We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aryaman (Ary) Satish a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Aryaman (Ary), so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
All throughout middle and high school I knew I was a performer, whether it be on the football pitch, on a court somewhere or on the stage doing theater. I loved to showcase my ability, try overcoming new challenges or obstacles in front of an audience and evoking emotion out of people through some form of story. When it got to the latter years of high school, when one needs to figure out what they want to start doing in college and afterward, I started to do a lot of soul searching. No matter what I thought of, I kept coming back to wanting to perform. Because of this, it didn’t really take me very much time to soul search, because I knew in my heart of hearts that I really wanted to entertain, tell stories and do so by being an actor. I loved the idea of creating an identity from the ground up and bringing life to a character that doesn’t yet exist. I loved the idea of being known as someone who has the opportunity to switch into other people’s stories and the talent to do so in a genuine way. It has always felt like a release to me, to be able to go in and out of suspending my own disbelief and letting life go in whichever way the story goes, even for just a small amount of time. Growing up having been a part of a movie and cinema-loving family, I was always transfixed by movies on the big screen and felt that there is no cooler job than to be an actor. Regardless of the fame, stardom or any public attention that comes with it, it was always the talent and craft in being an actor that amazed me. To show a higher level of control over behavior, emotion and ability to convey meaning is a superpower for any human being. I truly feel it can carry them far in life. The idea of being able to do that as my trade made it so much cooler.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am an actor, producer and model. Acting had always come first and I think the lanes of producing and modeling came along with that in their own special way. Within acting, I perform in a multitude of mediums, whether it be films, short films, commercials, music videos, theater or voice over. I am happy and proud to say that I have performed internationally and across several countries, including The United States (in NYC, doing Off-Broadway and more), India and Sri Lanka. Being able to have grown up in and also work in these countries have truly given me a very holistic perspective to storytelling and have allowed me to collaborate with artists all across the world. What truly makes this special, is that I am able to focus on trying to find the things in this industry which can unify audiences from all across the globe, regardless of culture, language or societal norms. When in the pursuit of this, I find that there’s nothing more magical than seeing what can move everyone or even what the simple real-life things are which so many can relate to. Along with acting, I have been able to aid my experience in doing so through producing short films – such as “Take Care” and “Mise En Place” which have gone on to be accepted and win awards at film festivals across the globe – and also model, which has allowed me to present so many different visual versions/narratives of me for the camera. Currently, I am in Mumbai, India, exploring the industry and scene here. I am loving my time here and am fully immersing myself into the society, language and culture. Having been born in and raised by a family of people from Kerala, India, the culture and language that I am used to is so different in some ways to what I find here and yet so similar in others. Discovering both has been such a gift. Having come from New York City before this, working professionally there and also having graduated from their New York University Tisch School of the Arts in Drama, I’m able to take my talents and training from abroad and exercise it here, in a completely different entertainment industry.
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?
Here are three points of advice:
1. Don’t be afraid of putting yourself out there. Sometimes it’s hard to ask things of people, or reach out to people in search of opportunities because you are afraid of overstepping, being annoying or asking too much, but! It’s true in this industry, closed mouths don’t get fed. You need to really be assertive and not spend too much time worrying about how the person you’re reaching out to will feel about you contacting them. Chances are, the person you’re reaching out to is in a position of power and has the ability to give you some lead or opportunity. That means that they probably were once in the very same boat you are in right now, having to reach out and follow up with people repeatedly. This advice of course doesn’t mean to completely throw caution to the wind and hound folks you are reaching out to. But just ask yourself whether by reaching out to this person for an opportunity you are continuing to do everything you can to make something happen for yourself. Would you ever regret not having reached out down the line? If you think you would, then just do it!
2. Find a fundamental base level of contentment in your life. One thing that comes with this industry and working in it are a lot of ups and downs. You may have times when business is booming and you have back to back jobs lined up keeping you busy, but you may also have times when no opportunities are coming your way. It’s no secret that this industry is tough to be successful in consistently, so you have to be able to find a base level of lifestyle that you are happy and comfortable in. Once you do this, then you know that despite how high you may go in your career after that, even if you ever come down from that height, you will still be okay. This may look very practical to some, like with finances: having a routine day job that allows you to make a base level of income that you can live happily in. This may also look very cerebral to others, in being able to find peace with yourself and your life, even in the rockiest of times. By doing this, you keep a mental and practical net for yourself. So no matter where you go, there is only up from there.
3. Keep friends around you. I cannot stress this enough. This field and path can be a very lonely and individualistic one. At the end of the day, YOU are your own brand and you need to be able to sell your talents. Despite this, no one can truly do this alone. In order to make it somewhere, it takes a village. So keep the people around you who you think will help keep you going and who you can keep supporting as well. This is essential. Don’t try to do this all on your own.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
By allowing me to follow my dreams. There is a certain level of privilege that comes in being able to follow the lifestyle of being an actor. There is a certain level of support from others needed for actors in the beginning to get on their own two feet. By having two parents who never wavered from supporting me in pursuing acting has made the biggest world of difference in my life. I could not do what I do without them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.arysatish.com
- Instagram: @arysatish_
- Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/arysatish
- Other: IMDB: imdb.me/arysatish
Image Credits
Pictures by Nikolas Elrifi
