Meet Erica Diederich

We recently connected with Erica Diederich and have shared our conversation below.

Erica, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

This is such a weird and specific story. But, way back in the day, 2013 I wanna say, I was taking Improv 201 at UCB. I was in my early 20’s at the time, just starting out in the real world and getting my bearing in not only the comedy world, but the business of being an actor. I had gained a lot of confidence through my time at college and was ready to hit the ground running, but believe me, I was intimidated. So, there I am, it’s like the second or third session of this class, I’m watching two of my classmates do a scene and it was hysterical. One girl in the scene, in particular, was SO funny. She was playing this kind of indifferent, simple, sincere character. All I could think was ‘How is she doing that?!’, ‘What is her secret?’, ‘This character is genius’, ‘What does she know that I don’t?’, ‘I’m never going to be able to do that!’, ‘What secret club is she meeting with that is giving her all the inside info that I’m not getting?’, etc etc. The normal spiraling shit, you get it.

After class that day a bunch of us decided to go out for gelato (nom nom, my favorite), this girl included. We all sat down with our treats and had lots of fun banter, and you’ll never believe it. This girl….WAS THE EXACT SAME PERSON AS SHE WAS IN HER SCENE. And, it hit me like a e-bike delivering a Grub Hub order. There was no secret club. There was no insider info I was missing. The character that I was so enthralled by in her scene was her. She was literally just being herself. I know we hear the phrase ‘just be yourself’, all the time. But, I suddenly had a whole new level of understanding. The only thing I needed to do was take a seat at the table and fight like hell with something only I could bring. Myself. And that would be enough. It really was an epiphany kind of moment. And now, gelato holds an even more special place in my heart.

I don’t know that myself, or anyone for that matter, will truly, 100% overcome imposter syndrome. I still get flashes of it every now and again. But, man I have come a long way, and I feel unstoppable.

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 a queer actor and comedian living in Brooklyn, NY. God…I really love acting. It’s just the coolest thing to me. To feel myself taking on someone else’s circumstances, their story, is something that I will never get tired of. And, of course, being in comedy, we gotta talk about the laughs. I LOVE to make people laugh. I love getting laughs. When someone comes up to me after a show and says something like ‘Oh my god, that sketch you did, I was dying laughing.’ As Edward Cullen once said ‘It’s like my own personal brand of heroin.’

I started out doing musical theatre in my younger years. I was in choir and dance classes, the whole shebang. I went to Niagara University and got my BFA. And, it was at there that I learned I was funny. My first main stage role at Niagara was Pimple the Maid in ‘She Stoops To Conquer’. With a total of about 20 minutes of stage time I had so many classmates, teachers, and just audience members I’d never met tell me how funny I was and how they couldn’t wait for me to come back on stage. I knew then that I had discovered something in me I never expected. I was good at comedy.

Fast forward to graduation, I knew I wanted to move to NYC and everyone and their mother was telling me ‘You HAVE to checkout UCB!’ And, so I did! That’s really where I started in the city. Doing improv. Seeing shows. Making friends. It’s important to find your community. People who have similar goals as you. They really keep you going and inspire the hell out of you.

I won’t go through my WHOLE journey, but fast forward to now…I’m a working actor, performing characters and sketch all over the city, and I’ve had the privilege of booking a good handful of commercials in the past few years. Currently, I’m with Stewart Talent, auditioning and just chugging along. I’ve been trying to break into tv and film for a couple years now with Stewart, but it is HARD. Especially right now. I’m determined though. I mean, this is what I want to do and I love it with all my being, so what’s the use in giving up?

In the meantime, I love making my own projects with friends. I’ll find any way I can to create. One of my best friends, Laura Ornella, just released her short film ‘Diane DeNiro’ which I was lucky enough to be a part of, both cast and crew. It’s SO good. And I’m not just saying that cause I’m in it. My debut web series ‘This Shit Is ____’ was picked up by Laugh After Dark TV and is currently streaming on their (free!) app. I’m really excited about that. It was such a labor of love and a project I built from the ground up. Give it a watch! Lastly, another friend and I are in the editing stages of a new series ‘The Indecision Zone’. We’re looking at an early 2026 release. I don’t want to give too much away, but let’s just say it has 2am, I’m stoned and watching Adult Swim vibes.

If you want to see me on stage, I’m all over the place, but specifically, I perform with my BoogieManja Sketch group ‘Fever Dream’ every month, with a current residency at Second City NYC. Our next show is December 18th at 9:30pm!

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?

Self-Confidence:
You’ve got to have confidence in yourself. At the end of the day, you are your biggest advocator. While this industry involves a lot of passion, it’s important to remember that it’s still an industry. Casting directors are looking to hire someone who can do that job. Look at it this way…if you were hiring someone to renovate a house you wouldn’t hire someone who says ‘Well gosh, I hope I can do a good job. I’m probably not the best, but I’ll try my darnedest.’ No dude! You gotta go in there and say ‘ You want renovations?! Mother f***** I’ll design you a kitchen that Gordon Ramsay could only dream of.’ Now, that’s not to say go into the room, cockiness a-blazing. Always lead with respect and integrity. But, it really is true what they say. If you don’t believe in yourself, nobody else will.

Organization:
Adulting is hard. Adulting and getting an acting career off the ground is even harder. Organization can make the journey SO much easier. I actually still use a good old fashioned paper planner. Something about writing with a pen that makes me feel more accomplished. Plus, it gives me an excuse to buy new, fun pens. My whole life schedule is in there. It frees up head space so I can focus on other things, knowing that what I need to do tomorrow is already laid out. I also have an incredibly organized system for my various comedic props and costumes. Wig crate. Check. Prop knives and fake blood capsules container. Check. Suspenders and rubber chicken bin. Check. …not so much the last one, but you get it.

Networking:
We’ve all heard the saying. It’s about who you know. And in a lot of ways, that’s true. A lot of the jobs I’ve gotten have been with casting directors that I’ve met through workshops. The projects I’ve done with friends happened because, well, we’re friends. Expand your circle. Keep in touch with people. Offer up your special skills for other’s projects. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

Well, first thing’s first. Breathe. Sometimes I forget that. It’s amazing what a few deep breaths and a 15 minute meditation on Headspace will do for your mental health. HIGHLY suggest.

I also love making lists. A lot of times when I get overwhelmed it has to do with me thinking about all the things I have to do, want to do, short term goals, long term goals, everyday life things, acting career things, you name it. Putting it all out on paper in front of me really helps. It feels like that scene from Harry Potter where Dumbledore uses his wand to take thoughts and memories out of his head and he puts them in the pensieve. If you know, you know. If you don’t know, get on it.

Another time I get overwhelmed is when I start comparing my career path to others. ‘They got that thing already and I haven’t’, ‘How old were they when they got their first co-star’, ‘What am I doing wrong that they’re doing right’, etc etc. Whenever these thoughts invade my brain in I circle back to my first piece of advice. Breathe. And I remember that being an actor is a career. And like any other career it takes time, and patience (which I confess I lack at times). Nobody’s journey looks the same. And it’s a constant balance of booking, not booking, booking, not booking, booking, and so on and so forth. I remember that I’m passionate, hard working and dedicated to what I do, and that’s all I can be. The right jobs will come when they’re meant to.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ericadiederich.com
• Instagram: @ericamirandaa
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ericamirandadiederich
• Other: https://laughafterdark.tv/show-details/this-shit-is-____

Image Credits

Mindy Tucker/With Reservation
YellowBelly Photography