We had the good fortune of connecting with Zane Hudson and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Zane, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Acting for me all began with a perfect mixture of dreams, affirmation from others, and vanity. By the time I completed my high school education I was a cocky young boy who was the big fish in the pond (a story that is quite commonplace now). I believed that a higher education in acting would lead me to the next steps of my success and that I would ‘show the world what I was made of’. Since beginning my higher education in 2015, I was given a crash course on the underbelly of Los Angeles. I quickly saw that this entire town is made up of ‘big fish’. That everyone would rather focus on themselves and their up-and-coming careers on vacant social media platforms. To put it frankly, I saw how unoriginal and unloving most people who claim to be artists were, and I saw through my own selfish desires and vanity. I knew that I was not meant for that and so I turned my back on it.
Now my focus is on something greater; I’m focused on love. I believe the greatest gift I can give through my acting is reaffirming the belief of an impossible love that exists in everyone’s heart and soul. Instead of worrying about opportunities to make an arbitrary number of followers on my phone screen grow, I am making art that continues to push the hope of true love in the hearts of whoever pleases to watch my work. Throughout 2020 some of my favorite work I completed was a collaboration with Cerritos College in their online production of Riley Steiner’s “TUCUMCARI” directed by Brandt Reiter. The reason it remains my favorite work from last year is because of the content of the script. It’s a story of everlasting love. A script that I truly feel could light a fire within an audience member to live long and to love intensely and unconditionally.
Through that play along with many other obstacles presented last year, it became quite clear to me that I am not pursuing this career in acting for things as fleeting as money and fame. I am pursuing this to help you believe that true love exists, for that is everlasting.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As I stated in the introduction, I am separate from most actors because I do not want a legacy of myself. I do not desire to have my name in lights for the rest of time. I make art to make the idea of unconditional everlasting Love come to life in the hearts of people who take the time to watch. I do not act so that you can remember me. I act so that you may remember who YOU really are through my work. I want as little attention as possible, for it is my job to remain faceless as an Actor. No, getting to where I am was not easy, and there is still a lifetime of work ahead of me. There are constant hurdles and moments where you must truly come to terms with yourself if you wish to survive in Los Angeles or the film industry. This happens because most people in this town are not interested in you at all. They want big names and profit, the two things that have absolutely nothing to do with art.
The one way to overcome these hardships is by removing yourself from the equation. Focus on the product of your art, not on the recognition you think you deserve. As an artist I deserve no recognition, only my art does.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There are many wildlife conservations in Southern California to check out, such as the California Wolf Center in Julian and the Gibbon Conservatory in Santa Clarita. I’m also a die-hard lover of rollercoasters, so going to Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier is always fun for me. When it comes to shopping I only take interest in books and music, some great stores for those are The Iliad Bookshop in the San Fernando Valley and Bookmonster in Santa Monica! I love record stores as well but sadly they are all overpriced because of a trend, but check out Freak Beat records in Sherman Oaks or Amoeba here in Hollywood if you’re looking for the best deals.
The best experience out here in my opinion is to go to Point Dume in Malibu for sunrise, you can hear the local colony of Sea Lions play and even catch a glimpse of them. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Besides the obvious support I receive from my family and loved ones, there is certainly one thing that has reignited my spark and continues to push me to believe in myself every single day, and that is my faith. Los Angeles and the film industry is a constant weight over your head. No one wants anything to do with you until everyone wants a piece of you, but my faith in God has led me to feel weightless. My faith has taught me to trust in myself and just be. I don’t have to bite and claw my way to the top, because I am already there. God is the reason I have left my vanity aside and my career as an actor has benefitted infinitely from that. When you believe that you are here for a reason, you don’t have to struggle to stay relevant day-in and day-out. I know my purpose now because of my faith, and no man could take that away from me.
Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8632416/