Biography
"Out of all my daughters, I always knew you were a little different..."
That's what my mother told me (I'll take that as a compliment, thank you very much!). She'd watch all of us walking together and I was the one who rarely walked straight ahead, but had a natural tendency to whip from one place to another in a blink of an eye, never staying put. I was the wild child of the bunch.
I'm #2 out of four girls in my family. Growing up, every time we had guests over, my sisters and I would create a show to perform for everyone. Our home had one of those cool folding doors that separated the living room from the dining area so it served as a perfect "curtain" for our stage. When I see pictures of myself as a child with my other sisters, I'm often the one with my head cocked to one side and my little booty sticking out…for extra attention, I suppose.
Interestingly enough, I was extremely shy. I was chubby, avoided eye contact, and laughed with my hand over my mouth. (Fortunately, acting and music were two things I had an enormous courage for!) And despite my bashfulness, my fascination for acting and music has always been with me. I cannot recall a specific moment when I fell in love. I believe I must have been born in love with it.
In elementary, I began playing the violin and continued for nine years. I actually got pretty good towards the end. I played in orchestras throughout Southern and Northern California and toured parts of Mexico. In high school, I joined the choir and sang with the elite Chamber Singers group. In some concerts, I went back and forth between two stages, playing the violin for one orchestral piece and jumping up to sing for the next. I remember thinking to myself, "This is the life! I'm doing what I love and it feels so amazing!"
After high school, I attained my AA degree at Pasadena City College. Thereafter, I was accepted into UCLA's School of Theater, Film, & Television and refined my craft of acting and performance, graduating with a BA. After a few years of film, TV, commercials, and weekly comedy improv shows, I left the performance scene altogether and moved up to the Bay Area and concentrated on teaching children. As a teacher, I have taught nearly every grade from Kinder to 8th, including Special Education. I worked diligently on completing my teacher's credential and even had some more oomph! in me to get a Masters degree in Education. I was a damn good teacher but missed acting terribly. So I took a couple of classes at ACT (American Conservatory of Theater) in San Francisco. Within a few short months my name got around and I was back on stage doing what I loved. I did several plays in San Francisco and the East Bay before making the move back to Los Angeles in 2007.
It feels so good to be back and returning to what rocks my world! I have an unexplainable passion for performance and the challenge of taking on new characters makes me feel incredibly alive. Additionally, my extensive experience as a teacher has further piqued my curiosity about the similarities and differences in all of us, thus improving my capacity to be a better actor, continually learning and growing. I am writing a one-woman show chronicling the hilarity, the sadness, and the heartfelt moments I have shared with my fellow colleagues, my students and their families. More updates of my successes to come!!!
Wishing You Bountiful Blessings!
Grace