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

Hi Mandysa, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I pursued an artistic career because this is where my creativity thrives! Acting allows me to connect with others through a shared love of storytelling. When I was in middle school, my reading teacher gave us an assignment to create a movie trailer for a recent book we’ve read. My friends and I chose Hunger Games, and assigned roles for each other like who’s filming, acting and editing, etc. I can’t express to you how much fun we had! We cast the characters’ roles from random neighborhood children, and had to teach these children how to fake fight each other, making sure they had water and snacks while we filmed the same scene twenty times in different angles. We learned how to make fake blood and realistic scars with makeup, and we learned how to edit thirty minutes worth of footage down to two minutes.

The entire process made me fall completely in love with everything involving the acting industry, from being in front of the camera to everything that happens behind it.  There’s so many artistic industries wrapped into entertainment that it’s hard to just be one thing. I knew from very early on that this was the career field that I would never tire of working in!

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.

Being a creative is the purest desire that I have; there are endless opportunities for growth and expression as an actress if you look for them! I started my career working as an unpaid intern at a few casting studios, and learned so much about the industry and about basic audition technique from that job. I helped people with self tapes every day I worked, and I used that position to market myself to casting directors too. There would be a lot of downtime between actors sometimes, so I would ask to cold read for their projects if I fit a character. I booked 3 short films, and 1 commercial by doing this! From there, I joined a modeling agency that booked me on some print work and my first campaign!

I work as a full time actress and model today, and although I did face many challenges just to get to where I am professionally, it’s been a super rewarding experience! I’ve learned that being grateful for even the little wins helps you stay positive, even with the constant rejections you face. It’s easy to get caught up in the LA grind culture, and to stress over the tiniest things – you can forget you’re literally living the dream! It’s all about learning to appreciate every experience.

 

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.
The first place I’d bring anyone when visiting LA is Sweetgreens. It’s the best salad bar I’ve ever been to in my life. If they’re down for some thrill, I would take them jet skiing in Marina Del Rey; you can basically ride from the Marina all the way up to Santa Monica. I would definitely plan to also spend a day petting cows and chickens at The Gentle Barn. And lastly, we would have to go to DOG PPL, which is where all the cool people in LA hang out! It’s basically a social club for dog owners (and lovers) where you can chill and watch the cutest dogs play while catching a yoga session and grabbing some coffee with friends!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The only way I’m able to stay sane is with the unwavering love and support of my friends and family! They’ve got my back no matter what. They’re always cheering me on, congratulating me when they see my projects, and just fully believing in me. My family are always the first ones I call when I need guidance, and having a loving support system is so important especially in an industry that is often overwhelming. I am forever grateful!

Website: www.mandysabrock.com

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

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

Other: IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10591937/

Image Credits
Neon top: Rafael S Oropeza Harper’s Bazaar: Reinhardt Kenneth Blue Dress: Brandyn Bordeaux Yellow pants: Wes Klain Pink Headshot: Matt Marcheski

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.