Meet Zachary Santolaya | Actor, Writer, Director, & Vocal Instructor

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

Hi Zachary, what do you attribute your success to?
I can’t stress this enough… Keep going. There have been times where I was close to achieving a goal of mine and I fell short. It’s so hard to not let your hopes go when you fail. Your work ethic, and your skill set are what help define your successes. Without pushing myself to keep going I don’t think I would have received any opportunities to succeed. That being said, I attribute my work ethic to what I’ve accomplished. It’s not as grandiose as I dreamed it would be when I was in school, but hey, work is work, and I’m appreciative of what I’ve done.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Along with acting, I’m a vocal instructor, a writer and I play keys and sing back up for a band called Stutz Bearcat! I became a vocal instructor a few months ago through a recommendation. I absolutely love what I do. The feeling of being able to unlock things for singers and seeing their reaction when it finally clicks is incomparable. I’ve been writing since I was in highschool and have developed a love-hate relationship with it. It’s so much fun when it’s going well, but when it’s not is when it becomes a chore. Sometimes you just gotta open your laptop and stare at the last thing you wrote, I find it very effective haha. I joined Stutz Bearcat I believe in February of this year! My friend Jonathan Stutz, who’s the lead singer, booked a gig at The Last Call and had me and another friend of mine Trent Terpstra join. We loved every second of it and have been playing music together since! I love everything I do, even though at times it can be a struggle, I still love it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There are so many things to do here. I think the first thing I would do is take them bar hopping around Hollywood. There are some kick ass bars to go to. A few I can think of off the top of my head are Elbow Room, Scum & Villainy, Desert 5, and Mama Shelters. Of course you got to have a beach day when a friend comes to visit. Dockweiler, and Manhattan beach are my go to’s. They’re not too touristy, so you’ll have plenty of space to have a great time! Don’t go to Zuma Beach, the waves want to hurt you there. Hiking is another thing! There are some beautiful hiking trails in Griffith Park and Runyon Canyon. I live in Koreatown, so Korean BBQ restaurants are an absolute must, the food is top notch. If you have the means for it, Universal Studios or Disneyland are always a great time. If you have a day to waste, go to either and forget about the troubles of the real world.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents, Rick & Eileen Santolaya deserve the biggest shoutout. Ever since I made the decision to pursue the arts, they have always had my back. They are my rock. Without them, I wouldn’t be who I am today. And of course I have my friends who push me to succeed, Hosea Mundi, Marcus Welch, Drevon Dixon, Carson Christ, Natalie Acheson, Andrea Lara, Kevin Corte, Jonathan Stutz, Trent Terpstra, Demarius Daniel, and my cats Nyx and Sparta. I also want to thank John DeLuise, that man crafted my singing voice into what it is today. I wouldn’t be able to sound the way I sound without him. There are so many more people I could name who’ve had a big impact on my life, I wish I could shout out all of you. There’s also two books I’ve been reading that have helped me while I was in a creative rut. “Sanford Meisner on Acting” by Sydney Pollack” and “The Bone Houses” by Emily Lloyd-Jones. Both are great books, and I heavily recommend you try them out.

Instagram: @ therealzachsantolaya

Image Credits
Headshots: Caroline Phillips Performance Pics: AMDA Faculty