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

Hi Sydney, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?

The big one has been developing hobbies outside of acting. For so long, acting was my hobby and what I spent a good chunk of time doing outside of school. Now that acting has become my job and primary source of income, I’ve made it a priority to cultivate my interests and to really indulge in them. Reading and cooking are the two I am putting a lot of focus on right now, but I also love playing video games on my Switch and taking aerial silks classes. Staying physically and mentally healthy is so important to me because my body is my instrument.

Therapy has also been a huge boost to my confidence with entering this industry as a young and hopeful actor! Having that opportunity to reflect upon the week and plan for the future, finding myself amidst the multitude of complicated characters I’ve played, and knowing that there is always at least one supporter who is invested in me is something I will cherish forever. Even if you feel like you are the most sane person on the planet, try therapy!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I love trying new ways to portray a character or story and experiment with theatre-making and storytelling. I want to continue expanding my experiences with theatre, from acting through heavy makeup and contact lenses as a cyborg to “teaching” families how to taste chocolate as a scatter-brained character who makes many comical mistakes. I pride myself on being able to say that I have performed internationally and have found many ways to fulfill my desire to entertain and educate through comedic improv, standardized patient work, and Neo-Futurism. I just want to perform!

Growing up, I felt surrounded by people who were constantly succeeding as students and actors. In comparison, I thought I was already behind in my career. And I was only 14! I know it’s such a crazy thing to say now that I am outside of that environment, but it was all I knew. It fueled an unhealthy obsession to compare myself to my peers and it led to me feeling uncertain about myself. One of the big things that reassured me during my journey was the realization that the path to success is never the same for everyone. It made me worry less about the future and feel validated with everything I had done up to that point in my life.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

Food would be savored at The Kettle or The Pancake House! Both places I frequented with family and friends, and are the first places I share with people who are new to the area. I always leave these places with a happy tummy and a sense of comfort and fulfillment from the people in my life.

We’d go to a museum, probably the Academy Museum in Hollywood.  I recently visited there and felt like I was in heaven! I grew up absorbing any and every movie I could and yearning to go to a film studio, and LA is obviously the place to be for film. I’m also a huge fan of the Getty Villa, which always satisfies my desire to be in Italy amongst tons of art and artifacts. A third pick would be the Huntington Library where I have fond memories of eating tea sandwiches and walking through the gardens in fancy outfits. Even a walking tour in downtown LA of the Art Deco architecture would do the job perfectly!

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?

My first shoutout has to go to David Levy, my Drama teacher at Manhattan Beach Middle School. He was the first instructor to teach me directing and Shakespeare, and to facilitate an environment to devise work with other students. Through his class, I was able to perform in theatre festivals where I received feedback that inspired me to keep acting into high school, to come back to the Middle School and mentor other younger students and to help them rehearse for the same festivals I enjoyed. His class also became a sacred space for me as I was dealing with the loss of my mom and grandfather; David allowed me to use theatre as a distraction and a way to honor my loved ones. I am forever indebted to him and the foundation he provided me as I took acting more seriously.

My second shoutout is to the Kentwood Players in Westchester!  I joined them at a time when I felt extremely stuck with the acting opportunities available to me, but I wasn’t landing. On a whim, I auditioned for Kentwood’s production of “The Imaginary Invalid” and was cast as Louison. I was immediately welcomed into a loving community of artists of all ages and enjoyed the opportunity to really connect with actors who were truly studying the craft and had been doing it for 20+ years. It was also my first time being in a show that had a multi-weekend run and the first time having my headshot and biography in a program, which I thought meant I had made it to the big leagues. I have been able to perform in a few other productions at Kentwood that have meant the world to me, and I always go see whatever they’re performing when I’m back in LA.

Website: sydneyholliday.com

Instagram: @sydholli

Image Credits
Chris Jon Photography, Francesco Ghignoni

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