We were lucky to catch up with Elizabeth Valenti recently and have shared our conversation below.
Elizabeth, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I think my work ethic comes from my family and seeing how hard they had to work in order to put me in dance classes and attend a good school. We didn’t have a lot extra growing up, and they taught me what it was like to be a hard worker. Whether it be school or work, I always try to put 100% into whatever I’m doing and focus on why I’m doing what I’m doing.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m originally from New Jersey, and moved out to Los Angeles in 2018 after graduating with a BFA from Boston University. I moved out here as an actor working in casting, which I still do to this day. I’ve learned so much as an actor working in casting, and vice versa. Along the way, I started producing independently in 2021 after the pandemic (with work really starting on projects in 2020 with my old roommates and longtime friends/collaborators Reilly Anspaugh and Daniel Rashid). In the last few years, I’ve acted in shows like The Conners, Minx, and Hacks; worked in casting on several shows and films like Accountant 2 and Do Revenge; and produced many projects like Puppy Love, that I co-wrote and starred in as well. I love getting to work in a comedy space and work as an artist generally. Especially now, I feel like art can either be an escape or a way to focus all of my energy into something rewarding and positive for myself, my collaborators, and audience members.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
So, I can be very scatter brained, but in a good way. I’m able to juggle multiple tasks or projects at the same time, while making sure items are getting checked off my to do list in a timely fashion. I like to put in time and effort into each task, while also still making sure I can accomplish my goals for the day/week/month/year. I’d also say the start of this interview mentioned work ethic and I know I have a good work ethic. I don’t like to sit around very much. I’ve always had a go-go-go mentality, and that definitely helps juggling multiple hats in the entertainment industry. I’m also extremely extroverted, and I know that’s allowed me to meet many future collaborators, and now some lifelong friends, through casting waiting rooms, film festivals, and sets. If I had any advice to those earlier in their journey, I would say to go to events that you hear of in your area, whether it’s a filmmaker mixer, or a local film festival. It’s great to surround yourself with art to see what you do and don’t like! It’s also a great way to start making friends that may end up being people you work with down the line. That is my favorite thing in the world: 90% of the people I work with are already my friends, and then I make more friends along the way with each new project I get the opportunity to work on.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Oh my gosh, always! I love when I get to meet new collaborators. Honestly, the two most important qualities I look for in a collaborator are kindness and communication. If you’re kind, I want to be around you. I like surrounding myself with good people! Also, empathetic people will understand you at all stages of collaboration. As well, you must be a good communicator. This is key for me when deciding if I want to work with someone. If details fall through the cracks, or something isn’t communicated because it was only relayed to one person on the team and not the other, it can really delay a project or make the project’s vision be scrambled. It’s so important to be clear and communicative (even overly so!) with collaborators. I honestly would say these two qualities bleed into my relationships and friendships as well. I really value kindness and communication.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.elizabethvalenti.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabeth_valenti/
Image Credits
Jack Rain, Avi Kaye, ABC, Alex Morgan
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