourself, even if nobody else does. Love who you are, this is your life. You only get one. I like that one quote, ” Go laugh in places you cried, change the narrative”….had to look up the origin of who said that just now, turns out no wonder I like it, that saying comes from the Bible. Psalm 30:5 Your story is not finished yet. You will soon laugh in the places you have cried. Keep going.

Working with Harry Mastrogeorge helped rid myself of any Imposter Syndrome I had. He made me realize All great artist have to start somewhere. Wherever you are now you can start if you dedicate yourself to doing the work. I’m serious about doing the work. I don’t believe you have to go full method acting (not against anyone who does), it’s not what I thinks necessary to be a great artist. When I take on a role I do what I need to prepare by listening to the story. I don’t analyze a story I experience it. I believe working with Harry made me a better person and got me back in touch with my humanity and the happiness I have performing for other’s brings me. At heart I love storytelling. If I can encourage you I would say, dream. Dream big! You might have to work a normal job to keep the bills paid. But work that job, pick a story/role you want to work on/carve out time during your week to dream and digest the story without judgement. Allow yourself to be and accept who you are in the story. How can you have imposter syndrome in acting when you’re pretending to be someone else?.. If you are really pretending to be that other person your personal thoughts should melt away.

Actors that inspire and have inspired me over the years. I’m sure I won’t remember them all off the top of my head but here are a few, River Phoenix (Stand By Me, Night in the life of Jimmy Reardon, Little Nikita), Benicia Del Toro (Traffic, the Usual Suspects, Snatched), Angelina Jolie (Girl Interrupted, Gia, Foxfire, Maria), any Sydney Poitier film, Richard Dryfuse (Jaws, American Graffiti, Mr. Holland’s Opus), Jonathan Brandis (Neverending Story, Sidekicks), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Kinky Boots, American Gangster) Johnny Depp (Edward Scissorhands, Pirates of the Caribbean, Cry Baby, Finding Neverland), Bo Hopkins (The Killer Elite, Midnight Express), John Voight (Midnight Cowboy, Deliverance, Tomb Raider), Nicolas Cage (Moonstruck, ConAir, Gone in 60 Seconds, Lord of War, The Rock, City of Angels), Tatum O’Neal (Paper Moon, Bad News Bears, Basquiat), Ryan O’Neal (Love Story), Any Sean Connery Film, Any Harrison Ford film, Any Betty Davis or Joan Crawford film, Any Humphrey Bogart film, Any Lauren Bacall film, or Winona Ryder films. Anna Paquin films, Thora Birch (All I Want for Christmas, Monkey Business, Hocus Pocus, American Beauty, Ghost World), John Malkovich (Dangerous Liaisons), Robert Redford (The Great Gatsby, The Way We Were, The Horse Whisperer) Any Marylin Monroe, or Elvis Movie, Jackie Chan (Shanghai Noon, Rush Hour), Barbara Streisand (Hello Dolly, The Mirror has Two Faces), Tonya Danza projects, Hilary Swank (Boys Don’t Cry, Million Dollar Baby), Any Jim Caviezel film, Jackie Chan films, Any Tom Cruise movies (Yes, I love All the Mission Impossible films and will continue to enjoy them as long as they are made), any Michael Douglas film as an Actor &/or Producer (the quality in his work off screen and on is always there), Anthony Hopkins (Silence of the Lambs, Elephant Man), Renee Zellweger (Bridget Jones Diary, Cold Mountain, Chicago), Faye Dunaway (Chinatown, Bonnie & Clyde, 2 Day in the Condor, Network), Shirley Temple movies, Shirley MacLaine (The Apartment, Terms of Endearment), Gena Rowlands (Gloria, The Notebook), Catherine Zeta Jones (The Mask of Zorro, Traffic), John Travolta (Saturday Night Fever, Urban Cowboy, Get Shorty, Pulp Fiction), Bruce Lee films, Kiera Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean, Domino, Love Actually, Atonement), Bill Paxton films, Michelle Pfeiffer (Scarface, Grease 2, Batman Returns, Dangerous Minds, What Lies Beneath), Eminem (8 Mile), J.Lo ( Selena, Anaconda, Out of Sight, The Cell) Lorna Luft (Grease 2), Keanu (the Matrix), Emma Thompson (Cruella, Sense and Sensibility, Much Ado About Nothing), Christian Bale (Batman, Newies, The Prestige, The