We were lucky to catch up with Simon Shih recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Simon, thank you so much for agreeing to open up about a sensitive and personal topic like being fired or laid-off. Unfortunately, there has been a rise in layoffs recently and so your insight and experience with overcoming being let go is relevant to so many in the community.
After losing my job of 20 years, I felt panic and loss for about a week. But after reflection on my career and knowing that it was something I just did for money and found no value in it, I made a list of things I was qualified for. After making the list, I remembered that as a teen, I wanted to be an actor and added it to the list. I was 52 and in a decent financial position, so I decided to take the chance. I moved to Atlanta, signed up for a couple acting classes and discovered a love for acting.
While continuing acting classes over the next few months, I applied what I learned from owning my own business, learning new skills and my career, to acting. I did one thing towards acting every day; whether it was reading, classes, submitting to roles, auditioning, research or writing. If I did one thing each day, it was one step closer to reaching my goal of being a working actor,
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 have been acting for a little over a year now and I have 10 short films, 7 feature films and 2 commercials under my belt. I also have a talent agent here in Atlanta, an agent in St Louis/Chicago and am managed by an agency out of LA. My focus is now mainstream projects in hopes of booking larger roles in film and TV. Because things have progressed quickly for me and what I do seems to work, I started writing a blog to try and help new actors to break into acting or progress their careers. It’s www.simonshih.net.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Focus – I am hyper focused on acting and my goals in acting. Drive – My passion for acting feed my drive. Failure is not an option.
Skills – All the skills have been learned during my journey. I am constantly trying to improve my skills with classes, reading, and networking. This industry is highly competitive and I will not allow anyone to outwork me.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
I consider myself an introvert and am very selective about who I spend my time with. However, networking is essential in all business, including acting. I have gotten better about making myself get out there and meet people, but specifically keeping up with the relationships I have made.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.simonshih.net
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/simon.actorish
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@simon.actorish
