Meet Luna Man: Actrice

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

Hi Luna, why did you pursue a creative career?
I have always liked change in my life, that’s why a lot of careers aren’t really for me. But when you’re pursuing an artistic career, you’re always finishing projects and starting new ones. And each one is like an adventure. Every adventure teaches you different things and you become better every time. This constant change and improvement is very important to me. I want a career that makes me feel like there is always more to learn and like I am never done exploring. I also feel like you generally get to work with people who really love what they do and wouldn’t change it for the world. When I would think about a career in the film industry, I saw inspired people working together to create something amazing. You never know where it’s gonna go or if it’s even gonna be good but that’s what drew me in. It’s an adventure.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
It has been a weird year, my life has changed a lot since covid and I think my experiences this past year have been the biggest challenge I’ve had to overcome in my acting career. Due to covid, I was not able to return to the US to finish my 2 – Year Conservatory Program at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. It was hard for me to be back home after a year in the US, and not being able to go back to finish my studies. So I decided to take an acting course on the weekends here in The Netherlands and during the week, I started auditioning. In addition, I started reading a lot of of books on acting and different acting methods. My first 2 weeks of auditioning, I managed to get 6 different roles. I never imagined it would go so fast and I couldn’t hold my excitement but right before my first day on set, a full lockdown was announced in The Netherlands. Because the projects I was doing weren’t big money projects, a lot of them were cancelled or postponed. Weeks went by and the lockdown kept getting extended. Then months went by and all I could think was, this was supposed to be my year, the year I would actually start working. Now, the lockdown is still going on but my projects seem to be starting to pick up again. So I am very hopeful that despite of covid, 2021 will be a very good year career wise. About a month ago I was cast in a new Dutch web series that will start filming its first season in July. I also have a small role in a new Dutch Netflix series that will air this year. The past year has taught me so much, when a door closes, you open up the next door with.a positive attitude and good things will come your way. It took me a few months to learn that and accept that life didn’t go as planned. But now I am happier than ever, doing what I love, just in a different place. My goal is still to eventually move back to Los Angeles, I’m just taking a little detour. Covid has been a big challenge but it has also been crucial to get to the point where I am today.

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?
I am in love with Melrose Ave, the shops, the restaurants, the flea market, everything! So I would say, spend a day on Melrose, check out the cute thrift stores, have lunch or dinner at one of the many good restaurants (one of my favourite restaurants on Melrose is Lala’s Argentinian Grill), take a dance class at Playground LA, visit the Melrose Trading Post (fleamarket). Go on a hike, to the Hollywood Sign or to the Wisdom Tree for example. For a fancy dinner, I would suggest Catch LA, it is not something you want to do more than once because it is quite pricey but it’s definitely an amazing experience. Definitely visit the beach, and if you’re in Santa Monica, go check out the Santa Monica Pier! Malibu is also very a very good option if you want to go to the beach.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are a lot of people that have helped me get to where I am today, and I want to thank them all. But I want to thank my mom in particular. For always being there, supporting me in any way she can. My mom is a busy working woman but she has always been very involved in my life and what I do and she will always make time for me when I need or want it. She loves everything I do but she is not afraid to tell me that I can do better when she knows I can. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or stressed, my mom knows exactly what to do to pull me out of it. She’s my rock!

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Image Credits
Headshots by: Desley man