Meet Angie Shriner | Actor, Writer, Dance Fitness Pro

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

Hi Angie, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
The way I view acting is from a place of inner stillness and surrender; a place of being uninhibitedly present. The work I’ve done that I’m most proud of feels like an uncensored free fall. I go all in on my scene work. Uncertainty and curiosity have allowed me to access dimensions of myself I may not have otherwise uncovered. I am deeply committed to my moral compass, but it’s in the moments I allow myself to exist without a map that I find the most honest expressions of who I am as an artist. And person!

My acting coach, collaborator, and friend, John Markland says, “There is only one way to build your risk muscle: take it. There is only one way to build your sense of trust: offer it.”

I believe risk has allowed me to expand as an artist in both skill and opportunity. The less I am certain of, the more alive I feel.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am deeply committed to my creative practice and constantly push myself into unfamiliar territory to grow.

The art I’m most proud of now is my play—THE SEX WORKER AND THE RHINOCEROS. I can’t wait to share this strange, beautiful, dream-born story with the world. This summer we’re recording THE SEX WORKER AND THE RHINOCEROS as a radio play starring myself and my longtime Chicago theatre buddy David Dastmalchian as the Rhino. The title of the play came to me while doing Jungian dreamwork. I’ve been workshopping the play for 4 years, but the concept and characters poured out of me in one week.

My other project is earlier in development, but I’ve been writing my first television show. It’s a little bit like Eternal Sunshine meets Nightmare Before Christmas. That’s felt very rewarding.

I’m originally from Indiana. I landed in Chicago at 19 with no bed, no job, and accidentally enrolled in the “wrong” acting class… The class was non-refundable… and a showcase for a casting agent and agent. I wasn’t “prepared”! I wasn’t “ready”! But I took a chance and stayed… and somehow left with an agent. That was my first real lesson: this industry runs on chaos and chance. I got my start in Chicago, and never looked back. (You can’t beat when Apple TV calls and asks you to spend a day working at the iconic Green Mill.)

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am a huge Pee Wee’s Playhouse/Big Adventure fan, so I would do a casual milkshake and fries at FRED 62 in Los Feliz to showcase some of Wayne White’s artwork there. I would absolutely take out of towners to hike Griffith Park and to see the turtles at Fern Dell. What is it about those turtles? Silver Lake House Thai, the outdoor patio at Superba in Hollywood, and Bar Flores in Echo Park…so much food, coffee, and cocktail-ing. I would buy them a “F*CK IT” mug at Dinosaur Coffee as a souvenir. And we might have to find a roadside dinosaur park. I’m a sucker for those. Sam Shepard wrote in Motel Chronicles about his mom carrying him through a dinosaur park, singing to him. It’s such a peaceful image. He says, “There were no people around, just us and the dinosaurs.”
I think there’s something really comforting about that—something simple and timeless.

And then…ok, here’s where I really am going to expose my nerd. I’m forcing Disneyland on you. Indiana Jones Adventure is a ride from 1995 that HOLDS UP. The story, the thrills, the adventure! I’ll talk too much about how they expertly designed the cue line. Disneyland also has a unique It’s A Small World, which is magical at Christmastime. Speaking of, Haunted Mansion Holiday is a one of a kind ride and I really think it’s a special highlight of Disneyland Oct-Dec. You’ve gotta get a drink at Oga’s Cantina. (Low key, their Black Spire non-alcoholic coffee drink is a great afternoon pick me up, too). Rise of The Resistance is amazing on the off chance all of the Kylo Ren animatronics are functioning! The new Galaxy’s Edge projection show is stellar.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Firstly, I wish to shout out Killer Fitness, the new retro horror gym in Burbank! This place gave me a home to teach my horror cardio dance class; TERRORtwist! Teaching an all-level horror dance fitness is a dream come true for a kid who studied THRILLER choreography in her high chair. I spent over a decade as a corrective exercise specialist, performance artist, and Reiki practitioner. Here is where I’ve combined it all. I’m committed, I show up at 10 AM with glitter blood tears and fishnets. I ran into some of my students sans makeup or uniform and they said, “Do I know you?” Which is a deep compliment. TERRORtwist is a bit of my 80s Aerobic Rocky Horror Show. The neon fever dream space gifted me community. Horror is scary, but this place is pure joy.

I would be remiss to not mention an artist who is practically a second mother to me; Wendy Robie. I’ve learned so much as a creative from Wendy about what it means to be a true leader and artist. Wendy’s wit, poetry, and magic are unmatched! Hearing her stories about working with legends like David Lynch and Wes Craven have certainly shaped my working approach.

Additionally, I’ll shout out my writing partners; Kameron Gates and Audrey Harden. Kam, a visionary director, sculptor, and animator in his own right; Audrey, one of the most fearless actors I’ve ever known. And shoutout to my loved ones who pick up the phone on the hard days for the hard conversations …I cherish them all deeply.

Website: https://www.angieonawebsite.com/

Instagram: @angie.starheart

Other: TikTok (which is mainly just me messing around): @zangiestarheart

Image Credits
Photos by Cameron Rice