XS10 Magazine - Oct 2020

Page 26

SHEILA VOSSOUGH Actress on the Rise I was born into two vastly different cultures to a Persian father and an ethnically diverse mother of mixed Mediterranean and Native American descent. I began my story on a stage, like many young actors do. I was six, performing in an interactive, gaslight theatre rendition of Robin Hood (a comedy). But it wasn’t then, with all the laughter from the audience about the deadpan-faced child playing a moody Sheriff of Nottingham, that I fell in love with performing. Since I could crawl, my mission was to entertain people and make people laugh as a character in some movie or book. My favorite starring role was in a saga I began at age 3 as the family dog, a role full of barking at family, chasing my tail, and scratching my ear until I could channel that into theatre performances in school. Since then, something in my heart always made me feel home on a stage, or in front of a camera. However, my love for academia coupled with stories of how so little made it in acting led me on a life of educational achievement. I put all of my drive into schooling, taking extracurriculars and becoming the “star” student versus the star of my own dream. I fought that dream my whole life, leaving an application to UCLA’s undergraduate theatre and film school incomplete, and instead a double ma jor and triple minor filled my college years. I continued to find myself in performances, commercials, and modeling gigs throughout undergraduate years until I finally

23

realized my dream could not go ignored. I decided to pursue the most theatrical academia possible – law and the life of a lawyer, while simultaneously moving to Los Angeles to pursue my dream of acting. Dual careers of law and entertainment in a city full of possibilities is where we’re at in this story. I’m both a lawyer, and an actress (and have married the two into producer as well). My dream has been to build my own production company, sign the contracts, star in the pictures, and inspire others to believe that they can accomplish anything they set their heart on – even the impossible. I started acting when I was 6 years old in a local Gaslight theatre. The play was a comedic version of Robin Hood with a young cast. I played the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham. Ever since, it’s became an off and on career - my parents wanted me to aspire for an intellectual career, and were worried about the financial difficulties acting often has. I think I’ve always been a theatrical child, so I’d say informally since I learned how to crawl! Formally I started when I was 6 years old. Oh Lawd! So many! I have 21 IMDb credits on my acting side, and I probably have 10 plays under my belt.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.