An Interview With Edward Sylvan
…I was raised Jain, and our primary principle is peace through non-violence; live and let live. When it comes to politics, life, teaching, inspiration, or any kind of leadership role I find myself in, I hope to always be an example of love. And share that we are all ONE. We are all brothers and sisters together on this earth… spiritual beings sharing a human experience. So, let’s just all get along!!! Love and laughs can conquer all! I’ve also been a bridesmaid 23 times, but I feel like that’s a cause for another time!
As a part of our series about stars who are making an important social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sonal Shah.
A scene-stealer in Netflix’s Definition Please, the accomplished Sonal Shah was one of the first Indian-American women in a major role on a network comedy (Scrubs). She’s an NBC Diversity Showcase alum, a member of the award-winning IAMA Theatre Company, and she has a DISNEY+ development deal. Ted Lasso’s Bill Lawrence said “Sonal is a hyper-talented comedic actress. If I could buy stock in her future, I would do it today.” She is also a director, singer and writer. The Hollywood Reporter says she’s a “Stand out.”
Thank you so much for joining us on this interview series. Can you share with us the backstory that led you to this career path?
Hi! Thank you for having me, I really appreciate it! So… I love being an actor. My history as a performer started long ago when I was a wee lil thing growing up in Wheaton, Illinois. I started Bollywood dancing at events and competitions when I was five, and pretty much did that for the next 20 years. My family was very into all things entertainment. My brother used to Deejay and is an incredible dancer, my mom is HILARIOUS — I’d always find her in the center of the room at a party telling jokes (yep, she’s like Marvelous Mrs. Shah) — and my dad, well my dad is not a performer per se, but he took me to the theatre a lot growing up. I would always leave shows feeling so inspired and wondering if I could ever have that kind of impact on people. In school, I jumped into doing plays, musicals, pompons, and show choir. When I went to Loyola University though, I was decidedly pre-med. I wanted to be a doctor and had no real desire to become an actor professionally. After some time, though, I started doing theatre “for fun,” and, with the encouragement of my professors, my family and my peers, I switcheroo’d my major to theatre and have never looked back! After a few years of working at theatres in Chicago such as The Goodman and continued training at Second City and with The Moscow Art Theatre School at Harvard, I packed up my car and drove across the country by myself to Los Angeles to pursue television and film! AND I’M STILL HERE!!
What would you advise a young person who wants to emulate your success?
DON’T DO IT!! Hahaha!! I’m joking. Kind of. 🙂 Honestly, I’d say if there’s anything that you feel called to do that is not acting, do that. Because this is a tough industry and most days feel like an uphill battle. If after hearing that, you still want to do it, then DO IT. Fully! Learn, grow, and continue to become the best you can be. Work super hard and focus on the craft, not on followers. One of the biggest gifts of being an actor is that it forces you to work on your own humanity — being present, listening, living life fully. Do that. Trust that everyone is on their own path and the only person you’re competing with is yourself. Define what success means to you and know your “why.” Why do you want to do this? I may not seem like a success to some people, but every day I wake up with a deep desire to fight the good fight for representation using the thing I know how to do best, and being in that action is success enough for me. I hope to keep rising because I believe I have a lot of good to share with the world and that, my love, is my “why.”
Is there a person that made a profound impact on your life? Can you share a story?
My parents. They left everything they knew to come to the U.S. to create the best life possible for their children. It is not lost on me how challenging it must’ve been for my dad to roll in with only $8 in his pocket (because that’s all he was allowed) and basically climb his way up to achieve the American Dream. And for my mom to continue telling jokes and making people laugh, regardless of how she feels. Full on bada** rebels, Bhadresh and Mrudula had a love marriage in a time when most people in India were being arranged. They lead their life with such strength, humility, fun, and humor. To me, they are my real-life superheroes. I’m someone that doesn’t complain a lot. Sure, we all have everyday gripes and peeves, but overall, I always find something to be grateful for. That is one hundred percent due to my parents. They are the sweetest, kindest, funniest people I know… who also went through a lot of pain and suffering in their lives. So whenever I face a challenge, I carry the strength of my parents and ancestors because deep down I know they went through far worse. Hence, I express my appreciation for them by choosing to be authentically positive. Hopefully, my positivity helps others. That is how they have made a profound impact in my life.
How are you using your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting causes you’re working on right now?
The meaningful cause I’m working on right now is that representation matters. That is one of the reasons I do what I do. Look, at the end of the day, storytelling is going to always be around. We have benefited from our ancestors’ wisdom by way of this medium. What happens in terms of modern-day storytelling on screens and stages today is reflective of the current state of consciousness. If that is the case, then we all need to be seen. Personally speaking, I think about my niece and nephew who are 10 and 12 years old, and I want them to grow up in a world where seeing South Asian people on the screen is normal and we need to cover the diaspora! Because not all South Asian People are the same! 🙂 I LOVE being Indian and I love my culture AND I am also a whole nuanced person. The industry is making strides in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go. I hope to continue to be a part of that movement. Another cause for me that goes hand-in-hand is non-violence. I was raised Jain, and our primary principle is peace through non-violence; live and let live. When it comes to politics, life, teaching, inspiration, or any kind of leadership role I find myself in, I hope to always be an example of love. And share that we are all ONE. We are all brothers and sisters together on this earth… spiritual beings sharing a human experience. So, let’s just all get along!!! Love and laughs can conquer all! I’ve also been a bridesmaid 23 times, but I feel like that’s a cause for another time!
