We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marine Léa Thomas a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Marine Léa, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
It’s a journey, truly. I still have so much to learn, but I’ve also come a long way.
I grew up as a very creative and somewhat confident child. I always performed in front of family members or loved to make my friends laugh. I was also a very sensitive child, and I had a hard time dealing with this sensitivity since I was the only hypersensitive one at home. It impacted my confidence, self-esteem, and self-image.
It wasn’t until I had a terrible time in college and attended drama school after graduation that I realized I had many preconceived notions about myself that were hurting my self-image, self-esteem, and, therefore, my confidence. I started unraveling it all while learning about my hypersensitivity.
I had a lot of fears about going into drama school that kept me stuck, such as owning my sensitivity, fear of being perceived as too much, among others. My fear of performing was overwhelming, and I was scared to fail in front of people, so I avoided it at all costs. This makes me question how I even got into drama school in the first place. Needless to say, my first 6 months in drama school were terrifying. But the only way was through to become the performer I knew I could be.
Doing the hard and scary things I’ve always wanted to do — essentially, being outside my comfort zone — develops my confidence and self-esteem. However, it’s an ongoing journey; once I’ve mastered one level or obstacle, there’s another one to reach.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am an actress, and I began pursuing acting after completing my education in business school. I attended a drama school in Paris and graduated three years later. I wanted to further my skills by learning more about method acting, so I decided to attend the Lee Strasberg Institute of Theatre and Film in New York City. Since moving to NY, I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with amazing creatives and build a community that inspires me daily to keep creating and persevering.
I got the chance to work with director Dana Verde on a short film titled ‘War is Never Civil.’ It is set in the near future, a couple flees their city to live on a remote farm to avoid the chaos of war. After living a peaceful existence, they are forced into defending themselves and an orphan child they are protecting against a soldier from the regime’s siege power.
The film is currently on its festival circuit and is scheduled to run until next year, having already been selected for multiple festivals across Europe.’War is Never Civil’ has been a lot of recognition internationally as it’s been part of multiple Official festival selections: the Rome Prisma Film Festival, the FB Arts Short Film Festival, the Diversity in Cannes Short Film & Web Series Showcase, and the Wirksworth Short Film Festival.
I also had the privilege of working with filmmaker/writer Nneka Julia on her debut short film titled ‘ Passing Through: The Highlands.’ A romantic getaway turns into an emotional reckoning when a young photographer realizes she’s been shrinking to keep her relationship afloat. A chance encounter leaves her with an aching choice between the comfort of what is and the pull of what could be. The film is set to begin its festival run later this summer.
You can learn more about these projects and my upcoming ones through my Instagram @marynlea or my website marineleathomas.com
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?
You need to have courage. We all have goals we want to achieve, but we’re too scared to pursue them. It requires courage to pursue anyway; it will transform you into the person you dream of becoming.
Gratitude. What is essential is to be grateful for where you are in your life. Even though you want to achieve your goals, being thankful while doing so will give you the energy and motivation to keep pushing forward, both in good and difficult times.
Follow your instincts when it comes to people you meet or creative choices while working on your projects. I feel like your instinct always knows what’s good and what’s not for you. It may not make sense to you immediately, but the reasons will become clear to you at some point. Following your instincts will save you time and potential headaches, and as a result, it will build your confidence in yourself and your work.
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?
It’s probably not being scared of taking up space. I grew up thinking that I was too much at times, so I often feel like I have to dim my light to make everyone feel comfortable. I didn’t want to bother anyone. I am working on not being afraid to be fully myself and express myself as I want, without being conscious of how people might feel or perceive me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.marineleathomas.com/
- Instagram: @maynelea
Image Credits
The headshot is by Ted Ely. Some of the other shots are from the short films ‘War is Never Civil’ and ‘Passing Through.’ The last shot is by @justjac.
