Meet Mia Ventura Lucas

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mia Ventura Lucas a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Mia, 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 mostly from my parents. From an early age they taught me that no matter what the work was, we should do it to the best of our abilities. Things don’t always work out the way we wish them to, but we should always focus on doing our best, so that we remain proud of the work we deliver. Things lead to other things and often our most insignificant tasks are cumulative and amount to big changes in our lives, they build character. If we always perform at our highest level, we are able to remain with a clear conscience.
My parents lived up to these things and I guess being around them really created an impression on me. I am also a big perfectionist, so slacking isn’t really an option for my personality.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am an actor and singer-songwriter. I am based of New York but I try working around the world, just recently I was at the studio in Portugal recording a song for the new film ‘SUNDRA’ by nyc-based Brazilian director Marcio Fein.
My brand? It’s funny you ask. because as actors we are always being asked to define our ‘type’, our ‘brand’. I must confess that I often struggle with keeping up with the trends and showcasing my brand on social media. Overall as an actor, I try to stay truthful to my roots and who I’ve always been. I am Portuguese, so although I can play American roles, I want to keep the things in my background that make me unique. I’ve been called ‘too exotic’ to play an American, which I fully ignored. Ultimately, everyone is gonna have a different opinion of you or what you should be like, but as long as you stick to what comes naturally to you, you will be ok. Often we try to imitate trends, but trends come and go, but authenticity takes courage and can be spotted a mile away.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The first quality I can think of is resilience, which to be quite honest, I’m often lacking. My mentors used to say ‘Stay in your line, when you compare yourself to others you’ll lose your ground’. It’s true and so I think resilience and self confidence are some of the best qualities you can have to help you be successful. If you are resilient you will look for options, alternatives, you won’t take no for an answer. Resilience will help you stay in your lane and focus on your goals.

Another area that I find important is community. Places like NY and LA can be quite lonely. I wouldn’t be here where I am today without the people that lifted me along the way. If you’re kind, people will repay you in kindness, and a strong sense of community and friendship can really help you stay grounded and, most importantly, inspired. If you are around people who understand your battles, those battles get easier.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

We are facing a hard time in the industry. Post covid and with two strikes last year, the work has been slow and sporadic. I think for actors it’s often difficult to remind ourselves that this industry is a marathon, not a race, so you might not see results just yet, but they will come if you keep up your good work. Also, if you are not being chosen, it is difficult to remain optimistic and keep your motivation.

It’s not that I am particularly low on work at the moment, I am actually in rehearsals for an upcoming play at Theatro Latea in New York, but I’d say these are the challenges I that most affect me. Still, we remain positive!

Contact Info:

Image Credits

HS: @cvrphoto
analogs: Ben Eustace

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