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

Hi Sarah, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?

I was born in Toronto to an Anglo-Indian mother and a Canadian father with roots in Ireland. They both come from large families and I was unquestionably raised by these two diverse villages; family was everything.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I came to LA from Toronto 11 years ago as an actress with a background in creative development. Writing has always been a huge part of my life, personally and professionally, but it took years for me to understand that being a multi-hyphenate was the advantage I’d been missing out on. When I decided to lean into the latter, I jumped at an opportunity to work as a development assistant for a small independent producer who – a year into our working relationship – asked me if I would be interested in writing a feature screenplay. Being a part of that process, from pitch to pre-production, was eye opening and my side hustle suddenly became my driving force. Not only did it afford me the time and space to continue auditioning, but it gave me the courage and slow-building confidence to write for others, and myself.

The real turning point came when I shared a draft of my first pilot “Junglee Child” to a trusted friend and showrunner who said, “It’s time to get an agent, kiddo.” This, my own Bogie moment, the epitome of emotional movie magic, was the beginning of the end and I’ve been steadily working as a writer since. My relationships with producers and directors has opened doors for more acting jobs too and the best of both worlds saying has never ringed more true. It’s not easy, and there are still more ‘no’s’ than yesses, but I’ve never been more sure of where I’m supposed to be and what I’m supposed to be doing.

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.

I love LA. I love the history and I love its kitsch.

My ideal itinerary for a see-LA-week would be a West/South/East/North adventure. One of my favorite aspects of the city is how vast it is, how the landscape changes from locale to locale.

We drive through Las Virgenes Canyon and hop off at Mulholland for brunch at the Old Place. We’d take a gander around Malibu and if we’re feeling real saucy, pop in at Neptune’s Nest just because. Since we’re already on the west side, we’d tour around the Getty Villa before heading over to Santa Monica. Of course we’d do the boardwalk – definitely the ferris wheel – before slow-jogging down the beach a la Baywatch. We grab a cocktail at Chez Jay before we move onto Venice.

We spend the rest of the day on the boardwalk and I show them where James Beach used to be.

On another day, we do Fairfax starting with a tour of the Academy Museum and a tartine at Fanny’s. I cry because I’m so proud of all these strangers accomplishments and my friend buys me a mini Oscar statue from the gift shop. We make our way up to the Grove and I tell them, “this is the Starbucks I work at every day.” I also tell them, “this is the movie theatre where I go for solo morning screenings (and that I secretly love eating hot dogs in the dark). As we ride the mini tram to nowhere, I gush over how the Grove is the best during Christmas. If it’s a Sunday, we hit the Fairfax Trading Post and have an early dinner at the bar at Animal. Later, we book into the Fig Hotel (because why not) and spend an hour trying to figure out where to grab a drink before I remember that Clifton’s is a time and we should check it out.

The east side sees us doing a late day hike/walk through Griffin (Batman Caves!) before we telescope at the Observatory. We grab a drink at The Dresden in Los Feliz and dinner at Cafe Stella in Silverlake.

On our last day, we would have booked a Dearly Departed tour if they were still in business, but we hike up the Cahuenga Peak to the Wisdom Tree instead.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My mother. She’s given me unconditional support since the day that I announced my ambitions.

 

Website: www.sarahstunt.com

Instagram: @sarahstunt

Image Credits
Helena Karadimos, Aashish Chanana

Nominate Someone: undefined is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.