We were lucky to catch up with Christopher Bunyi recently and have shared our conversation below.
Christopher, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I suppose my goal of a career in the entertainment industry can be considered my purpose. It’s difficult to solidify that term as the the definition of what my pursuit has been but when I think about it, it is apt.
My initial exposure to the performing arts came as an opportunity of convenience. I had spent my Sophomore year of high school back in my family home of Jacksonville, FL and had an extra month of vacation before moving back to LA due to how the school year is structured compared to the west coast. To occupy myself, I ended up joining the summer musical that my school was putting on and immediately I was hooked. The music, the dancing, but most of all the community. The comradery that came with everyone putting so much effort into bringing joy to people through performance was nothing like I’ve experienced until then.
After returning to Los Angeles, I continued seeking out that feeling doing show after show in High School and College. Initially I did it as a hobby, having put my professional sights on following my mother’s career path of Nursing. However, no matter what I did, I found myself constantly gravitating back to performing. I couldn’t seem to escape it and that fire continued to burn.
In the end, I eventually change my major to Theatre and got into the Claire Trevor School of the Arts in UC Irvine where I met even more talented people who all shared the same fire I held in myself. Getting to collaborate with people like that only served to temper my resolve to continue performing. I was exposed to all sorts of art; dance, music, dramatic versus comedic. I consumed everything that was presented to me and when I graduated, I made the decision to try to make a life as an actor.
That journey is still happening to this day, with the various successes and failures that come with any career pursuit, but I don’t think I could do anything else. Nothing gives me the joy, excitement, and fulfillment that performing gives me and being here, creating this artform, and sharing that joy, excitement, and passion feels more and more like my true purpose everyday.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I may have answered this all when I was talking about my purpose haha but like I said previously I am an actor and improvisor based out of Los Angeles. Aside from doing commercials and pursuing television roles, I perform with my improv groups, Rockin Awesome Improv Show and Room To Improv in LA and with my sketch comedy group No MSG Added in Anaheim.
These groups serve as a way for me and my friends to temper grow in our craft of comedy. Not only that but Room To Improv and No MSG are both Asian-American based groups that foster a sense of community in both our passion and who we are culturally.
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?
I think persistence, drive, and love would be key qualities for me. Persistence, Drive and Love all go hand in hand. You keep going after your goal no matter what life throws at you and no matter how long it takes. Your love of the craft keeps you hungry to achieve it and every taste of it you get fuels you even more.
The only real advice I have for people starting off on this same journey as me is to be honest with yourself. You love the idea of your goal but can you love the entire process? The journey to your goal is going to be 90% of your experience and you need to love that just as much as when you book a project or else you’ll burn out fast.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
My number one obstacle for me is myself. I have so much self doubt that stops me from being 100% confident in my abilities. That self doubt holds me back. My mind will compare myself with my friends and collogues and tell me “you should be further along”.
But step one to battling this is recognizing this issue. “Comparison is the death of Joy” Reminding myself that I love this craft and that everyone has their own journey and I am no different helps my shake this.
Image Credits
i have the rights to all these photos
