Meet Sabrina Orro | Actress

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

Hi Sabrina, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Wow. It’s actually really funny that you asked me this question because, at the start of each year, I like to select a word to be my theme for the year; my word for this year is “balance.”

Work/life balance is something I’ve struggled with my entire career. When I first started pursuing professional acting, I thought I had to be all-acting all the time to “make it.” I prioritized my acting career over everything else in my life and, as a result, I started to NEED my career. Then, that need festered into desperation, and that desperation made me miserable. That desperation also made me bring a lot of white-knuckle energy to my auditions—which wasn’t helpful.

Then, one day, I woke up and realized I was filling my life with busy work to try to control the parts of this profession that weren’t controllable. I realized that, while it does take a lot of hard work to succeed as an actor, you also have to live your life. The whole art of acting is living truthfully in imaginary circumstances; so, you need to know what it’s like to live.

When I made that discovery, I started committing more to work/life balance. It’s an ongoing process for me; it can be tough sometimes, especially because I’m in the stage of my career where I still have to work a day job to pay my bills. But, generally, I’ve managed to create more room in my life for the things that bring me joy outside of acting. And guess what? I’m a whole lot happier, and I think I’m a better actor because of it.

Plus, when I shifted my mindset and created more room for joy, a bunch of random and unexpected opportunities found me; I got an audition and a callback for a major motion picture produced by Steven Spielberg, a feature I starred in got picked up for distribution, I booked an on-location gig in Zion National park (where my travel expenses were covered), and I started booking more-frequently (I’ve consistently worked nearly every other month for a whole year). I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I like to refer to myself as “your go-to-Go-Getter”. With the charm of The Spunky Best Friend and the passion of The Fiercely Determined Leader, I radiate duality; in other words, I exist where spunky meets fierce. I try to bring strength and vulnerability to every role, and I’d say I have a particular skill for emotional commitment. I’m generally hired to either scream and cry hysterically, or be a goofy little guy; but, my favorite projects are ones where I get to do a little bit of both!

I’m really proud of my career journey so far, especially because I’ve booked everything from self-submissions. In the last 5 years I’ve been working “professionally”, I’ve filmed 3 features, over 20 shorts, 2 web series, and a handful of commercials. However, I’ve been working towards becoming a professional actress my entire life.

My mom and I always joke that I came out of the womb doing jazz hands. According to her, from the time I could talk/move, I would stand in front of the TV and try to imitate whatever movie or show we were watching. I started performing through dance when I was 3, but I first got into acting because of my older brother, Joshua. When he started acting in local theatre programs, I followed him and got completely hooked. Both Joshua and I struggled in school (both socially and academically), and performing helped us find a community where we felt seen and heard. Also, Joshua is autistic, and watching movies, TV, plays/musicals, and performing on-stage really helped him discover how to express himself. In other words, I saw first-hand how transformative acting can be—for both audience and performer, and that made me want to do this “for real”.

From there, I went on to study theatre in college; I graduated Summa Cum Laude with my BA in Theatre Arts from Cal Poly SLO, and I went to PCPA’s Professional Actor Training Conservatory. Since being in LA, I’ve trained with a handful of studios here, and I’ve spent the last couple of years mostly working in the independent film scene. I’m excited to share that I have a lot of projects either currently in festivals, applying to festivals, or set up for local screenings. One of my projects, “Incalculable Unknowns” is set to screen at one of HollyShort’s monthly screenings later this year! I also have a few films applying for distribution, and my first feature, “Oblivium”, is set to come out early next year (I’m hoping to have more information to share on that very soon).

It’s been a very fun and challenging journey so far. Along the way, I’ve gotten super lucky and had a lot of heartbreak. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been at this for 5 years, and 2023 was the first year where I was paid for every acting job I did. It’s crazy because I’ve done SO many projects at this point, but, by industry standards, I still haven’t booked my first legitimate “credit.” Even so, I feel good about where I am, and I’m very hopeful that I’ll get some “credits” soon. I recently signed with new acting representation, and I’m starting to get more auditions, so that’s a start! In the meantime, I’m grateful for the projects I’ve gotten to work on so far, and for all of the wonderful people I’ve met along the way.

The biggest thing that’s helped me so far is other people. Without the support of my family (my parents especially), my friends, and all the friends I’ve made in classes and on sets, I would have thrown in the towel years ago. Plus, my favorite part of doing this is constantly meeting and collaborating with other people. I’ve finally been out here long enough that I’ve gotten to collaborate with some people multiple times, and I’m looking forward to that continuing!

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?
One of my best friends is visiting me from London next year! So, you’re asking me this as I’m working on our itinerary for while he’s in town (s/o Alex). While he’s here, he wants to hike the Hollywood sign (a rite of passage), go to an acting class (I’m taking him to Actor’s Edge in Sherman Oaks), and check out one of the local theme parks (we’re between a few choices, but I’m probably going to take him Knott’s Berry Farm for the perfect mix of thrills/whimsy).

I’m also definitely taking him to the Academy Museum; I think it’s such a brilliant representation of film history, and it always takes my breath away a little. We’ll also probably spend an afternoon in downtown Burbank; I think it’s so cute and nice, and I love to go there to wander around. While we’re there, we’ll pop into Artelice Patisserie for some sweet treats too! Another must is Scum and Villainy Cantina in Hollywood. The vibes are immaculate, the drinks are delicious, and, at the end of the day, I’m just a girl who loves a well-executed theme. Other than that, I’m still nailing down a lot of the details (especially food-wise); but, I’m a big fan of breakfast so I’m pretty confident I’m taking him to DuPars, Aroma Cafe, and All Day Baby.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Huge shoutout to my parents, Nancy and Ottavio Orro. I’m grateful every day that I’m your daughter! Thank you for your never-ending support, your uplifting pep talks, and for always keeping your ear to the ground for me. I literally couldn’t do this without you!

Website: https://sabrinaorro.wixsite.com/actress

Instagram: @sabrinaorro, https://www.instagram.com/sabrinaorro?igsh=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Other: Actor’s Access: https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/sabrinaorro

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8189324/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Image Credits
1. Primary Image (Headshot in Yellow Top), Huebner Headshots, Photo by Leah Huebner, @huebnerheadshots on Instagram

2. (Photo of Orro sitting in front of a film camera), BTS from the set of “Ornamental Oriental”, Photo by Yuzhi Huang, @230am_ on Instagram

3. (Film still where Orro talks on the phone), Still from “Disconnected”; Directed by Sara Gerbereux, Produced by Elodie Ghonda, and DP Yiran Chen

4. (Photo of Orro getting her makeup done), Featuring MUA Gideon Jacob, BTS from “Ornamental Oriental”, photo by Yuzhi Huang, @230am_ on Instagram

5. (Film still of Orro smiling in front of a Christmas tree), Still from “Our Christmas House”, Directed by Annabel Grace Regier, Produced by Sarah Wood Umhau, and DP Graham Skinner

6. (Film still where Orro looks at herself in a mirror), Still from “Disconnected”, Directed by Sara Gerbereux, Produced by Elodie Ghonda, and DP Yiran Chen

7. (Photo of Orro smiling in a blue vest), BTS from “Ornamental Oriental”, by Yuzhi Huang, @230am_ on Instagram

8. (Film still of Orro in a pool), Still from “Incalculable Unknowns”, Directed by Annabel Grace Regier, Produced by Sarah Wood Umhau, and DP Graham Skinner

9. (Photo of Orro in a camera viewfinder), BTS from “Our Christmas House”, Photo by Annabel Grace Regier