Meet Sarah Ritter | Actor & Director

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

Hi Sarah, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
As an actor, 90% of the work you do is under wraps. No one sees the end result until you’re booking, and of course, booking is an entirely different beast than merely auditioning. A lot of actors you see working now have been auditioning since they were kids, and when they finally land their first big booking, it’s because they are somewhat known and trusted in the industry as they’ve built rapport all those years. Trust is a huge part of the actor’s journey because the fate of a studio and the investment of hundreds of thousands, even millions, of dollars falls on the shoulders of a single person: the actor. I think people forget that someone like Brie Larson was playing ensemble characters in movies like 13 Going On 30 and A Cinderella Story longgg before she booked a title role. It’s simultaneously frustrating and freeing to know that someone that talented was “overlooked” for years. We say it all the time, but in the industry (and life) timing really is everything.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think something that’s always made me a bit odd is my inability to fit in. And I know how that sounds… but believe me it was not for lack of trying, I’ve just never been great at following the rules. No one wanted to be friends with the loud, messy third grader quoting Austin Powers on the playground. I grew up with two older brothers, I was tough, but that never changed the fact that I desperately wanted affection just like anyone else, so I became somewhat of a chameleon. I started to give people the version of me that they seemed to want, and I was good at it. I think the hardest part of my journey is still trying to find that medium between who I actually am and what people want to see from me, because that’s the industry for a puppet (actor). It’ can be entirely human to want to compartmentalize, to “type cast”, but I think where real performance art comes from is the unexpected. Life is unexpected, and art should be aiming to capture life. Sure we follow a formula in storytelling, but the archetypes are tired and you can literally hear audiences (mostly on Twitter) growing weary of the same stories told over and over again. I couldn’t agree more. The hardest part for me NOW is not figuring out where I fit in, but where there is room for disruption. My short film, Hyde, written/directed by/starring me, aims to do that. I always wanted to play the hero when I was a kid, to save the day. But even in the early 2000s there wasn’t much content revolving around strong female protagonists, let alone female antagonists. I always thought “that’s a shame that they don’t think women can be scary” or that women could carry an epic storyline, and in recent years we’ve definitely seen a shift thank GOD (thank Marvel), but I still don’t think it’s enough. I think everyone should have a chance to tell their story, that way we’ll never run out, we’ll only inspire all the more.

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.
Los Angeles is truly one of the weirdest places I’ve ever beheld. There’s the undeniable energy of a city full of life and dreams and promise, but at the same time there’s an insane backdrop of gorgeous scenery. I’m fortunate enough to spend a lot of my time near the ocean, specifically Malibu, a place where you can go to be reminded of your humanity. There’s always work to be done in the city, but escaping to somewhere that feels natural, that feels older than time (and a bit like Jurassic Park) is recalibrating. It seems to say “None of this matters” and therefore serves to keep things light. Also I would be a fool if not to mention my self-proclaimed sponsors at Zankou chicken. Truly the best chicken for the best price in LA, and if your friends are vegetarian, they’ve got falafel good enough to take home to mama. Convenient too, you can find them nearly every 800 yards in LA.

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?
My manager Andrew Ferguson is an absolute king. Not only is he an incredible person and mentor, he’s one of those people who was born to be in this industry. The entertainment industry has been known to chew people up and spit them out, so to speak, so that only the roughest, toughest, most stubborn talent survives. Andrew’s one of those. He’s not afraid to talk to anyone, in fact, he’d prefer to know everyone, hear their stories. That’s how you know you’ve found someone meant for this crazy little world: their adoration for stories, period.

Website: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/hyde–2/x/25204514#/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/_sarahritter_/

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/ritt_twit/

Other: https://instagram.com/hydethefilm/ and https://depop.com/_sarahritter_

Image Credits
Adam Alexander, Devon Trunk, Tran Lam, Em Huynh, Carianne Older, Joe Lombard, Ashlynn Tierney