Meet Milad El Doumani | Lebanese Actor.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Milad El Doumani and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Milad, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Choosing love is the biggest risk anyone can take, you either have the greatest experience of your life, or you break your heart. The first step in my journey as an actor was deciding wether I should take the risk or choose a different path. My fear was that I’d be risking my financial freedom, my happiness, and my stable life. I was always aware that being an actor is rarely about the glitz and glamour we see on tv. I was also afraid I wasn’t good enough, having never acted until I was 18, The odds I could make it were 1 or 2% based on how many actors are employed at any time. I was good at many other things, I had options. Yet it’s crazy that I decided it’s better better than zero percent. I know there is a big chance that my heart will be broken, many times, that my dreams will shatter in front of my eyes, that I will be walking blind for decades until I stumble onto the light. But my truth was to dream, to be vulnerable with my heart, and to walk blind and trust I will find the light. And so I chose to be an actor and my journey began. Everything was be okay when I fell, I always got back up and I gave it another shot. I love acting and that’s what I want to do till I can’t do anything anymore.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Art is about expressing what’s deep inside you, it’s a personal experience so specific to who you are and so integral to what you want to say. My art is distinct in that I do it for me, the main benefactor is my soul. I dig deep in myself and I invest a lot into getting to know me so that when I make art for myself it is filling a need in me. To cry, to laugh, to express love. When I perform my art I want to be moved first and that’s always been my approach. My truth first. What I learnt over time is that the more truthful and specific I am to myself, the more people I reach. It’s this intimate relationship I have that sets me apart as well as my willingness to open my mind and try daunting experiences. I always put in all my effort and it always pays off.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
It’s funny you ask that, my mother is going to be visiting LA soon for the first time and I’m planning things out currently! In this case my first course of action is introducing her to my friends and showing her Burbank, I lived primarily there and I have grown to love everything about it from the restaurants to the malls in downtown Burbank. A favourite spot there would be Castaway, they serve the best food over an amazing view of Burbank. The next few days would be followed by going Museum to Museum, LACMA, The Broad, The Getty, you name it! I’ve had the most wonderful of times going to museums because the art exhibits in LA are so incredibly rich and thought provoking, not to mention very inspiring for a young artist like me. During the night I would be going to take my mother to the cinemas and show her some landmarks like the Cinerama dome theatre, the New Beverly Cinema, and the rooftop cinema club. If it’s possible too, the beach would be a another destination, there are countless beaches, Venice, Malibu, and of course, Santa Monica. There are just so many things to do, so much good food, so many amazing experiences. Los Angeles is a wonderful city.

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?
I am so grateful for everyone who’s been a part of my life. My mother believed in me and helped me be able to chase my dreams, I can’t thank her enough. My school, the New York Film Academy gave me a safe space to grow and become an actor I am proud of, along with introducing me to so many of my peers that inspired me. One of those peers is Chloe Breen, I feel lucky to know her and be able to have her support during challenging times in my career. Another incredible person would be the amazing singer and incredibly talented Darcy O’Toole, she was my rock and she is so full of positivity and hope. Our relationship was always healthy for me, it is people like her that are the diamonds of this world. Without her, I wouldn’t have the stamina I needed to keep picking myself up when I fall. My friend from Lebanon, Yara, was the first person to show me that I can be loved just for being who I am. We both love each other deeply and we were friends since we were seven years old, she has been a constant in my life that brings me joy. I could go on for thousands of words, but to be brief I’ll name the people who’s impact has changed my life, I love each and every single one of them even if some might not be with us anymore. They are Carla Antolin Muñoz, Neil Bullet, Natasha Lewis, Will Collins, Sarah Brine, Alexx Banovich, Sharbel Sahyouni, India Edwards, Karla Hagman, Josh Sanchez, Celiste Tannous, Leen Assaf, Sarah Brine, Iunia Dinu, David Robinette, Leila, Theo, Jordan Foreman, Alex Bond, Noemy Delmar, Zach Morris, Beata Jutila, Linnea Ingesson, Keoni Hall, Bita Arefina, Matthew Harper-Johnson, Bella, Shaman Harsha, Baba Awe, Gloria Karel, Jessica, Michelle Tumur, Grace Dillingham, Oksana, Becky, Joy Chen, Eric Alt, Kayla Greyling, Jay Light, Chet, Adlih Alvarado Torres, Adriana Nemr, Sara Nahas, Christina Karam, Coco Debruycker, Bongi Kowloon, Mackenzi Cange, Sinead Lewis, Mark Choueiry, Melissa Sullivan, Dolly, Toni Doumani, Dylan King, Candice Sarraf, Robert Shiells, Haylee Baldwin, Jay Light, Bunny, Phi Hamens, Jack Mcatee, Kyle Harting, Christa Mapes, Gaëlle Farah, Sandrianne, Dina Ayoub, Sarah Noon, Marina Hachem, Michael Beyrouthy, Lea Gedeon, Terradame, Zeyn Faddoul, Luke Sweeny, Giana Salazar, Isabelle Germain, Shranjay Arora, Jessica Berrón, Karolina, Pascale Lefkowitz, Mika Saka, Heidi, Tim Fannon, Anne Moore, Deihdra Fahey, Andrew Hill, Robert Pucci, Anastasia Coon, and Kellynn Wolke Meeks.

I’m sure I’ve missed a few but it is certain that I’ve been blessed with so much love from these people.

x

Instagram: https://instagram.com/milo_doumani?r=nametag

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milad-el-doumani-355307157

Other: Email me at milad.eldoumani@gmail.com IMDb page is https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm10740340?s=e6c0388b-41b6-7f04-8d35-0d9262a0b39a&site_preference=normal

Image Credits
Deidhra Fahey