Meet Daria Seok | Actor & Writer

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

Hi Daria, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I’m from Kazakhstan, been raised in the south in a small town called Kyzylorda, spent quite some time in the capital Nur-Sultan as well. On top of that, I was raised in a Russian-Korean household, so my experience was always pretty diverse as Kazakhstan itself is a melting pot for different cultures. It makes you more open-minded and want to explore what’s outside of your country even more because you’re so used to discovering different cultures from your youth. I like to think that because the cultures I grew up in are so different even in the overall spirit I adopted different perspectives on things, and sometimes they battle inside of me. Like my Korean side has this more zen approach to life where you can adapt to anything and make it work because that’s what my ancestors were doing when they got deported, while the Russian side, oof– there’s a lot of self-turmoil, anxieties, and treating everything as a tragedy like what you can read in Russian novels. Two extremes nicely balance each other out into a realistic outlook on life but yet I like to lean towards a belief that everything will work out as it should because taking everything seriously never benefitted anyone. I’ve always had this drive to eventually meet my goals and given that I’m actually in LA now, when I had this goal years ago says something. The fact that my parents have been incredibly supportive in this journey also helps, so here’s to hoping that this determination will actually lead to great results.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m just starting out as I am just graduating from LA campus of NYFA, but I would like my branding to be not only about my acting but my screenwriting as well. I’m passionate about making dark comedies and hopefully murder mysteries as well as I adore that genre. I’ve always been drawn to ironic humor that mocks everything that’s happening in life in a clever way. I like to be entertained but I like to think and observe as well, so satire has been my most favorite genre for a long time. I hope to be working on the projects like this in the future as I feel most confident in them. The journey is just starting and even if it’s going to be difficult I’m intending on enjoying every moment of it. But I have this goal to be known for my dark comedies and great writing, so I’m constantly trying to improve myself. Also, I would love to work in voice-over too, as I also can provide voice-overs not only in English, but in Russian and Korean too. I want to try myself in as many projects as possible and improve myself as a performer. In the meantime, I’ve learned which type of creators I want to work with as well as I’m aware of the red flags that some creators display. I feel like I’m ready to take on a new journey of finding my footing in the entertainment industry.

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 we’re talking about LA when it comes to food I always like to explore different cafes in KoreaTown. I love Korean food, but there are also some cute coffee shops there as well. From recent cafes that I liked, I really liked Yellow House Cafe. The food is very nice and the place itself is pretty aesthetic and it’s an added bonus. And in case you like Kpop you for sure can find a good record store there too, so that’s always been a plus. I like taking relaxing trips to the ocean with my friends. When it’s not especially hot and I end up at the beach I like how the worries leave me for a moment as I’m enjoying watching the waves and being in the moment. I really like the aesthetic of Pasadena area. I cannot afford to live there yet, but it’s filled with history and every shop you go to is very pleasing to the eye. I also really liked Santa Clarita area, which kind of means that I like to get away from LA when I’m having a vacation, but sometimes I feel like the general LA area is more for business whereas nearby areas are much more relaxing.

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?
At the starting point of my career, I think my parents deserve a shoutout because without their sponsorship and faith I wouldn’t have ended up where I am, and I’m really hoping that one day I can pay them back for all their continued support, it really is risky to believe in something so unstable as a career in the arts, but here we are, so thank you, mom and dad, I’m forever grateful.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dariaseok/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daria-seok/

Other: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@seokerforluv