Meet Emma Maltby | Actor & Producer

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

Hi Emma, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
My relationship with the idea of work/life balance has shifted dramatically in the past few years, especially since the beginning of the pandemic. When I first started pursuing a career as an actor and creator, I was very much seduced by the hustle culture mindset and the idea that success inherently comes from hard work. I felt that if I wasn’t exhausted at the end of the day, or if I didn’t feel as though I was working my absolute hardest, then I wouldn’t be worthy of achieving my goals. It’s no surprise that this absolutely burned me out. I responded to this burnout by creating strict schedules for myself of rest time and work time, doing my best to not think about work while I was resting and vice versa. The truth of being an artist, however, is that the creative process is always at work. Inspiration could strike at any moment, and it’s imperative to be receptive and sensitive to the world around you. I’m still working through how to stay receptive, avoid burnout, and not overwork, but I’ve found the best success in doing this by looking for joy in everything I have to do for work. When I do a self-tape audition, for example, I’ll always start the session by asking myself what I’m excited about doing. Even if I’m working through a particularly grueling budget as a producer, I’ll try and find a way to make it into an exciting puzzle, and take breaks when I feel I need to, not necessarily just when I feel I should. Finding all the moments of joy in my work and utilizing rest time not only to recharge but as an opportunity to live within myself as a creative being has allowed me to love both my work and life so much more.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I first fell in love with acting through the theatre, and that is genuinely where my heart still lies. I was cast in my first professional production in Chicago while I was still in college, and I was working regionally prior to the pandemic. Not being able to set foot in a rehearsal room throughout the pandemic was truly heartbreaking. I find my strength in the rehearsal room; it is where I feel most at home. I think this is in part due to the community that exists in a rehearsal room. As a queer creator, my chosen artistic family has always been a north star for me and a source of support I have come to on dark days. Having a chosen family of fellow theatre artists, having those people to lean on, and in turn giving them support in times of need has been one of the most valuable resources I’ve had. No one can pursue an artistic career on their own.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Silver Lake, which is genuinely one of my favorite spots in the city! I love spending time on the East Side. I’d take a friend visiting LA for lunch at Guisados or Pine and Crane and dinner on the town at Ceviche Project or Kismet. We’d have vegan ice cream at Magpies and a drink at Black Cat. I love to hike, so I’d take them to my favorite hiking spots in Griffith and Elysian or for a walk around the Silver Lake Reservoir. We’d hit up some shops on Fig in Highland Park or stop by the decor shops like Candid Home in Silver Lake. I’m a rare Los Angeleno who loves to walk, so I’d try and show them as much of LA as I could on foot!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The person in my life who deserves the biggest shoutout is my fiancée, Grace. We met in college when the idea of having a career as an artist felt like an unattainable and impractical dream. Falling in love with Grace meant falling in love with my own life, and I knew that I had to continue pursuing my passion.

Through her love, encouragement, and absolute optimism, she never makes me feel as though becoming an actor and living an artistically fulfilling life is a fantasy, but rather a possible reality. She is my greatest collaborator, my self-tape scene partner, and my cheerleader every step of the way. She makes me feel like anything is possible, and that together, we are unstoppable. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I wouldn’t be living as a working artist in LA without her support.

Website: www.emmamaltby.com

Instagram: instagram.com/emma.c.maltby

Image Credits
Image 1: Kodi Jackman (first photo page – Emma in nightgown on stage) Image of Emma in white jacket on stage: Kodi Jackman