Meet Monique Burias Shi | Singer, Actor, Voice Over Artist.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Monique Burias Shi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Monique, why did you pursue a creative career?
I’m the second of four children and a first-generation Filipino-Chinese American. I was born in the U.S., but from six months to three years old, I was sent to live in Bulan, Sorsogon, Philippines with my “Ama” Perla—my mom’s adoptive mother, who was also the sister of my biological grandmother, Lola Adela—and her sisters. Being raised in a home full of strong, nurturing women at such an early age is where I first learned the power of women, of family, and what unconditional love feels like. Growing up, I would also hear stories of my grandfather—who was a Kao Ka, a Chinese opera performer in Binondo, Philippines. That revelation really hit me. I thought, Wow… maybe talent can be genetic. My paternal grandmother also gave me the Chinese name Xīng Xīng, which I believe means ‘stars,’ and it made me wonder if I was destined for a path in performing.

Like many children of immigrants, I grew up with pressure to pursue a “stable” career—doctor, lawyer, accountant. My family hoped I’d follow in my mom’s footsteps and go into the medical field, but I was never great at math or science. The arts, though? That always came naturally to me. Music was my first love. I sang in church choir, chamber choir, and earned spots in all-district and all-state honor choirs throughout middle and high school. I also did show choir and musical theatre, which made me consider majoring in vocal performance and pursuing a career in teaching or music therapy.

My life changed at Cal State Fullerton. During my sophomore year, my oral communications teacher, Larry Peters—who was also the head of the Acting Department at the time—encouraged me to audition for the BFA Acting program. I hadn’t considered acting as a real path, but I trusted his intuition. I went to summer school to catch up on credits, auditioned, and got in! I trained in the Stanislavsky method under the incredible Svetlana Efremova, and it blew my mind that there was actually a method to acting. I learned how to be present, how to listen, how to be a human being. I discovered that my voice was powerful—and that I could use it to tell the truth and get paid for it. I graduated cum laude with a BFA in Theatre, Acting, and today, I’m proud to be a working actor and voice artist. I get to tell stories, make people feel seen, and sometimes—even just a little—help them heal. I’m so honored to be on this creative path.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
After I graduated college, I worked at a credit union for a short amount of time while trying to book whatever jobs I could get through casting websites. Thankfully, my first agency scouted me from one of those websites and opened the door to national commercials, modeling print jobs, and on-camera TV/Film work. After gaining some momentum, I moved agencies, and when the pandemic hit, I saw it as a turning point. With a background in both acting and vocal training, I knew I could thrive in voice over. Thanks to my commercial work, I was able to invest in VO classes, build a professional home studio, record my demo reels, and consistently train for two years—which ultimately led to signing with my voiceover agency.

Getting to where I am today hasn’t been easy. I’ve faced plenty of self-doubt, financial instability, and the challenge of navigating an industry that doesn’t always know where to place people who don’t fit into a box. But every setback became a lesson. Lately, one of the biggest challenges has been navigating the evolving landscape of AI in our industry. I’ve had to turn down roles that won’t agree to AI protections like running our audition or session files to train AI without our consent. I believe our voices and performances deserve to be respected and we should be properly compensated for our work.

Some lessons I learned along the way are to research, warm up, and let go. I try to research as much as I can for each project to understand tone, client’s past work, cultural context, etc. I always warm up before I record because my money maker is a muscle, and once I submit an audition, I release it. I used to obsess over every detail, but I’ve learned that the more I let go, the more I book. Beyond the craft itself, I strive to show up with kindness, compassion, and perseverance. I always want to leave a lasting impression with the people I work with where they feel seen, respected, and creatively energized.

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.
If my best friend was visiting the area and I wanted to show them the best time ever, I’d make sure we plan on the dates that their fave artist is performing and work around that. Or we could see improv shows at UCB and groundlings, watch her favorite stand up comedians, go bar hopping in the Art’s District. If we have infinite funds, then I’d say let’s check out all amusement parks: Six Flags, Universal Studios, Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, Lego Land, Sea World. It may not all be in LA but that’d be a fun itinerary for the week.
“Why see the world, when you got the beach”🎶
Sunsets strolls on the beach at Santa Monica Pier and/or Venice Beach for sure. If you’re in the OC, I love Laguna Beach <3
Get the iconic LACMA pics, see the lit city lights at Griffith Observatory, and maybe find their fave celeb’s star on Hollywood’s walk of fame.
For food, get ready for a list of options:
In n Out
Jollibee
Canes
Zankou
Pablitos Tacos
786 degrees pizza
Bopomofo cafe
Garden Fresh Vegan Restaurant
Mama Lu
Marathon Burger
Kopan Ramen
Din Tai Fung
Most Pho, Thai, Chinese Hot Pot, and KBBQs in the area fire
Sushi Gen
Fogo De Chao (protein gainz)

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d love to dedicate my shoutout to my family, mentors, and friends. Thank you for always keeping me grounded in love and culture, even when they didn’t full understand the industry I was going into. Thank you to my mentors who have guided and shared their wisdom. Shoutout to my friends, especially the ones who have seen me through the highs and lows, for reminding me why I keep going. I truly wouldn’t be here where I am without their love, honesty, and belief in me.

Website: https://linktr.ee/moniqueburiasshi

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquemagpayo/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/moniqueburias

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

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

Other: https://m.imdb.com/name/nm11047813/

http://tiktok.com/@moniqueburiasshi

https://streamily.com/moniqueburiasshi

Image Credits
Mark Ramont
Christina Johnston & Family
Wong Fu Productions
Olivia Wong
Steve Peixotto
Stan Evans