Meet Kristen DiMercurio | Actor

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

Hi Kristen, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I don’t know if anyone truly achieves a work life balance, to be honest. As an actor in LA, my schedule is far from consistent. Some days I’ll have nothing going on, and others I’m running around just barely getting everything done. Between auditions, self-tapes, callbacks, recording sessions, fittings, shoot dates, it can sometimes be overwhelming to manage it all. The way I have learned to make it easier is to allow myself to really rest on those “off” days. When you wake up to an empty inbox, it can be very tempting to try and create new work for yourself. We’re told that we need to be hungry and always looking for the next opportunity. But I look at an acting career as a marathon, not a sprint. To help combat burnout (because let’s be real, none of us really avoid it), I treat those break days like a weekend. Not every day has to be the day you book that next big job. Life is about more than the next gig, so I try to spend those days with friends, playing around with new hobbies, and exploring the city.

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.
Right now I feel that my art is in a state of change. I have pivoted from theater acting, to mostly commercial and audiobook work. Something I’m working on right now is bringing my artistic skill set into these arenas. I think oftentimes, people look at a car commercial and think it’s just someone reciting a script, but there is a lot that goes into making a sales script feel believable, approachable, and grounded in reality. The audiobook world too comes with a lot of limitations in terms of how far you can take the acting, but I’ve been really enjoying the push and pull of expressing the truth of the characters and their stories, while still adhering to all of the needs of an audiobook.

In terms of my brand, my story, and where I want to go, I’ll be candid: I’m not sure what’s next for me. I’m not sure where my niche is in the industry at large yet, and I’m starting be more and more okay with that. To use another analogy, instead of picking a direction and swimming in it, regardless of the tide, I’ve decided I’d like to surf, and see where the waves take me. Which means right now my goal is to keep my balance and stay on the board.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love when my friends come to visit me out in LA! Often my first stop is Leo’s Taco truck in Echo Park, because selfishly I can’t get enough of them. I almost always recommend checking out a museum as well since we have so many to choose from. I think one of the most extraordinary things about LA is it’s proximity to some of the most unique wildlife in the country, so I also like to take friends for a hike or camping trip somewhere outside the city. I recently brought a friend camping up in the Angeles National Forest and it feels like an entirely different world up there!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d love to dedicate my shoutout to my partner, Lyn Rafil. Throughout my time in LA, they have always been there for me in a way that I’ve never experienced before. Lyn doesn’t just support my decision to be an actor, they’re also my go-to person for when the industry gets tough. Being an actor can be a very frustrating and difficult career, and Lyn always holds space for me in those times. Whether I need a vent session, a brainstorming partner, a second set of eyes, or a reality-check, Lyn is there and ready to help. Without them, I don’t think I’d have made it as far as I have in this industry, and they deserve so much recognition for their intelligence, their generosity, and their big heart.

Website: https://kristendimercurio.com

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

Image Credits
Photography by Jackson Davis