A Star Who Makes a Difference, Amber Romero
“One of my historical inspirations is Eleanor Roosevelt. She was a very classy and elegant lady, but she got work done. She helped out so many people and she was a lovely person in general. She really moved a nation when they were going through tough times. Eleanor Roosevelt was the definition of “grace under pressure” and I really admire that.”
I had the pleasure of interviewing Amber Romero is an actor, martial artist, dancer, and model, born and raised in San Diego, CA. She is the only child of parents Rachelle and Armando Romero. On her 15th birthday, Amber and her family moved from San Diego to Los Angeles so that she could further pursue her dream to be an actor; a dream that started at the tender age of 3. Amber began her career in musical theater, dance (ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, modern, and Spanish dancing) and modeling. She has walked the runway and modeled for retail stores such as Macy’s, Nordstrom, JC Penney, and Children’s Place. She has also been a special events model at charity functions. Amber was one of the first ever child models for Fashion Career College in San Diego. In addition to being a dancer, she is also a competitive figure skater, and has earned 2 black belts in traditional Tae Kwon Do and Extreme Martial Arts. She has been training in stunts/action choreography since the age of 15. Amber is best known for her role as a series regular in the web series Clique Wars where she played the role of Molly. She has appeared as a lead in the films CAZADORA and Shattered. When Amber is not busy in acting, school, and martial arts, she loves to give back to the community. She volunteers at various places such as Big Sunday, Magic Penny, LA Mission, and the Ronald McDonald’s House.
What is your “backstory”?
I am a first generation American with parents who grew up with limited resources. They had to earn everything they had and made it possible for me to be able to pursue my dream. One of the reasons why I decided to pursue acting is because I didn’t want to live a normal life where the next step I take in life is what’s expected of everyone. You’re supposed to go to school, get a job to support yourself, get married, have kids, and retire. That’s what most people do. I want to live an unexpected and intentional life. Because of acting, my life has already been unexpected and everything I do has an intention. I moved to an entire new city and graduated high school at 15, which is already different from a typical life and with acting, it can only go farther from there.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your acting career?
One of the most interesting things that’s happened to me while being an actor has been learning how post production works. Most people don’t think about all of the work that happens after a movie is filmed and that’s usually the part that takes the longest. After filming Cazadora, I got to understand and experience the different parts of post production. All of the editing, sound effects, and visual effects come into play that really help a film become what it’s supposed to be.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I just wrapped up with Cazadora, which is an action short that I star in. It’s been my favorite project I’ve worked on so far because not only was I the lead, but I also got to choreograph and do all of my stunts. I’ve been training in stunts for a couple of years now and to be able to put it to use on set was amazing.
Who are some of the most famous people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?
A famous person that I’ve gotten to interact with was Mark Sheppard who plays “Crowley” on Supernatural. I literally bumped into him at a gifting suite and ended up talking to him for a bit. He was a genuinely nice person and he had a very cool British accent.
Which people in history inspire you the most? Why?
One of my historical inspirations is Eleanor Roosevelt. She was a very classy and elegant lady, but she got work done. She helped out so many people and she was a lovely person in general. She really moved a nation when they were going through tough times. Eleanor Roosevelt was the definition of “grace under pressure” and I really admire that.
Who do you aspire to be like one day?
I aspire to be like Betty White someday. She’s still acting after all of these years and more specifically, she’s still doing comedy. She’s one of my comedy idols and to see her still doing it after so long gives me so much inspiration.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
I’ve volunteered for many charities for different types of causes. One of my favorites has been “Trunk or Treat” with Big Sunday. What we do is we all park our cars, decorate them, and pass out candy to children from underprivileged neighborhoods. A lot of those kids don’t have a safe place to go trick or treating so we give them a safe place. They even get to pick out their own costume and have a party. It’s a very fun way to give back to the community.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
- I wish I would’ve been told that the acting world is very small. Everyone here knows someone that you may know and the longer you’re here, the more connected you become. I actually have a friend whose friend from years back that he still keeps in touch with is dating Justin Bieber. It’s a crazy small world here and you really don’t know who knows who.
- Knowing that starting your career and developing it is a marathon, not a sprint. I used to try to do everything right away and I had the mindset that I needed to be the lead in everything I auditioned for right away. Having that kind of mindset isn’t just unhealthy, but it’s also hard to maintain for too long. It also makes you feel more discouraged to continue when you don’t see results right away.
- I would have loved to have known that making a connection with everyone you meet is a part of this career sooner. There are people that I met a couple of years ago who have come so far in their career and I wish I should have stayed in contact with them. It’s about who you surround yourself with in acting that helps you get to where you want to be. It’s like how the saying goes, “Alone, you go faster, but together, we go further.”
- I would have also liked to have known how much I would come to love the marketing aspect of acting. Learning about how to present yourself has always been very interesting to me. I’m currently taking a marketing class in college right now and all of the things that I’m learning are all so new and intriguing to me and I look forward to being able to apply them.
- I would have liked to have known about how much of living in LA is all about having confidence. If you’re at an event or in an audition, having confidence when you don’t really feel confident is super important and if you pretend like you have confidence enough times, you’re more likely to gain actual confidence.
I have been blessed with the opportunity to interview and be in touch with some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why?He or she might see this, or I might be able to introduce you.
I would absolutely love to have the chance to talk to Amy Poehler. She is currently my comedic inspiration. I have seen so much of her work, read her book, and I even wrote one of my college English essays on her. She inspires me so much and I would love the opportunity to talk to her.