Meet Colin Huerta | Actor & Musician

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

Hi Colin, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I think that the reward is always worth the risk. You have to kind of risk it all and let the universe know that you really believe in yourself and you want something.

I feel like I am in the midst of one big risk right now. I grew up, went to acting school, and started my career in Chicago. I love that place more than anything. But in my senior year of college I became aware of how comfortable I was. I could sort of see how the next few years were gonna play out. I had always planned on staying in Chicago, but my girlfriend had known for a while that after graduation she was going to move to Los Angeles. So I said “lets give this a shot.”

It has been probably the biggest risk of my life – moving to a place where I don’t know anybody, to pursue a career that you have to be kind of crazy to pursue. I gave up the comfort of my family and friends I’ve had since childhood. I gave up a career that was going really well alongside people who had known me for years. Honestly, I didn’t think it through. And it’s been the best decision I ever made.

When I first got here, I had an idea of which results would equal success. Getting an agent, working consistently – which are all great goals! But I had to learn that not achieving those things quickly didn’t mean my risk wasn’t paying off. The reward has been in the journey. Making friends, getting a job that I like, exploring Los Angeles, making art that I like that may or may not lead to anything, but fills my cup. This new experience has made me a better artist and better person, and I’m grateful everyday I took the leap.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Acting for me has always been a metaphor for life. But it changes a lot and always will. Right now it’s just “let go and have fun.” I think what sets me apart is that I have always done it, and will always do it because it’s fun. I try not to get too caught up in myself and remember that I have been blessed with a gift, and I’m here to give it away. If I’m having a good time, you probably will too!

I started in a small community theater in the basement of a church. It wasn’t much, but we loved it and it felt like home. We learned acting through musical comedy. From an early age our teachers pushed us to find the truth in the absolutely outrageous. It was the most fun I’ve ever had in my life.

When it came time to go to college I decided to stay local and go to DePaul University where I studied acting. The things I learned turned everything I knew upside down – in the best way. I broke out of the cage of “good acting” and “bad acting,” and I found myself focusing more on the story.

This was a big challenge for me (as it is for many actors) – thinking we can achieve good acting through some sort of formula. I always felt secretly embarrassed that I didn’t have a “method.” My classmates would talk about their extensive preparation to help them get into character or drop in to the scene or I don’t even know what. It made no sense to me, but I liked acting, and I knew what it felt natural and when it didn’t. I talked to every teacher asking them to give me a step by step approach on how to prepare and each method would confuse me more than the last.

When I had exhausted every angle was when I found the solution: stop trying to control it. I had to go back to basics. As one of my mentors told me: “All you have to do is say the lines, and don’t trip over the furniture.” And when I need to do more detailed work I do it, but I always start by meeting myself where I am at. I found I learn a lot more on my feet than I do hunched over my desk scribbling nonsense into my script. The moral was not to prepare less, but to figure out how I prepare for each job – and it looks different every time. Sometimes I write out my lines, sometimes I research, sometimes I wing it. Different strokes for different folks.

The most important thing is to practice. Like get up and speak those words out loud. Whether it’s to your friend, or your dog, or a wall. My creativity depends on my willingness to just try it. And I found out the hard way that I am not a happy camper when I’m not being creative. When I got to LA I waited a whole year to get into acting classes because I had all of these things that I thought I had to do before I could start acting again. I realize now, I fell into the trap of asking for permission to do the thing that I love to do. I was waiting for someone to tell me that I could do it, instead of just doing it. Oh well, we live and we learn.

I wouldn’t say it’s been easy. But it’s definitely been fun. And there’s a lot more fun to be had.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would definitely take them on a hike at Fryman Canyon. It’s one of the most beautiful places in Los Angeles, and every time I go I can’t believe I used to say I would never move here. I love an amusement park vibe, so we would definitely go to Santa Monica Pier and hang out by the beach. If we don’t wanna sweat as much, LACMA is super cool. In the summer they have a jazz concert every Friday night! For sushi, I love Sushi Fumi, but the waitlist is usually kind of long so we would grab a drink across the street at Roger Room. If we wanna dance at a more low key spot, we could hit up Zebulon or The Friend. But if we don’t wanna be low key at all and wanna go all out we could hit up Bar Lis or Desert Spot 5.

One thing I haven’t done that I really want to do is take a ride on the swan paddle boats in Echo Park at night!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Family first! I would be nowhere without my family, and will always be grateful for their support.

My beautiful girlfriend, Savannah who inspired me to move to Los Angeles.

Lastly, Janet Rourke and Jeanann Power who taught me everything I know.

Website: https://www.colinhuerta.com/

Instagram: @colinhuerta

Image Credits
Wolf Marloh