Meet Henry Abdoh | Actor/Songwriter

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

Hi Henry, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Personally I do not really believe in work life balance. Sure – off-times are necessary to recharge and relax. But when somebody loves what they are doing and is obsessed about it the work turns out to be more pleasurable than simply relaxing. Furthermore I believe that if somebody is serious about their goals that they have to make an important decision: are they willing to sacrifice friends, time, etc. for said goals or is their “free time” more valuable?

I made that decision a long time ago: I want to be great at my craft. Was that decision hard for me? Not really: I never was somebody with a complex and draining social life. I like to work. I like to make progress. I like to get better.

The people that we talk about in daily life – the Michael Jordans, the Albert Einsteins etc. – are people that did not “care” about work life balance. In this phase of my life I don’t care either.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a songwriter and actor from Germany. I moved to the US in 2021 to pursue a career in the entertainment industry and never looked back. I had a couple of obstacles along the way and definitely a few set backs but I think that is normal. Nothing that one truly wants comes easy. I had a lot of figuring out to do before I could actually see the steps that I needed to take to make my ambitions happen.

What sets me apart from others is probably the languages that I speak: German, English, French and Arabic.

The major lesson that I learned is that things usually take longer than expected. And that one’s plan has to stay flexible. My goals are definitely still the same but the plan has changed quite a bit.

I recently starred in a WW2 short film as the main villain which I am pretty excited to see. The on set experience was amazing and I could have not asked for a better cast and crew to work with.

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.
Definitely Santa Monica because it was one of the first areas that I stayed at when I first moved to LA. Santa Monica pier, Venice Beach and Malibu are all a must see, Runyon Canyon is also a good spot and of course the Griffith observatory. For a night out I would recommend the many bars and clubs around 3rd street promenade in Santa Monica.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to thank my parents for shaping me into the person I am today and for supporting me throughout my tougher times. My father taught me to be ambitious, hard working and disciplined in the pursuit of greatness and to never give up. Although he pursued a different career, his principles still resonate with me. I could talk about the many books that I read but the spark that started it all was given to me by my family. They are tough and demand only the best – something that stuck with me.

Instagram: henryabdoh

Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7635467/