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

Hi Sura, what is the most important factor behind your success?

An often overlooked virtue in this hustle and bustle society, may seem to many, as a vice. More often than not, it has taken the greatest, most successful people time to become experts in their respective fields. Yes, much of that earned success is  due to execution and discipline, however on the flipside is the often overlooked virtue of patience.

Trusting my relationship to success has become an essential part  in giving myself permission to surrender to my process. A seemingly ease feat but, growing up in New York City to migrant parents meant hustle culture, and constant doing equated to some form of success. Constant doing became a part of my DNA. I moved to Los Angeles in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic, and was forced, as many of us were to “simply” stop doing.  I desmantaled constructs of how a productivity should look;  Being patient forced me to let-go of result-seeking behavior and truly enjoy the art of my craft and mastery, and for me that absolutely requires, patience.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

The biggest lesson through out my career has been a need for authenticity. I think we forget that being authentic does not require us to have latest gadget, or being up to date, on the latest fashion-trend. Authenticity, for me has really meant speaking from the heart and meeting people, where they are. Personally and professionally reminding myself of my authenticity has made for deeper and long-lasting relationships, and exciting creative collaborations.  Acting is profoundly transformative in its ability to change our point of views. Searching for the truth’s in my characters is rooted in a desire to explore and expose their most authentic behaviors.

I recently had the pleasure of working on a CSUN, Latinx short film about a LGBTQ+  coming- out story. The main character Alejandro, has been keeping his relationship to his partner a secret from his family for the past 4 years. My character Valeria is Alejandro’s best-friend who offers support and comedic-relief, as we see the unfolding of Alejandro finally coming-out to his father and little brother.  The obsession to uncover my character’s deepest desires is the basis to all behavior and their choices.
The next step in my career is to continue to audition, and play characters with a strong passion and determination for love, power or justice, against an institution, or person. I gravitate towards characters that have something to prove, think of Christina Applegate in Ron Burgandy, or Hiliary Swank in Million Dollar Baby. These women put up a good fight while having something to prove, despite the adversity, these are the characters I bring to life seamlessly and look forward to showcasing on the big screen.

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?

I love this question, because it is one of my favorite to do, but, first lets start off by saying, that there are many ways to enjoy a perfect day in Los Angeles, below is one way to get aquainted with the city of angels.

Start off the AM with a morning hike to the Hollywood sign.

Sit down for some brunch at The Butcher, The Baker, The Cappuccino Maker, they serve fantastic cappuccinos and lattes with bright colorful artworks.

Then, head to LACMA for the latest art exhibitions, and make sure to snap a picture at the iconic”Urban lights” display.

Afterwards, zoom over to the Grove for some shopping, visit the Farmers Market

Lastly, head-over to Universal for a movie.

Keeping it close, iconic and traditional would be the perfect way to spend day in the city of Angeles.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to recognized the one person who is the embodiment of patience, my mother, Josefina.

Instagram: Sura_yale_Contin

Image Credits
Oscar Da’vida

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