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

Hi Tricia, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
I say NEVER ever give up! You will succeed; it just might take longer than you think. It’s impossible to explain to your friends and your family what it”s like to be an actor. Going home every year for the holidays can become mortifying when you haven’t worked in years and being 2nd choice for a role is your only way to prove you are doing something right. You WILL get better and better every year you get older. You won’t care about other people’s criticism or judgments. I mean.. part of being a powerful actor is not caring what anyone else thinks about you. I think about that a lot; David Bowie said never to play to please the audience but for yourself.

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.
I’m an actress; I’m proud of myself for getting on a Greyhound bus to audition for Tisch School of the Arts. I had a huge southern accent when I got there; my class erupted in laughter every time I got up to work. I moved to Chicago after getting an agent when I graduated. It was an incredible place to start auditioning and doing theatre. I love Chicago people. They are the BEST! I moved out to Los Angeles after getting a really great agent. I had barely worked in film and my new agent literally did nothing once I moved here. It was actually a horrible time in my life. My confidence was low and I had no friends. I got into class at Howard FIne’s and everything changed. After all these years I’ve learned don’t believe the bad stuff ever! So many people will say awful things to you or about you in this business and it’s all bullshit. I wish I had known that then. I’m not sure about my brand; I’ve gotta work on that.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take them to Little Dom’s for dinner ( it’s in my neighborhood) and we can walk there. It’s such a fun place for dinner ( think lower west side in NYC) and you always see a celebrity! I feel like my work is done and my friends are so excited.
The next morning I would take them to Griffith Park to go hiking and see the observatory. Always a trip to the Grove is good because it’s in the center of town and you can see a movie there. If we have any money left (lol) I would drive us over to the Beverly Hills Hotel for breakfast at their little counter cafe downstairs.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Lucy Stockdell was my dance/acting teacher at a fairly conservative all girls school in Virgina ( with an amazing dance program); she showed us videos of all the great dance companies in NYC and how self expression can connect all of us and transcend anything. It seemed like a world away from where I lived and I wanted to be there.
She was the first person to tell me I was an actor. She gave us all an object ( mine was a rock) and told us to improv about it. I became an all powerful magical queen. I did shock myself -I don’t know where that came from.
I was introverted and not very powerful at anything. It was such a small silly moment but it really changed me. I feel like you never know what you’re truly made of until you go for it. I just adored her; she was a true artist and I was so lucky to have her as a teacher.

Website: https://imdb.me/triciamunford

Image Credits
Dance Rehearsal for Christmas Chronicles 2

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