Fighter), Kenneth Branagh films, Val Kilmer (Top Secret, Top Gun, The Doors, Batman Forever, The Ghost in the Darkness), Any Denzel Washington Film, Deer Hunter is an incredible film to experience every actor serving top notch performances, Shawshank Redemption falls into this category of movie as well. Meg Ryan (When a Man Love’s a Woman, Addicted to Love), John Lone (The Last Emperor), Brad Renfro, (The Client, Tom & Huck), Leonardo DiCaprio (What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Blood Diamond, Inception), Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond, Amistad), Julia Roberts (Sleeping with the Enemy, Pretty Woman, Erin Brockovich, American Sweethearts), Russel Crowe (Gladiator, Proof of Life), Whitney Houston (Waiting to Exhale, The Body Guard), Jodie Foster (Taxi, Silence of the Lambs, Nim’s Island), Juliet Lewis (Cape Fear), Ray Fines (English Patient), Brad Pitt (Legends of the Falls, Fight Club, Babylon), Dennis Hopper films, Any Robin Williams film, Quentin Tarantino film, Chuck Noris films, Angela Basset films, Any Deniro, Pacino or Hoffman (Midnight Cowboy) film, Steve Martin, Gabriel Burns & Cathrine O’hara projects, Jessica Alba (Into the Blue, Sin City), Paul Walker films, Kate Winslet (Heavenly Creatures, Titanic, The Dressmaker), Antonio Banderas films, Sandra Bullock films, Nathan Lang films/broadway performances/tv shows). Nicole Kidman (Far & Away, Practical Magic, Cold Mountain), Liza Minnelli (Arthur, Cabaret), Richard Gere (American Gigolo, Primal Fear, The Jackal, Unfaithful), Josh Harnett (Pearl Harbor, Black Hawk Down, The Faculty, Trap), Ben Affleck and Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting), Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians), Whoopi Goldberg (Ghost, Sister Act), Ray Liotta films, Joe Pesci films, Patrick Swayze movies, Any of Awkwafina’s work, Emma Stone (Cruella, Easy A), Bowen Yang (SNL), Demi Moore (Ghost, Indecent Proposal, About last Night, A Few Good Men), Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids), Drew Berrymore (ET, Everafter, Never Been Kissed, Riding in Cars with Boys), Ethan Hawk (Great Expectations), Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black), Heath Ledger (A Knights Tale, Dark Knight), Halle Berry (Monster’s Ball, Swordfish), Ryan Gosling (The Notebook, Drive), Natasha Lyonne (The Slums of Beverly Hills, Orange is the New Black), Goldie Hawn (Butterflies are Free, House Sitter), Divine films, Tom Hulce (Amadeus), Sylvester Stallone (Rocky). I enjoy Alice Braga’s work along with Jena Ortega (I’m looking forward to following her career), Jack Nicholson movies (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Easy Rider, As Good As it Gets, The Shinning, The Departed), Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives), I always enjoy an Alan Cumming performance, Mel Brooks films, Brando & James Dean movies, Mickey Rouke (Angel Heart, 9 1/2 Weeks, Sin City), Shelly Long (Cheers, The Money Pit, Troop Beverly Hills), Mike Meyers (Austin Powers, So I married an Axe Murderer)…These are just to name a few actors/actresses/films to check out if your searching for more inspiration on your path…. I’m not going to bore you with anymore film talk or we will be here all day. I love films and filmmaking. I’m sure I’m forgetting many names & titles but we can save all those names for a book down the road. This is just a taste to get you started.

If you are looking for inspiration from other artists I would check out some of the film titles I mentioned above. Or take time to watch one of your current favorite artist and start paying attention to what they are doing and how they carry themselves. If you put the work in, your nerves, still might show up from time to time but instead of feeling I don’t deserve to be here soon your nerves will calm and you will know in your heart you got this. Do your best to be prepared. Training helps prepare you for the world of being on set, if you’re prepared it’s easier for you to stay focused when it comes to the chaos and distractions that can be found behind the scenes. The crew has a job to do, and so do you. You NEVER want to keep the crew and other actors waiting on set because you weren’t prepared.

