Meet JP Siruno | Comedian, Writer, Actor, JP

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

Hi JP, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
In short, it’s fun. When I was growing up with my three siblings, we often had to entertain ourselves, and you can only play the same VHS tape so many times. We were always a creative bunch, so we would create our own stories, art, and even short films once Window’s Movie Maker was introduced to our lives. Every year we would have a “Christmas Concert” in the living room where we would sing Christmas classics to a story we had come up with on our own, sort of like a silly jukebox musical, and end it by gifting a storybook we wrote and illustrated to our parents. Performing Arts and Storytelling came naturally to my siblings and I, so it only seemed right to continue in similar pursuits later in life. My older sibling Cecilia Siruno still writes stories and is a great singer, and my younger sibling Salome Siruno takes over the stage every time the light shines on them. Salome is also an insane dancer, but I think I lucked out when God gifted me with two left feet and dad jokes. Our Parents were also incredibly supportive of our goals in life, and continue to be so today, which I’m forever grateful for, knowing that not everyone has a support system like this.

That has been one of the harder things I’ve had to figure out when moving to LA without my folks, to find a new community and new creative family to celebrate and collaborate with. Home is where the heart is, and though my love will be my folks back in AZ, I consider Los Angeles and the friends I’ve made here to be my current home.

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.
My first real steps in my professional journey were at AMDA, a performing arts college in Hollywood. It cemented my love of acting, and finding that community in the arts, most of whom I still work with today. I was also looking to expand my abilities in other interests aside from acting, such as writing and stand-up comedy. I found that comedy came much more naturally to me than “straight acting”, and would collaborate with many sketch shows, improv, stand up nights, and comedic writing workshops in college. School was tough, but trying to make a mark post graduation was easier said than done.

I lived the same old tale that most starving actors do. Did the usual rounds of auditions, performed at open mics, and occasionally got a sweet gig to sink my teeth into. I found a great footing with the sketch group “TMI Hollywood” led by Peter Aiello. It was a weekly show, so it was great exercise, and the team would have the best and most crazy stuff I’ve read, and it was a blast to bring to life what was on paper to the stage.

It’s kinda strange, I recall many nights feeling nothing but dread from constant rejection, and anxiety from years of couch hopping, not knowing when and where a new roof would be over my head if there would be one, and in those fears I felt alone. I still experience those insecurities but have to remind myself to remove the word “alone”. In the work I do, collaboration is key, and the ensemble is essential to bringing a vision to life. It is the same people that I’ve done table reads, performed with, and been at my most vulnerable state with, that has had my back when times were tough.

I’ve learned that if you are part of a community, then you are truly not alone, and to be patient, especially with yourself. In a fast-paced place like LA everyone is going at a hundred miles an hour with blinders on, only focusing on being number one. Nothing’s wrong with that, but it’s easy to allow narcissism to cloud judgement and compare yourselves with others thinking “you’re not good enough”. It’s not a race, or at the very least, I don’t see it as such. As long as you got the drive, air in your lungs, and that the people most important to you, yourself included, got your back, it’s never too late. Just keep going.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I admire the amount of things to do in this great city. Sure, there’s an abundance of “passing craze” and artisan coffee shops, but the city is full of rich history and art, the only downside is you wouldn’t be able to experience it all in just a week’s visit. I’m a sucker for a good museum and work part time at The California Science Center in Exposition Park. There hasn’t been a bad museum experience I’ve had in LA. The best times I had were in places such as The Natural History Museum, LACMA, MOCA, The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, The Getty Center, and of course The Griffith Observatory and the other gems within Griffith Park.

I would also like to end the day with a movie night. It’s inspiring to be in the city and lots where the magic is made, but I got a soft spot for a great time at the cinema with friends and popcorn. My favorite cinemas to frequent would have to be The New Beverly and The Vista, one of the few places that have showing playing only on film, The Los Feliz 3, The Laemmle Theatres across the city, my favorite one being The Royal, and the AMC at Citywalk, a bit of a bias on the last one since I do have the A-List membership.

I’m not much of a foodie by any means, but you can’t deny that you’ll get some of the best eats at a Korean BBQ joint. My personal favorite would have to be Bulgogi Hut in Koreatown, and I recommend you get the wine pork belly. I don’t want to go say far as to say it changed my life, but it was a highlight.

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?
The first people that deserve the most credit are my family. My Siblings Cecy Siruno and Salomé Orduño Siruno, and my parents Cecilia Orduño Siruno, and Jose Pedro Siruno.

The wonder gang of comedic lovable dorks known as “Imaginary Circumstances”, with Jerami Monreal, Arthur Santiago, David Hardy, David Hinton, Roshane Lawrence. the wonderful filmmaker Jasmine T.Q McLaurin of Queen Co Media, My Comedy Bros Steve Jun and Donovan Wilkes, musical genius JC Wright from A Band Named Goof who introduced me to the clown scene of LA and honestly have had the best time seeing live art in recent memory, Lilton Stewart III and Yasha Rayzberg, my two brothers in creative arms in my current project “Dad n’ Son, and to my partner and rock Mykayla Booth, who has been my best supporter and shoulder in my journey through out my time in LA.

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jp-siruno

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jpsirunoact

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JPSiruno

Other: IMDb
http://imdb.me/JPSiruno

bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/jpsiruno.bsky.social

Upcoming Project “Dad n’ Son”
https://www.instagram.com/dadn_son

Image Credits
Billy Kelly

Daryl Jim Diaz

Steve Dez

Isaac Valadez

Lilton Stewart III