We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ann Robb. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ann below.
Ann, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
My mother died when I was six years old. My father remarried within a year, and I suddenly had a new mother and two new siblings and another child would soon be part of the family, a half-sister. When I was eight years old, our family moved to Guadalajara, Mexico for three years and I had to learn to speak fluent Spanish, in order to attend school and advance in grades, not to mention, communicate, in general. Needless to say, that was a lot of adjustment for a child, at an early age, but was probably the genesis of my resiliency.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Upon retirement in 2010, My husband and I moved to Savannah, GA. Having sung professionally all my life, I decided to go in a different direction, and I began taking acting classes. Soon, I was a props manager for a couple of plays and then began auditioning for roles. With several plays under my belt, I became interested in acting on film, having been an extra in a couple of movies. But I did not want to be background, I wanted to be in a principal role. Again, back to the classroom and soon, I got an agent and started getting roles in small films. Acting on film takes a lot of patience and resilience. It is a very competitive industry, and I am not a youngster. You must develop a thick skin and consider that “not getting the role”, does not mean rejection. You simply are not right for that part. On top of all that, the acting industry just survived a couple years of a pandemic and a yearlong strike, so those were lost years, over which I had no control. It has not deterred me- I love what I do.
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 have to say that having been in front of people (singing) for many years, helped me in terms of self-confidence and eliminated the fear of getting up in front of people. Taking classes and learning the craft was extremely important, and I continue to train, even though I am now a working actor. Meeting and getting to know other actors, learning from their knowledge, mistakes and successes was highly impactful. If I were going to give any advice to an aspiring actor, it would be to learn all you can, take all kinds of classes, practice at home and above all else, develop a tough skin and don’t take it personally when you don’t get a role.
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
I think that one definitely has to build on their strengths, but also have a life outside of the acting profession. The more well-rounded one is, the more experience they have to draw from, when approaching a role. I have many interests and I am always interested in learning new things. There is nothing as boring as someone who can only converse about one subject and in this industry, one has to have an outlet for the emotional roller-coaster of highs and lows that the industry goes through. Seek outlets that help you maintain a positive outlook. Ignore the nay-sayers and doubters (there will always be those kinds of people) and surround yourself with people who are supportive. I, personally, have a tribe of four other women actors, who are always rooting for me, and I am very lucky to have a husband who is my rock, who supports my journey and keeps my spirits up at all times.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://imdb.com.me/annrobb
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/annrobb1
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/ann.h.robb
Image Credits
Headshot- ValTphotography
