Meet Ana Temponi: Actor & Musician

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

Hi Ana, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think risk has played an important part in my life because it really helped me grow personally and professionally. Someone once told me, ‘we can never learn or grow unless we let go of something, unless we risk something’, to me that meant to be willing to go all in and to be open enough to the possibility that sometimes we have to make difficult decisions knowing that we might lose anything in the process. However we have to understand that whatever we end up losing, probably wasn’t ours in the first place. When I was eighteen I made a decision to leave my country, Brazil, leave my family, and friends and move to LA by myself; I lived in California for almost six years, and then once again I felt the need to change; I had already made LA my home; I had a job I enjoyed, I had many friends, and I knew the city like the palm of my hand. However, I risked it all and moved to a new place where I didn’t know anything or anyone. This time I decided to go to New York City, a city known for its fast pace, and hard grounds. But why? That was a question that many were wondering, a question that haunted me throughout the entirety of my last year in LA. I didn’t know what I was doing, I didn’t even know if that was the right decision, but I chose to risk it all because deep inside of me I knew that that’s what I needed to do to in order to grow, as a person as well as in my career. I had to break out of my comfort zone, and in order to do so I had to be open enough to that change. It was an extremely hard decision, and there were moments where I definitely felt I wasn’t strong enough to go through with it, but in the end it was really necessary. Without that change I would not have been who I am today; I have accomplished many projects already, my career is growing exponentially and I am finally at peace with every aspect of my life. Change is scary, taking risks is scary, and I understand these things are really hard to face, but remember, nothing worth having ever comes easy, and like Albert Einstein once said “Only those who attempt the absurd can achieve the impossible”.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I believe that being an artist is allowing ourselves to be vulnerable, it’s challenging ourselves and finding ways to inspire everyone around us. I have been faced with the question of what sets me apart from others many times, and I truly believe it’s my hard work. There’s always going to be someone who can do what I do, however I have gotten work simply by being very professional, being on time, and by listening to what others have to say. I feel that we live in a society where we’re used to talking way too much and forgetting to actually listen; There is a power in really understanding someone else’s way of thinking and even though I don’t have to necessarily agree with everything that has been said to me, there are always very important and valuable lessons that come simply by listening to others. I know I still have a lot of ground to cover and a lot of work to do to, but now more than ever, I have been making a lemonade out of this big lemon that we’re all living in. As we all know Covid has changed everyone’s way of living, and as an Actor and DJ who works in the entertainment industry, I had to adapt. So I have been creating a lot of content on social media, I am updating my website and turning it into a full digital portfolio, I’ve been getting some modeling gigs and have been using this time to improve and learn as much as I can. I am really happy with all the feedback I’ve been getting, and I’m super excited to keep creating and doing what I love. I believe we can all do anything we put our minds to, and it doesn’t matter what life throws at us, with a little bit of determination and hard work we can and will always make it work.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would definitely take her to go hiking behind the Hollywood Sign in the morning, I would then take her to have some In-N-Out and to watch the sunset at Mulholland Drive. After the sun is set we would then go to one of my favorite coffee shops called Republic of Pie, in Noho, so we can have something sweet while we watch some live music. To end the day I would definitely take her to either Break Room 86 or No Vacancy, two of my favorite modern speakeasies in LA.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would definitely have not been able to be where I’m at today if it wasn’t for my family; They have been by my side supporting my dreams and decisions from the very beginning and without their love and endless support I would not have been strong enough to take any of the risks I took. I owe them everything and I’m really blessed for having them in my life.

Website: anatemponi.com

Instagram: ana_temponi

Image Credits
Nilma Temponi, Eduardo Cordeiro, Cássia Assunção