Can you share with us a story behind why you chose to take up this particular cause?
Everything going on in the world right now. 🙂
Can you share with us a story about a person who was impacted by your cause?
When my friends call and tell me their kids are watching Mira Royal Detective and learning about Diwali for the first time when someone laughs at something I’ve done after they’ve told me they’ve had a rough day, when my student thanks me for supporting her because her own family does not, when people say, “I didn’t know Indian American women can be funny,” when younger artists feel empowered to follow their dreams for the right reasons, when my client booked his first job when Indians are celebrated and understood when democracy prevails and people are loved for who they are… these moments inspire me to keep going and be as much as part of the cause as I can be. I want everyone I meet to know they are valued and they are enough because they are.
Are there three things or are there things that individuals, society, or the government can do to support you in this effort?
Hire me. 🙂
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started”
- You are enough.
- Figure out how to deal with distractions.
- Celebrate your wins (close calls count!) & mourn your losses (feel them fully and then let them go!)
- Learn how to write. Then write every darn day.
- Focus on the process, not the result.
You’re a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Over the years, people have nicknamed me Sunshine, Sunny, Sony, etc… so I propose we start a SUNSHINE MOVEMENT!! I mean, the world could use some sunshine right now!! A world where everyone feels seen and loved for who they are. And we laugh and cry and release and move forward hand-in-hand connected and together.
Can you please give us your favorite life lesson quote? And can you explain how that was relevant in your life?
I have so many, but as cliche, as it is, today I’m gonna go with “Never Give Up.” My dad says this to me all the time because I have gone through many times where I’ve wanted to give up. Dealing with health issues, rejection, anxiety, and panic attacks can be hard… I feel like I’m always looking for the light because I have seen the dark. And my dark may not be the same as your dark, but it was enough dark to make me want to quit. And now, I’m so glad I didn’t. I’ve been doing this a long time, but I feel like I’m just getting started baby!!!
We are blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Oh no, I can’t pick just ONE!!?? Can this be like the lottery, where I buy a bunch of tickets and see which one hits? Here is some of my list: Will Smith, Will Ferrell, anyone whose name starts with Will, Ava Duvernay, Shonda Rhimes, Judd Apatow, Nicole Holofcener, Lucia Aniello, Chris Kelly, Tina Fey, Darren Star, Amy Poehler, and anyone working in comedy that can help me!!! I’m serious. I’m funny, I’m talented, I have stories, and it’s time to jump to the next level and share my light with the world… and I need someone I admire to “see” me. All of the above people have power and influence while also being ridiculously talented, funny, and with heart. Let’s have lunch!!
Please let us know about any projects you are currently working on that you would like to share with our readers.
Sure! I’m currently acting in Celestial Events, the IAMA Theatre Company ensemble show. I play a sweet kindergarten teacher who accidentally goes buck wild. I will also be in IAMA Theatre Company’s Untitled Baby Play later this Spring! On the feature film side, I’m in Definition Please from Ava Duvernay’s company Array Now on NETFLIX, and I play a lead in the heist comedy feature, Four Samosas, which is in post. You can also see me pop up in a national commercial with Aaron Rodgers. I teach acting and writing at John Rosenfeld Studios and Art of Acting. In terms of writing, I’m currently working on a one-woman show and rom com feature. Also, my best friend, Parvesh Cheena, and I have a development deal with Disney+.
Thank you so much for these amazing insights. This was so inspiring, and we wish you continued success!
About The Interviewer: Growing up in Canada, Edward Sylvan was an unlikely candidate to make a mark on the high-powered film industry based in Hollywood. But as CEO of Sycamore Entertainment Group Inc, (SEGI) Sylvan is among a select group of less than ten Black executives who have founded, own and control a publicly traded company. Now, deeply involved in the movie business, he is providing opportunities for people of color.
In 2020, he was appointed president of the Monaco International Film Festival, and was encouraged to take the festival in a new digital direction.
Raised in Toronto, he attended York University where he studied Economics and Political Science, then went to work in finance on Bay Street, (the city’s equivalent of Wall Street). After years of handling equities trading, film tax credits, options trading and mergers and acquisitions for the film, mining and technology industries, in 2008 he decided to reorient his career fully towards the entertainment business.
With the aim of helping Los Angeles filmmakers of color who were struggling to understand how to raise capital, Sylvan wanted to provide them with ways to finance their creative endeavors.
At Sycamore Entertainment he specializes in print and advertising financing, marketing, acquisition and worldwide distribution of quality feature-length motion pictures, and is concerned with acquiring, producing and promoting films about equality, diversity and other thought provoking subject matter which will also include nonviolent storytelling.
Stars Making a Social Impact: Why & How Sonal Shah Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.