Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Stadler.
Hi Anna, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I began acting in first grade by securing the role of “Sandy” in our school’s performance of ANNIE THE MUSICAL. The sound of laughter from the audience as I portrayed the main character’s companion brought me a joy that could not be compared. I knew at that moment the thrill of entertaining an audience. Although I continued my training in acting and voice throughout elementary school, it wasn’t until middle school that I had someone see the talent in me enough to make me also believe in myself and push me to begin to pursue this professionally. My then acting/vocal coach saw the confident, talented young woman behind the shy exterior. With his guidance, I quickly found that my true passion for entertaining was in film/tv and not live theatre. Since then, I’ve continued training with some of the best in the industry from both the east and west coasts. I’ve worked professionally in TV and film, also booking commercial and print ads, along with industrial work such as employee training videos for Bank of America and even hosting opportunities at live events and for film.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. I first began gaining traction in the industry just as the pandemic hit, so the next year and a half had a significant decline in filming in general and many protocols left fewer opportunities for actors other than main cast as they were creating projects with smaller total number of people on set for safety reasons. The year following the pandemic, once again we had interruption in the industry with the SAG strike and the halt of a majority of union work with the exception of commercials and indie work.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a professional actor for film and TV who also does occasional print, spokesmodel, and hosting/interview work. My main focus is TV and film, as my passion is bringing a story and character to life on screen. I am most proud of my determination. I was definitely not the acting student thought to most likely succeed early on, and I managed to overcome that not only in bookings but mostly in growing my self-confidence. There are many talented actors that may have a similar look, ability, training, etc, but I believe what sets me apart most is my professionalism and work ethic. I take every opportunity I can to continue to grow my talent, learn new skills, and improve myself and my ability. I’ve been told I take both direction and feedback well, which can sometimes be difficult for actors. I refuse to be outworked and show up to every job ready to work, extremely prepared, and bringing my best. With few exceptions, people that I’ve worked with cast me again, refer me to other projects, and several times casting directors/producers, even roles I didn’t book, reach back out to me about other projects that I better fit because they remembered my audition.
We’d love to hear about what you think about risk-taking.
I am not a risk taker in real life, but I am pushing myself to be a risk taker in auditions. Sometimes, it’s the defining difference between you and others also auditioning for the role. I would say the biggest “risk” I took was putting myself out there in the first place. The first talent agency that signed me had an open call event, and I showed up without a lot of professional experience, but I came prepared with a resume, headshot, and a level of confidence that surprised even myself. I was prepared to perform a monologue, or deliver an unrehearsed character reading on the spot, but surprised when asked “Can you sing a couple bars of something?” I took a risk thereby performing a song I’d never rehearsed, but it felt right in the moment. Out of around 300 people, I was one of 3 signed that night. Risk-taking is difficult and not always worth it, so I think the key is deciding when the risk is worth the reward and then having the courage to make the call and live with the results either way.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annaestadler/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anna.stadler.7370/
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11231767/
