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 major and triple minor filled my college years. I continued to find myself in performances, commercials, and modeling gigs throughout undergraduate years until I finally 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.

Jason Bourne was my big budget, big screen debut. I’ve also been in Party Favor, Damages, and Sympatico, to name a few!

As for woeking on any current projects.. I am indeed! A film called Mavrick and Grundy, where I play a brunette italian-jersey version of Harley Quinn.

So many roles! I love playing ranges of characters, from an Italian impatient waitress in Brooklyn, to a Spanish rookie cop grieving the loss of her partner, to a more centered CW Cheerleader leading her team as captain. I’d definitely like to play more variations in comedy.

I have had so many roles! I love playing ranges of characters, from an Italian impatient waitress in Brooklyn, to a Spanish rookie cop grieving the loss of her partner, to a more centered CW Cheerleader leading her team as captain. I’d definitely like to play more variations in comedy.

It’s kind of fun to play make believe in crazy scenarios you could never enjoy in real life. Some of the darkest roles provide a sense of joy in telling a story that needs to be told to change systems in place, demand reform, or move people to see things in a different light. town and not being able to get seen much in it. I know the time is coming for the next project, but it becomes a challenge to tell yourself that you’re talented enough when colleagues surpass your audition count, or role count because they get the audition. It’s a tough place for a 20’s brunette, even an ethnically ambiguous one shockingly!

I don’t think an actor finds strength in thinking they could have done better - I think the growing comes from how a different viewpoint could have been explored and wasn’t. I think that’s the challenge - find as many viewpoints as possible for the role, so you can communicate how the writer, or the real life person, would have.

I think my favorite is the role I’m currently working on! She’s tough as nails, a bit psycho, blood thirsty, but super intelligent. She takes people by surprise. It’s a far stretch from being a lawyer in a courtroom, my other job!

My strong points as an actress... Listening, taking direction, and trying whatever is asked of me. I think the best work is in collaboration, so if a director says “try this” or “Feel that”, I’ll change like a chameleon to make it happen. That and I hope comradery and set cheer! I’m a happy person, and I like to make everyone on set feel a sense of joy when we’re at work/play.

I have learned so many things... From technicals of best angles, to tilt your head for a shot to capture the eyes, to emotions like the best way to find conviction needed in your soul. A great director is priceless.

And from the senior actors... Stop trying so hard to get it right!! That’s a big struggle for me. As a lawyer, you have to try hard, and you have to get it right (because there’s always a way to argue your case that will win!). As an actor, you have to let it all go, trust the work, and sometimes the biggest “fails” are the strongest work! There’s similarities in both professions, but definitely opposites.

My schooling: I earned my Juris Doctor, graduated in the top of my class from Loyola Law School, and I’m a licensed practicing attorney in the state of California. Prior to this, I graduated from University of Arizona with a major in Psychology and a triple minor, all the while pursuing my career in acting with frequent trips to Los Angeles and a modeling career out of Phoenix, Arizona.

My acting training: I’ve studied at numerous Los Angeles studios, including my current home John Rosenfeld Studios, Anthony Meindl’s studio, with Larry Moss, Beverly Hills Playhouse, UCB, Groundlings, Annie Grindlay studios, Killian’s commercial class and Judy Kain’s commercial studio. 24

Definitely all of the above in terms of training, and also - from storytelling on the screens, big and little! There’s so much amazing acting going on in the world, I love studying what another colleague is doing.

Have I matured as an actor? Absolutely, especially in terms of confidence. I am not the same actor I was when I got out here years ago.

Popularity... I think the great ones do with a grain of salt. So many amazing film stars express their gratitude and appreciation for the business that let them in, that ‘saw them’, and with how insanely tough of a town this is, I think that good natured gratitude is what keeps them where they are - and their hustle! Most film stars have their own production company and produce their own projects, which is why I went to law school.

Carry a film on your shoulders... Definitely. Bring it on, let’s do it Scorsese! I’m ready.

I think being on the set of Jason Bourne for 2 weeks in terms of a project at that level. It was one of the best moments of my life.

I’ve been blessed to have won multiple awards for theatrical performances in period plays, including a performance as Constance in Shakespeare’s King John and Helena in a Midsummer Night’s Dream. I made my screen debut in Jason Bourne opposite Matt Damon and Vincent Cassel. I’ve since received 21 IMDb credits for appearances in multiple films and episodic new media series, and I won an award for best actress and best picture at the Santa Fe Film Festival for the short film “Money”. I have also been successful in the commercial and print worlds, my latest Disney Star Wars commercial airing internationally, and my latest magazine spread out August 2020.

Definitely prefer movie acting Movie acting over theater!

My prefered roles are the ones that move people emotionally, whether its a dramatic or a comedic role.

Hardest part of being a celebrity... I’d say keeping up with the times, and the overnight successes! So often now a celebrity is a rare commodity as a long term position, because there’s so many stars, influencers, etc who come up on social media platforms or in a breakout role. Keeping current and fresh is hard with the competition fierce.

To be a successful actor you have to be careful how you define success. I’m still learning how to define success. I’ve come to realize during the current

COVID-19 pandemic, for example, that success is only measured by one’s self interpretation of it, and that you cannot overlook your own successes. It’s easy to aspire for more, but it’s wrong to forget your accomplishments along the way. You’ll never let yourself be happy if you’re always striving towards a success you can’t yourself create, such as the acting world, where random events can determine the outcome, not your talent, your hard work, or your accomplishments along the way. I’m still working to define what success looks like for me. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved thus far, and I can’t wait to see what’s ahead for me on the big screens, little screens, and in the Court room.

I have so many favorite actors! Michael Caine, Johnny Depp, Emily Blunt, Judi Dench are my current top!

My advice... The path isn’t ever straight, and it’s going to be rocky. For me, it certainly hasn’t been a smooth road, but it’s the rough road that leads to the greatest of heights. My struggle to balance dual careers, and to keep a dream alive that has a lot of rejection even where unwarranted, is tough on the psyche, as any actor can tell you. My biggest struggle, and this I hear is a commonly shared one, has been the failure to even get the chance to be rejected; with a town as big and busy as Hollywood, where everyone wants a chance to shine, getting an audition is near impossible even after nearly a decade

of being here. In law school and as a lawyer, when you work your hardest, you succeed. The California Bar Exam was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life, and while I was fortunate enough to pass my first time, I had to stop my life to put everything I could into preparation, and therefore succeeded. In acting, however, you can take years of classes, shoot headshots with ten different recommended and pricey photographers, and pay for ten different reels, you can slave away in student films and never get the footage, or have the best agents who just can’t figure out how to get you in the room, and all of those things might fall in place to land you one of 30 spots out of 5,000 submissions; or they might not. You’ll find out the writer’s wife got the role, you were cut out of the speaking part in the big movie that would have launched your career, or my current predicament – you’re not ethnic enough to be ethnic, but not white enough to be white. It’s a tough town, tougher than it’s ever been before. But if you have a dream, then you can’t let anything defeat you.

So be prepared for the career, the business, and the challenges. But don’t ever give up. You have to want it so bad, you’ll be trying still when you’re 80.

Do you have any social media or website? I do!

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