Meet Ava Crozier | Actor/Singer/Filmmaker

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

Hi Ava, how do you think about risk?
Risk has completely shaped both my life and my career. I honestly believe that every major turning point in my life has come from being willing to leap before I felt fully ready. At eighteen, I made the decision to move alone from Australia to Los Angeles to pursue acting professionally. I arrived with no real safety net — no permanent place to stay, no connections waiting for me — just a spot at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and an overwhelming passion for the craft. It was terrifying, but it ended up becoming the most transformative experience of my life. I spent nearly two years training intensely, not only developing as an actor but learning so much about myself and my identity as a person and an artist. Another major risk that I took on my journey was deciding to create my own work rather than waiting around for opportunities. My creative partner and I had no formal filmmaking background, no equipment, and very little understanding of the production process when we first started writing and producing our own short films. What we did have was an obsessive drive to keep creating. We taught ourselves everything as we went, taking on multiple creative roles including writer, director, producer and actors who starred in the film. But thanks to the leap of faith we took, our first short film went on to premier at the Lee Strasberg Film Festival, and our second – a thriller-comedy — was selected for the 3×5 Film Festival (Los Angeles), where it was nominated for multiple awards including Best of Fest and ultimately won Best Genre. That experience completely changed my perspective on what’s possible as an artist. It taught me that some of the most rewarding opportunities come from taking risks before you feel qualified, trusting your instincts, and committing fully to the work.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m incredibly excited about the next phase of projects currently in development. One of the most exciting is a new original stage play being written by a friend off mine who is also a creative collaborator, which I am attached to star in. The play is very avant-garde in style, which is something the writer is especially drawn to. It explores themes of race, identity, belonging, and community through an experimental and emotionally charged lens, pushing both the actors and audience outside of traditional forms of storytelling. The production is aiming to premiere in Los Angeles in Spring 2027, with planned submission to the Hollywood Fringe Festival. What excites me most about this project is its emotionally raw, character-driven storytelling and the opportunity to originate a role from the ground up. Theatre has always been the foundation of my artistic journey, so returning to the stage in a leading role within an original production feels incredibly meaningful.
At the same time, I’m currently developing my next original short film project, which I’m co-writing with my creative partner for upcoming festival consideration, including the annual Lee Strasberg Film Festival and other independent film festivals. Following the success and recognition of our previous projects on the festival circuit, I’ve become increasingly passionate about creating original work that blends cinematic storytelling with emotionally truthful performances. I’m especially interested in creating stories that dive into the messiest, darkest and most complicated parts of us.
Finally, I’m also very excited to continue my involvement in the expansion of an award-winning web series created by one of my close collaborators, with development currently underway for future episodes and continuation of the project. Remaining part of the principal cast has been incredibly rewarding, particularly because the series has already gained recognition for its originality and storytelling. Being able to grow alongside projects from their earliest stages and continue building long-term creative collaborations is something I value deeply as an artist.
Right now, I feel incredibly energised by the momentum of creating original work across multiple mediums — film, theatre, and digital series. More than ever, I’m focused on building a body of work that feels bold, artistically ambitious, and creatively fearless.

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?
If one of my best friends was visiting Los Angeles for a week, I’d absolutely want to show them the city through my eyes rather than just doing the typical tourist spots. For me, LA is one of the most inspiring places in the world because every corner of it is filled with characters. You see such an interesting mix of personalities — aspiring artists, exhausted dreamers, wildly confident people, lonely people — and as an actor, observing behaviour is one of the most valuable tools you have. So much of acting comes from life. We’re constantly borrowing from real human behaviour, emotion, tension, and interaction. Honestly, some of the best character inspiration comes from simply sitting in silence and watching how people move through the world — the small mannerisms, awkward conversations, emotional reactions, insecurities, confidence, loneliness. Life imitates art, but art also imitates life. As actors, our job is really to reflect humanity back to people truthfully.

I’d do my best not to fully nerd out like I just did and still show them a good time. I’d most definitely take them for a hike at Runyon Canyon. The view of the city from the top is just truly unbelievable. It’s one of my favourite places to clear my head and reset creatively, but even for non-actors it’s an incredible experience to get outdoors and take in that view of LA.

We’d also have to visit the Academy Museum, LACMA, and Griffith Observatory. The Academy Museum feels like heaven for anyone obsessed with film and storytelling, but even for non-actors it’s a fascinating place to explore the iconic history of cinema and Hollywood. LACMA is great for art and culture, and the Griffith Observatory is one of my favourite viewpoints in the city. At sunset especially, it feels completely magical every single time. Looking out over the entire city from there puts everything into perspective in such a grounding way. It reminds you how vast the world is, and that the world is our oyster. The space and openness creates this feeling of peace and hope — like the possibilities are endless. Then of course we’d have to do beach days in Santa Monica, Venice, or Malibu — getting the sun on our skin, swimming in the ocean, and watching the sunset over the water.

I’d also take them to see some live theatre. Some of the most inspiring moments I’ve had creatively have come from sitting in small theatres watching fearless performances that feel immediate and raw. But I genuinely believe everyone should experience live theatre, because it’s educational and its reflective. It can hold up a mirror to the world and teach us some of the most valuable lessons. It could be the first time you finally feel seen. I truly believe that theatre can show us how to love each other and it can bring us all together.

I think what makes Los Angeles so special is that it constantly reminds you that stories are everywhere. Inspiration isn’t confined to film sets or classrooms — it’s in strangers, conversations, silence, chaos, heartbreak, ambition, and everyday life happening around you all the time.

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?
Without question, my family deserves the biggest shoutout. Without their unwavering support and belief in me I wouldn’t be here. Pursuing a career in acting can feel incredibly uncertain, especially moving internationally at a young age, but they always encouraged me to dream big rather than play it safe. Having people who genuinely believed this was possible for me gave me the confidence to take risks that ultimately shaped my career.
I also owe so much to my mentors and teachers at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. Training in Los Angeles, surrounded by artists who took the craft so seriously, pushed me creatively and personally in ways I’ll carry for the rest of my life. They challenged me to dig deeper, trust my instincts, and approach acting with discipline and honesty. I also want to give credit to the collaborators and friends I’ve created work with over the last few years. Some of the most meaningful growth in my career came from simply being surrounded by people who were equally passionate and willing to create something from nothing. The short films and projects we developed together taught me the value of artistic community, persistence, and taking initiative as a creative. I think success in this industry is rarely an individual achievement — it’s built through collaboration, encouragement, and people believing in each other before the rest of the world does.

Instagram: @avacrozierr

Other: tiktok: @avacrozierr