Meet Ryan Wayne | Actor

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

Hi Ryan, why did you pursue a creative career?
So back when I was a kid I saw Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for the 1st time and I loved it so much. I wanted to be a part of an exciting world like that and acting was the gateway to live out these amazing stories and bring them to life.

I always had a yearning to go on adventurous but I also was kind of a shut in so I lived vicariously through movies and TV shows. And when I acted in High School I got to do plays that let me go on these adventures and I had fun acting… I felt alive. I also got to work with people to help create something awesome.

That’s another thing I love about the arts is the collaboration and the teamwork involved. I love big ensemble movies because it’s a bunch of different people coming together to tell a great story and a lot of my favorite roles have been from projects with a bigger cast and crew.

When someone asked me what my back up plan was I just said I had none, I wanted to be an actor. Though to stop my Grandma from asking me I told her my plan B was to become a male stripper… she stopped asking after that. I just couldn’t see me going down any other path…Acting and performing is just what I was meant to do.

Also, I’m not good at Excel, I don’t like wearing ties, and I can be very informal so a job in an office setting wouldn’t have worked out for me.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I walk into a casting room and I see like 5 other baby-faced scrawny 20 somethings playing teenagers… How do I stand out? What makes me different?

Well other than being super dedicated to what I do I really don’t know, I mean I made my own exercise routine with Pokémon Go, I graduated College dressed as Spider-Man, and I’ve also taken a sword to the eye and still have perfect vision. I’m a unique individual perhaps because I look like your everyday person…but I’m not. My ordinary look conceals something extraordinary and I think it pops out. I’m not sure how but it does and I just role with it.

I am still fairly new to this business. Still working on that SAG eligibility thing and getting into the casting rooms for bigger things. But what I’ve accomplished so far being a part of so many projects be it short films, web series, or theatre I’ve had so many wonderful opportunities! I’m proud how far I’ve come and I’m excited for everything to come.

At the time of this interview one thing in particular that I am looking forward to is this webseries I was just a part of called Mean Boys. It’s a series on Rizzle that pays homage to films like Heathers, Jawbreakers, and as the name suggest Mean Girls. It comes out (or has been released) on a app called Rizzle in May 2021. It was a fun experience and I worked with so many great people. And the material we worked with was so great, it felt like a gift from the universe!

Has this been an easy process? Hahaha, no. With success comes hard work in order to get there and I’ve worked hard. And I’ve had weeks where I felt like it was all coming apart. I’ve struggled balancing an actor’s life with my day jobs. I’ve felt stuck in my career before thinking the next level will never come. I’ve battled social anxiety and my own mind that loves to overthink everything. But no matter what happens I venture forward because I know that acting is my destiny and as long as you believe in yourself and that what you want is achievable you will one day achieve it. You just gotta keep on fighting for it.

What lessons have I learned? Gosh, so many. But I’d say the most important one is to know that everything you do can open a door. Interactions on set or just getting into the room in front of that one casting director or even taking a class and meeting a buddy who you vibe with. They can lead you to paths you never knew were possible. So take them explore them, you’ll be amazed what you might find along the way.

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?
Favorite spots:

The Hollywood Sign is a must I go up there at least once a week and feel inspired every single time. Also it’s a nice hike.

The Grove is a really cool mall with a Barnes and Noble and an awesome farmer’s market (also it’s close to CBS Studios and as a Survivor fan I think that’s cool)

Canter’s deli is amazing, DELIcious and super close to the Grove.

The Hollywood and Highland Mall has so many great shops, the bigger names on the walk of fame are usually there and also you might get a pic with Spider-Man… or 5 Spider-Men… and a random pirate lady.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost I gotta thank my family. My grandma who supports me a lot, my parents who are always hyped to see what I’m up to and my little sister Aimee who I give inspiration to by being her cool big brother out in LA.

I also gotta thank my friends, who’ve been there for me and I them on our crazy journey out here in LA. They inspire me with what they do and with how talented they are and I’d like to think I do the same.

My agents who help me navigate this crazy business and have submitted me for some fun auditions.

My teachers, be it from the good old small town I lived in or at AMDA. I appreciate them so much. Even if I haven’t conveyed it enough, know that y’all helped me souch and I’m so grateful

Also any project I’ve worked on, I’ve learned something from so I’d like to thank all the people I’ve worked with in the past.

Website: Mrryanwayne.com

Instagram: Mrryanwayne

Image Credits
LMU for Christmas One