Meet Perveen Singh | Actor and screenwriter

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

Hi Perveen, what role has risk played in your life or career?
As a child of immigrants, risk has had a huge hand in where I am today. When I step back and take an aerial view of my life, it amazes me to see where I’ve come. I was born on a tiny peninsula almost ten thousand miles away from this amazing city I now call home and where I pursue my dreams. Every step along the way was rooted in some risk.

Everything about working in entertainment is risky. There’s no blue print, no sure fire ladder to success. It’s a lot of trial and error – you can’t be afraid to fail and fail again. The biggest shift in my mentality has been adopting a “why not me” outlook; it’s helped me cross some huge hurdles, both personal and professional. On days when that confidence is harder to channel, I always go back to a quote I love by Peter McWilliams:

“What if it doesn’t work out? Ah, but what if it does.”

It’s become my mantra when I’m unsure or nervous and need to hype myself up. After all, no risk, no reward right?

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My approach to both acting and writing is to be in service of storytelling and collaborating. I was an avid reader growing up and fell in love with the way writers are world builders. It’s the same approach I take anytime I write or when I’m in front of the camera, bringing someone else’s words to life.

My goal is to be a true multi-hyphenate – an actor, screenwriter, novelist – and to run my own production company. The characters I’m most attracted to are the ones that contain multitudes, are nuanced, that aren’t cliches.

The projects I write and hope to produce always aim for a delicate balance of big outrageous humor, astute cultural observations and touching authentic human moments. At present, I’m working on a father-daughter comedy that breaks down the stereotype of the stern Indian dad, instead highlighting the warm bond between them that’s often overlooked but not uncommon. Watch this space!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I always jump at a chance to play tourist in my city. A few musts:

– Breakfast at Gjusta, a stone’s throw from where I live in Venice. A smorgasbord is the way to go here: buttery smoked salmon, topped with dill and EVOO soaked feta. Whipped burrata. The most heavenly sourdough…and so we feel a little virtuous, a mushroom poached egg bowl.

– A beach day crisping in Malibu, followed by with sunset bubbles and oysters.

– An overnight jaunt to Santa Barbara. Bonus points if my guest is up to taking the longer but considerably more scenic PCH route. Walking around the Funk Zone, paella and saffron G&Ts at Loquita or a good steak at Lucky’s. We’d drive home winding through Montecito, secretly hoping for an Oprah sighting.

– A hike at Will Rogers for sweeping ocean views (or Griffith Observatory for a requisite Hollywood sign sighting).

– Exploring the arts district downtown. A visit to the Broad, checking out the latest exhibit at Hauser & Wirth. Then we’d reward ourselves for a culture-filled day with an elevated Southern feast at Manuela.

– A girls night somewhere in Hollywood or the east side: drinks in the iconic Chateau Marmont garden, natural wine and pasta at the cutest wine bar, Lolo’s, or endless martinis and frites at Tower Bar at Sunset Tower.

– Stocking up on all the veggies and dips at the Venice Farmer’s market and hosting an early evening dinner party in my garden.

– Catching a show at the Hollywood Bowl on a warm summer night.

Oh, and if they’re extra lucky, a pickup and drop off at LAX!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve stepped onto the shoulders of a lot of generous, supportive people but I have to shoutout my parents. They’ve taken everything I’ve lobbed at them over the years, good or bad, in stride. They’re adventurous people who took a leap of faith in moving far from home and have remained optimistic, kind and open throughout it all. They pick up every call, support my every move and are always in my corner. Being an only child, we’re a tight knit trio and while they expect nothing in return, I owe them everything.

Website: http://www.perveensingh.com/

Instagram: @pervalerv

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRd5DQOfKBw&list=PLC-jpWkZEHiaX-7ztpd0O_h2Hid9xXK0j

Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5552985/

Image Credits
Stephanie Girard