Meet Grant Terzakis | Actor & Photographer
We had the good fortune of connecting with Grant Terzakis and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Grant, how do you think about risk?
Risks suck. They force us to be vulnerable and that is downright horrifying. But that really is the beauty of taking a risk. As blissful as it may sound to live your life fully protected by the status quo, living a life without taking any risks, especially as an entrepreneur and an artist, will leave you treading water until the end of time. A lot of people talk about how they took a big risk and it paid off and led to their success. While I love a feel-good success story as much as the next guy, this paints a romantic and unrealistic view of risk taking that makes it seem like it’s always going to work out. It warps our perception into thinking that if we “just go for it,” everything will fall into place. In most cases it wont. We end up crashing and burning. We feel dumb for taking the risk in the first place. We are vulnerable. HOWEVER, this is exactly why taking risks is so important to building a life and a career whether the risks pans out or not. If it works out, great! Take a moment and savor the glory. If it doesn’t work out, ALSO GREAT! You get a chance to learn from the heartbreak, and come back stronger, smarter and more resilient than before (after a brief “sitting on the floor of the shower sob session”). In some cases I would argue, what you learn about yourself in that space of heartbreak and vulnerability is far more valuable in the long run than the one or two rungs of the career ladder you may climb after a successful risk. A few months ago I had an invite to a meeting with a very reputable talent agent. I connected with this agent through a showcase. Among a myriad of other high (but doable) standards I needed to meet, this agent required me to drop my current representation in order to just have the meeting. I panicked and seriously considered not taking it. If it worked out, I would have elevated my career and had access to new and exciting opportunities. If it didn’t work out, I would be left unrepresented in this unprecedented time in the entertainment industry, where opportunities are scarcer than ever. I decided to go for it. I needed to bet on myself. I dropped my rep, got all my profiles up to the specific standards, drilled answers to potential questions, and even prepared a short monologue just in case. I also put on a cute outfit. When I hopped on the Zoom call, instead of the in depth personal back and forth I was expecting, this agent instead was unclear about who I was and where we had even connected in the first place. This agent then told me a bunch of information I had already been emailed, asked me one question about my work ethic and gave fairly uninspired answers to the questions I had prepared to ask. Before I knew it, the interview was over. I was confused and disappointed, which gave way to frustration and embarrassment. How could I be so stupid? What a dumb risk to take. Throwing away what was comfortable and easy for a chance at something bigger. I definitely was not expecting a contract from this agency after our remarkably forgettable exchange. BUT THEN! A FEW DAYS LATER IN MY INBOX! Still nothing. The risk fell flat. I rolled the dice hoping for Yahtzee and instead sunk my own battleship. Check and mate. I chose to live in the pain space for a few days instead of rationalizing it away or distracting myself into contentment. After an undisclosed number of shower sobs (only 2 okay?) I got to a place where I could think critically about what went down. And at the end of the day, even though I am in a more difficult position with my acting career as a direct result of the risk I took, I am glad I went for it and I would take this risk again. I’m this stubbornly optimistic because above all, I am proud that I bet on myself. I am proud that I believed in myself enough to give myself that chance. Instead of my confidence getting wrecked from this experience, it actually grew. This gives me the confidence to bet on myself again and again because the next time I take a risk like this, it will probably fall flat again. And so will the next time and maybe even the time after that. But all these face plants will better equip me to take and navigate a risk that actually will succeed and then my roommate can stop asking me if I’m okay through the bathroom door. I had an acting teacher once say, “pain is information,” and I think about that quote whenever the going gets tough. It doesn’t matter whether it is touching a hot kettle on the stove as a kid and getting burned or a talent agent not knowing who you are and getting, well, also burned. That pain teaches you how to navigate the world and yourself and that sort of knowledge is key to physical survival and career success. Regardless of outcome, the only sure bet we can make is on ourselves. It is a winning bet every time in my book.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am an actor and a photographer just over 3 years into my L.A. exploits. I moved here from Boston after a four year degree in Theatre at Northeastern University and one year hustling around New England doing various small time acting gigs and whatever photography jobs I could find. With an acting career as my main goal, I always had my sights set on Los Angeles, and I left Boston just as I was getting into a comfortable groove of consistent student films and repeat photography clients. I figured right as things were getting easier I would throw it all away, start fresh in a city where I knew three people. I had enough portfolio material in both acting and photography from my toilings in New England to hit the ground with a brisk jog when I got here. Photography is definitely a passion of mine and I could do it forever, but my intent with it is to support my acting career. I specialize in event photography which allows for ripe networking opportunities that lead to sprawling webs of new clients as well as a mainly nights and weekends work schedule that leaves tons of space during the weeks for auditions and acting classes. A challenge I frequently have is finding the right balance between the two careers and keeping acting as a priority even when financially speaking, photography accounts for the overwhelming majority of my income. 2019 was very photography heavy. I am getting better at saying no to clients but that year I ended up shooting over 220 different photo gigs. It was so much fun and I don’t regret it one bit, but I was far too busy to make time for acting, which is why I moved here in the first place. In 2020 I vowed to make more time for acting. The pandemic unfortunately has made that extremely easy and I have only done about 25% of the photo work compared to 2019. BUT, I have had time to be in two classes a week for most of the year. I also had time to do a complete acting brand construction, honing in on my natural character type and then producing an entirely new acting reel and pitch materials based on that type. Unsurprisingly, my acting brand that I labored to zero in on is strikingly similar to my photography brand vibe that I was already instinctively giving off without even knowing it. I hesitate to call either of them “brands” because at their root is just my core personality filtered through the lens of different professions. In photography, my “brand” is the fun, outgoing, extremely professional photoboy who is going to get brilliant shots of your event while having a great time and maybe busting out a few moves on the dance floor while doing it. In acting, the “brand” I am trying to cultivate is your friendly neighborhood quirky rom-com actor. My pitch materials say “A burrito stuffed with John Krasinski charm and Justin Long dorkiness. Lightly dipped in Matt Bomer hot sauce.” I don’t think I need to elaborate. I have learned that in both my careers, I am the product. And the more specifically I can market that product to customers while still staying true to myself and having fun, the more inclined they are to buy it.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love Malibu! The beaches are gorgeous and so much fun, not to mention the drive there is sublime while cutting through the canyon roads. Coming out of the canyon you see the water and get a rush of crisp ocean air and for that brief second, you have zero problems in your life. Zuma beach and Point Dume are must visit spots, with lunch and drinks at Gladstones on PCH overlooking the water. The Getty Center off of 405 is lovely too. Brilliant art exhibits aside, the architecture of the center is so interesting and the garden is perfect. A great view of all of L.A. And you can’t not go to In-N-Out for a double double and shake.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My friend and confidant Dylan Teter. He always picks me up and dusts me off or if I’m not ready to be picked up yet he lays on the floor and stares at the ceiling with me. Also my nana because she’s awesome and I miss her.
Website: https://www.
Instagram: https://www.
Facebook: https://www.
Youtube: https://www.youtube.
Other: Thumbtack Photography Profile: https://www.
Image Credits
Rachael B Photography
Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
