Los Angeles, the great sprawling desert city, the tantalising gold mine for many screen actors looking to work in Hollywood. If you’ve ever wondered when the right time to go is, then read on and assess for yourself if you’re ready jump ship just as Alice Jean did.
‘’Move to LA! Get to where the Big Studios are! Get to where the action is and make it happen!”
Whether you’re a well-trained actress from New York or a newbie from London, there seems to be this overwhelming need for so many actresses to get to Hollywood. It’s the excitement of making it in Hollywood that compels actresses to move out to LA without a a focused plan, without having a lot of the prerequisites in place.
Alice Jean started acting on a very young age (4) like many other actresses acting. She played Goldilocks, and from there on it was all going upwards for Alice. She went on to join community theatre, and doing school plays, and after school performances, varying from choir to dance class, to playing the violin for a short while. Once Alice Jean discovered that she really adored this particular craft, that’s when she got serious and aimed for getting her credentials, going to school for it and becoming official. Alice Jean paid more attention in English class, since it goes hand and hand with theatre, then finally she decided to move from London to Los Angeles, to study at the New York Film Academy, where she attained her Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts.
What attracted you to begin a career as an actress?
Honestly, after I did it for the first time, playing Goldilocks, it always tugged at me. It was the one thing I was always good at, and actually thoroughly enjoyed. I remember going to the West End, and being blown away by the impeccable actors who took the stage by storm. As well as going to the Cinema and marvelling at what all these talented filmmakers came together to create. I saw all this take place, and I was like, that it! I’m going to be in this! I want to do that too! I want to make people feel the way these performers make me feel. It’s really special.
What has been your greatest accomplishment as an actress?
My greatest accomplishments so far are the successes of the projects that I’m grateful to be a part of. A few of them are currently still going around the festival circuit, such as a short film I’m in called, ‘Working Relations’ where I played the lead, Autumn, who is the Ice Queen of the company. It’s been selected for 5 film festivals so far, with one selecting it as a semi-finalist in its Short film Category.
Tell me about what you’re working on now
I’m currently just wrapping up a show called, The Madhatter’s (Gin) & Tea Party. I played the March Hare and the Caterpillar! It was this wonderlandful immersive experience based off Alice in Wonderland, where we served drinks and finger foods, sang, danced, and just performed! It was an amazing thing to apart of, it gets weird and outrageous, from the moment the audience enter, and I’m grateful to have been a part of it.
Who is your favourite actor/actress, and why?
That’s such a tough question, because there’s never just one. The ladies are doing it for me right now! Viola Davis and Lena Headey are absolute powerhouses! Viola’s captivating performance as Annalise Keating in How to Get Away with Murder is unmatched. Lena’s astounding performance as Cersei Lannister is in a league of its own. Those women remind me every time they’re on the screen, why I love to do this. They deserve all their accolades and more.
Tell us about your new web series, who is it for?
My new web series is called, ‘Occupation Rotation’ it’s about an off-beat Corrie Trainor who attempts to find her place in society, one job at a time!
The message I’m trying to convey as an artist is that failure is a part of life; it doesn’t mean that we should stop trying; but we should reroute and try an alternative. I think the story is very relatable because I think everyone on the planet goes through the motions of trying to find what is right for them, and what their passion is, their “calling”. That’s what I’d specifically want to explore in this series. The big decisions we all face trying to find our niche, what we’re good at, and where our place in this world is.
When you suffer a setback, how does that emotionally affect you and your work?
I’ve suffered many, given the nature of this industry, and it definitely can be blow to your ego. It can cause me to sometimes lose confidence, but I’m working on that. The effect on my work can also be positive because the experiences broaden my emotional palette, and give me things to take inspiration from when given a scene or character to work on. I try to just add it to my little acting toolbox for future reference, but there are definitely times it’s hard to bounce back. Nevertheless, I find the more I experience life, the better I get.
What was it like moving to Los Angeles to become an actress?
It’s probably the wildest thing I’ve done, since being born. It was hard being away in a foreign place with no friends or family, but it was easy all the same, because I was coming to do what I had already been doing. The place was different, but the craft was familiar. In hindsight, I feel I should’ve done more research about this place, because I made many mistakes. However, it’s given me the experience for if I ever need to relocate to somewhere new, I know now, I’ll always be okay, as long as I’m doing my passion.
What 5 steps would you advice and give our ladies who want to start a career as an actress?
1. Practice – Join an acting school/class, go to workshops, and do the work!Invest in your career – Get professional headshots, get on the casting websites, attend the seminars, buy the books and plays, diversify your wardrobe etc.
3. Get out there! – Do background work, become familiar with a set, and how it all works, learn the lingo! Audition! Do free work to build up your resume!
4. Be on time! Remember, if you’re early, you’re on time, if you’re on time, you’re late, and if you’re late you’ve just missed it.
5. Don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s a journey. Mark Ruffalo was rejected 600 times before he booked. Trust the process. If you’d like to learn more, please check out my website, www.alice-jean.com for information about the YouTube channel I’ve started to help all my fellow actors, and artists! Flexible jobs you can do as an actor, performing jobs, acting jobs you may not have thought of, getting an agent, you name it, I’ll be talking about it!
What is a skill you think all women should learn and why?
Comradeship! Too often on the planet, women are raised as competitors when really if we came together, a lot of magic can take place. The suffragettes’ movement is an amazing example of what beautiful things can happen, when women support women. So I believe we should raise our girls to have each other’s backs instead of tearing each other down, and then we’ll be able to create more safe spaces for each other, thus more magic.
Tell us about your proudest Achievement?
My proudest achievement so far was winning an award for Occupation Rotation. We won Best Web Series Episode for the pilot in the Eurasia International Monthly Film Festival! We have also screened in 3 other festivals so far, with Rome Independent Prisma Awards selecting us as a finalist in their Best Web-Series / TV Pilot category too! To produce, write, and act in my own project was one of the most daunting, and fun experiences in my career so far, and I’m grateful that the world is being open to what I have to give.
Join the discussion!