Meet Faye Sirohi | Actress & Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Faye Sirohi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Faye, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
Giving up on my dreams has never been an option for me. I have certainly thought about it many times and, on occasion, I still do. But then I remember a quote a wise woman named Penny Chenery once said: “You’ll never know how far you can run, unless you run.” If I give up today, I’ll never know what might have happened tomorrow. At the same time, it’s important for me to stop sometimes and to ask myself: does this meet my “why”? What are my intentions in what I’m doing and are they in line with who and where I want to be? If not, I need to change something. The plan is subject to change, but the goal isn’t.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am very excited about my new short film “Leap of Faith” which will premiere this summer. The film is a passion project of mine and is my debut as a writer and producer. It’s loosely inspired by my life and tells the story of a girl who overcomes her fears and insecurities through her faith. Like Mira, the protagonist, I have grown up in an environment where excellent grades and performance in school were expected of me. I found myself striving for something I realized wasn’t even my dream to begin with. Just like Mira, I constantly doubted myself. For the longest time I thought I didn’t know what I want to do with my life, when all along it was right in front of me – I just didn’t think I was enough for it. “Leap of Faith” carries a message of hope at its heart, and it is my prayer that it would make someone else feel seen and heard. I am very proud of what my wonderful team and I have achieved with this film. None of it would have been possible without each supporter, whether through donations, feedback or hands-on work. This is my first film project of hopefully many more to come. I am an actress first and foremost, but going forward I would love to continue to write and maybe even produce my own films and tv shows.

I am based in London and a member of the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain – short, NYT. Being a part of NYT has given me a platform to explore the arts and get to know myself more as a performer. I recently had the honour of performing at the global climate conference COP26 in Glasgow. I performed a poem I have written, as part of the National Youth Theatre’s Climate Cabaret. I remember when I was standing on that stage, I thought to myself how odd it is, finding myself at the intersection of science, politics and performing arts. But that’s the beauty of creativity: you never know where the road might take you.

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.
My ultimate happy place in LA is Malibu. It’s a must-visit for anyone who’s visiting for the first time. Although a bit pricey, Nobu Malibu is my favourite restaurant in the world and worth saving up for – it will be an unforgettable experience. The beaches are incredible and less crowded than Santa Monica or Venice beach, for instance. Then there’s Cielo Farms where you sit in a garden overlooking the Malibu hills whilst doing a wine tasting and enjoying freshly made stone oven-baked pizza. It’s like a dream!

If you want something more interactive, I recommend doing the Warner Brothers Studio tour in Burbank. I spent half a day there and felt like I hadn’t even seen half of it. Afterwards, I recommend Don Cuco, which is my favourite Mexican restaurant and only a 5-minute drive from the WB studios.

For the nights, I would go to Black Rabbit Rose, a bar with live magic entertainment and, after 11pm, live Jazz music with Grammy award winning musicians (a few years ago, Lady Gaga stopped by to perform with them). And the entry is completely free! Another one of my favourite nightlife places is No Vacancy, which is almost directly next to it. It’s a 20s-style night club in a 3-story villa with live Burlesque shows and includes an immersive experience when you enter which I won’t give away. Also completely free of charge.

Finally, you haven’t experienced LA until you’ve done a midnight hike into Runyon Canyon to the plateau from which you can overlook the city. It’s breath-taking.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to thank my mum and my dad for always supporting me and encouraging me in everything I do. My mum: she keeps it real with me and tells me not what I want to hear, but what I need to hear. I call her every day and I know I can talk to her about anything without any judgment. My mum has the biggest heart for people and constantly inspires me to be kind and compassionate. My dad: he has paved the way for my sister and me to pursue our dreams and become who we want to be. My dad is a visionary, and he achieves anything he puts his mind to through dedication and hard work. He inspires me every day to dream bigger.

I also want to thank my sister who is always by my side. She’s a constant in my life, my travel buddy and my in-house therapist. I don’t know where I would be without her. My sister gives the best pep-talks and cheers me on every step of the way. I’m so grateful to have her by my side and to see her grow into a world changer who is running her own fashion business!

Finally, I want to give a big shoutout to Jesus Christ, my Saviour and my best friend. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t even dare to think of being an actress or attempt to pursue any of my big dreams in life. He is giving me the strength and courage to step out and take risks, and he constantly reminds me of who I am when I’m faced with rejection. At the end of the day, life is so fragile and in the blink of an eye everything can change – as we all know after the past couple of years. But Jesus will always be with me and so I know everything will be okay, no matter what.

Instagram: @fayesheela @leapoffaithshort

Facebook: @LeapofFaithShort

Youtube: Faye Sirohi