Meet Winnie Stack | Actor & Comedian

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

Hi Winnie, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I have learned over time that maintaining a healthy work life balance has been challenging while pursuing a career in the arts! It’s easy to feel like there are always tasks to be done, especially because success feels heavily reliant on how much work I’m willing to put in on a daily basis. It’s hard to “turn off” and enjoy downtime when the pressures of acting creep up, so I’ve had to learn to create time limits for myself. I used to have a laptop open at all times when I was cooking, watching TV, sometimes even hanging out with friends. I would email people, apply for acting jobs, edit reels, and do other acting tasks in order to feel productive 24/7. Now I have learned to dedicate specific blocks of time for those tasks and leave my laptop and phone in another room while I recharge and do activities that have nothing to do with my career! This has helped my anxiety tremendously. I also have come to terms with the idea that even when I am relaxing, watching a movie, interacting with friends and loved ones, or even taking a walk, I am working on myself and being present in the world around me, which in turn helps me become a better actor. This reinstates that having a healthy work life balance is actually beneficial for your work–and life!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am an actor and comedian! I perform sketch comedy around New York with my groups “Sleepover” and “One Bad Egg,” and am joining a new sketch comedy establishment in Williamsburg early next year. Four years ago when I first moved to Brooklyn I was really overwhelmed and afraid of the idea of inserting myself into the comedy scene. I didn’t know where to begin, and constantly felt like I wasn’t doing the right thing or good enough to be performing. I ultimately found my opportunities and community through trial and error. I learned to not be embarrassed to reach out to strangers for advice, ask questions, and push myself to be in spaces where I can learn from others. I’m really proud of the progress I’ve made–but it certainly has come with ups and downs! In 2021 I was feeling really down about not booking any theatrical roles, so I developed a one woman show called “@JennaFischer” about how the actress who played Pam from “The Office” was my gay awakening. The show felt really good to perform (not only for its inherent catharsis) but because I was making a role for myself instead of waiting for one to present itself. I feel really excited about growing as a performer and discovering new things about myself and others in the process. As I learn to navigate the daunting realities of this business I am eager to learn how to step outside my comfort zone in an empowering way, discover the type of people I want to surround myself with, and ultimately stay true to myself throughout the process!

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.
First and foremost I would suggest to a friend that they stay near the ocean–either Malibu, Manhattan Beach, or Santa Monica. My favorite parts about LA are the food (obviously) and the fact that you can get mountains, sea, forrest and city all in one day. To eat we would have to have Rockenwagner bakery for breakfast, In N Out (obviously–animal fries of course), Sunny Blue for handcrafted Omusubi, Mitsuwa Marketplace, Cactus for tacos, Banderas for a fancy cockail, Papa Cristos for Greek, and Pitfire Pizza for pizza (preferably all of this in one day). I love going to the Hammer Museum for music and art, manhattan beach to walk along the strand and pier, Santa Monica pier for the rollercoaster, and Malibu for the hiking. I also love The Largo for comedy–I would go every night if I could.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would not be able to continue to pursue the insane business of acting without the support of my loved ones! The continuous encouragement, attendance at shows (even the basement shows with three people in the audience), help with the countless (and deeply humbling) self tapes, and genuine love has been overwhelmingly helpful and appreciated. I also would love to dedicate a shoutout to three acting/directing mentors that taught me invaluable lessons about what it means to be a human and collaborator. Those people are Claire Hackett, Carolyn Ratteray, Mick Barnfather, and T.J. Elliott. They have provided me with a toolbox of wisdom and techniques that I frequently revisit, and I will forever be grateful for how they have challenged me!

Website: www.winniestack.com

Instagram: winniestack2.0

Image Credits
Arin Sang-Urai