We all have things that make us feel insecure. The key is to embrace your imperfections. Love yourself, love every part of yourself that makes you unique. The 90’s was about the power of the individual try to tap into that. I still march to the beat of that drum. Stay in your own lane. Focus on what you are creating. No one is you and that is your super power. If you put the work in who says you can’t believe you are Elizabeth the Queen of England, just ask Cate Blachet in the film, Elizabeth. Her performance will take your breath away.

I still love going to the movies in person because I love the break from reality you get. The peek into someone else’s life. Your problems will still be there when the movie is over. Movies inspire me to dream of unknown worlds.

I feel it is important as an actor to stay in class when you’re not working so you continue to push yourself to grow during what could be considered a dormant time. I look for teachers with Harry’s influence of teaching. If you can’t afford class you can still put the time in working on your material by yourself or if you have a friend that is also in the arts see if they will practice playing pretend with you. If acting is in your spirit you will find a way.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

The only place I find myself still experiencing some imposer syndrome still when it comes to when I choose to express myself in the painting medium. I love to paint but until recently I’ve been too shy to take the proper steps in actually beginning to show my artwork professionally. I follow some creatives in the art world on Instagram that have really helped me believe in my art and want to take the leap of letting other’s judge my work again. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. No matter the response to my paintings I know in my heart that my works are beautiful and make me happy. I hope they inspire others to have more fun with colors.

As an artist you might not have success in every medium you try but I believe it’s an important part of your self expression and the journey of finding out who you really are.

Being able to bounce around my artistic mediums keeps things fresh for me. I love acting, writing, and filmmaking. Painting is very soothing for me when I feel inspired to do it. I try to be open when it comes to my writing. I practice a technique I’ve formulated called, Intuitive Writing. I try to pay attention to what my soul is trying to say and respect the story that comes out. One you get a first draft down you can always go back and fix. It’s just important to start and finish that first draft. Then your story is real.

I got my start in the film industry as a child actress. I group in an industry family so when I wasn’t working I was running around behind the scenes on set. I became fascinated with filmmaking. I always love a huge soundstage. There is something magical about being inside one of them on a studio lot. After a long journey I recently found myself as an adult wanting to express myself as an actress again and that led me to screenplay writing. I focused on writing stories I wanted to be in. I’m producing my first feature film in 2025. My website will be launching soon.

I hope some of my insight can, Pay if Forward, towards the next generation of artists in the United States and around the world.

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?

1. Put your phone down and be present.

This is something I myself sometimes have to work on. Harry Mastrogeorge helped break me of this. I believe with the constant communication we as human being have lost the value of other real human beings. Not fantasies. Our insecurities make us hide behind our phones instead of making eye contact with the person in line at the super market and potentially meeting someone and having a small interaction that can impact the course of your life. I’m not perfect but I try to be a positive force in peoples life’s when I can be. I’ve learned there is also a limit and I must take care of myself first. You can’t pour from an empty cup.

3. Take care of yourself. Your health is important.

4. Time. Take time to master your skill. Put your phone down and put the work in. I’ve always lived by, The Lord loves a working man, meaning if you’re showing up day in day out with a good heart and pure intentions he sees you. I don’t believe you can preach any belief unless you are walking the walk. I use the bible as my guidelines. I may fall short at times but I always get back up and try again. Never give up on yourself.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

Leadership. I find myself wanting to be a better role model since entering a leadership role. How can I ask anyone in my company do something I am not willing to do myself? I want to continue to grow in character. I take my leadership roles very seriously. Personally I can be a bit shy so this wasn’t a role I stepped into with ease. I find that being a good female leader is what I would imagine a good mother would be. I personally don’t have any children, but I think of my mother, and the mother’s I know. One issue I have is I internalize a lot, I’m working on getting better at my communication skills.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alyssaaustin.com
• Instagram: @[email protected]

Image Credits

Photography By Lesley Bohm
@lesleybohmphoto
Make up & Hair By Brigette
@brigettepaintsfaces