Rising Star Sarah Delpizzo: “The incredible thing about the arts is that people are more open-their guard is down. They are more likely to listen or watch without judgment”
We all have the power to influence society. The incredible thing about film and TV, and the arts, in general, is people are more open-their guard is down. They are more likely to listen or watch someone on stage or screen more freely without judgment. My movement is through my art and always has been. I constantly ask myself, how do I create value right now? How do I bring a thought, story, idea, or voice that needs to be heard to the screen or stage? How can I use my talents to help others, bring peace, and start much needed dialogues? This is what truly matters to me as an artist.
As a part of my series of the rising stars in popular culture, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah Delpizzo. Sarah is an actor, writer, director, and producer who is creating content and tearing down walls. She realizes the profound mission and responsibility she has as an artist, and is committed to helping society prosper and achieve peace through her work. Above all, Sarah loves a good underdog.
Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Ever since I had my first dance recital when I was 8 years old I knew I wanted to be on stage and perform. So my entire childhood I did whatever I could to be part of a theater or dance show. In high school I joined a TV production class and fell in love with production and the art of filmmaking. I continued pursuing acting and TV/Film through college and then upon graduation I started working in live TV. After working in a live newsroom for a little over a year I realized I wanted to work in narrative filmmaking so I decided to try my luck in LA and as they say, the rest is history.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started this career?
Ha! This is such a crazy industry so I don’t know what would be my most interesting story. But I do remember a very “fate”-like moment that propelled me into changing my hustle from trying to just get a “good” job in the industry to pursuing what I actually want to do in the industry. It happened while at my first job out of college, I was freelancing on the technical side in a live TV newsroom for a well-known cable station. I applied for a full-time Producer job and made it through the first few rounds of interviews, but when I sat down with one of the heads of the department he asked me my five-year plan. I answered with a specific end goal that included owning my own production company where I could create content and play different roles, such as, actor, director, writer, producer. After I answered, he noted that the job I was currently interviewing for wasn’t in line with my future goals and said, “I think you would be great, and if you want to go to the final round of interviews I will put you through. But, I want you to take the weekend (it was a Friday) to think if this job is what you really want.” I thought all weekend about what he said, and that Monday I turned down the job. Since then I have never looked back.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I have had so many embarrassing moments or “mistakes” in my career. When I first moved out to LA I was working as a bartender and one night I went back to my apartment really pissed off at something one of my customers said. I was talking with my roommate and I told her that while I was serving a customer it came up that I was an actor and that he made a comment about the next time he would see me I would be on stage at the Pantages. I was super pissed at the guy and when my roommate asked what the Pantages was I told her it was a strip club-not knowing it is one of the biggest legitimate theaters in Los Angeles. I have no idea why I thought the Pantages was a strip club, but I was so used to people being obnoxious to me when I said I was an actor that I became super guarded. I realized in that moment that I don’t have to have such a strong guard up all the time, and there are great people out there who want to see you fulfill your dreams.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
Right now I am in post-production and doing the festival circuit for my original series, The Pet Peeve Police, as well as, in re-writes for my feature film. Over the course of my series, I collaborated with some amazing people and it was such an incredible experience to take an idea from concept to completion. I am excited to finally be able to see how audiences react to the content and characters. It has been nerve-racking, interesting and fun all at the same time!
My feature film, on the other hand, is based on a very traumatic time in my life. So, it has been such a growing experience to learn my voice as a writer and really allow myself to remember the past and put it in a story that will make others want to invest their time and emotions.
I am also having fun writing and storyboarding a micro-short that has a Hitchcock tone that I plan on directing before the end of the year.
Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?
Everyone I have interacted with either as a performer or while working on the production side has been fascinating in their own way. I love spending time with people on set and getting to know them and learn why they are nuts to want to be among a stone-cold pack of weirdos in a crazy industry. But it’s funny, one thing I found that everyone has in common on set is some form of courage. Not very people go after their dreams-especially when the odds are stacked against them, so the people that do are so courageous in my mind.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Work/life balance is HUGE! It took me (and still takes me) time to truly understand and put into practice this concept. I am a hustler and will outwork my competition-especially when it comes to my career. But that mindset can be exhausting if you don’t take time to do self-care and remind yourself that there is a whole world outside of this industry. Taking a vacation or a day off is one of the best things you can do not only for your mental health but for your creative self. I always come back creatively revived after a vacation or a few days of unplugging.
You are a person of great 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. 🙂
We all have the power to influence society. The incredible thing about film and TV, and the arts, in general, is people are more open-their guard is down. They are more likely to listen or watch someone on stage or screen more freely without judgment. My movement is through my art and always has been. I constantly ask myself, how do I create value right now? How do I bring a thought, story, idea, or voice that needs to be heard to the screen or stage? How can I use my talents to help others, bring peace, and start much needed dialogues? This is what truly matters to me as an artist.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
- Trust Your Gut and Yourself.So often I have a tendency to overthink everything and worry about an outcome-ignoring the message my gut or heart is trying to tell me. The times when I do let go and allow myself to trust my instincts everything becomes fluid and I produce my best creativity.
- It’s a marathon not a race. Relax and be present for the journey. When I first moved to LA I was running a mile a minute, doing classes, going to workshops, reading the trades, etc. Don’t get me wrong all of that is extremely important for a successful career. But what I didn’t do was pace myself. So I got burnt out or discouraged when I was not seeing results as quickly as I had hoped. Being an artist is a choice you make in how to live your life. If you get too caught up in outward goals then your art suffers. When you choose this path know that it will take time and enjoy that exploration of self and art.
- You will miss a lot, and you have to be okay with that in the long run. I sacrificed A LOT when I moved to LA and decided to pursue the arts full time. What people don’t tell you, is you will miss so much and it’s really hard. Last minute flights for emergencies can be hard to get, especially if you are not making great money. I have had to miss helping and supporting family members who were ill, best friends graduations, my niece and nephew being born, my sisters baby shower, and even a funeral. None of that is okay in my mind. But when you make a decision to move away from everyone you know and love, to start a new life, with an unknown outcome you have to come to peace with what and who you will miss. To be fair, even if someone did tell me this when I moved I probably would not have gotten the gravity of the statement at the time.
- Do what you love first, don’t get bogged down by the business. There have been times over the years when I have gotten so caught up with doing just the business side of this industry. Networking, branding and taking acting classes geared more towards auditioning or on camera skills versus scene and character analysis classes. While the business side is very important, it is only one side of the coin, the flip side is the uniqueness that makes you, you. Whenever I am not creatively fulfilled or getting to perform or explore I find my work and mental health suffer. So continue to do the thing that you love first-create, perform, dance, and then go out and market it. Because it all means nothing if you forget why you started in the first place.
- Relationships are everything. Talent is important-especially from an integrity standpoint. For example, I always want to strive to be my best and an exceptional artist. However, in the beginning, I never realized how important relationships are in this industry. If you don’t meet and foster relationships with people you will never have the ability to share your work and get paid. Every person you meet could hold a potential opportunity for your future. Genuinely get to know people outside of the business and keep in contact with them. I have met some amazing people on set, at events, or through a networking groups, and we have remained friends because I have gotten to know and love them as people. These are the same people that reach out to me first to collaborate or perform in their projects because they are well acquainted with my talent and know they would enjoy being around me for countless hours on set.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“You were once wild here. Don’t let them tame you”. — Isadora Duncan.
In an industry filled with very specific ideas of beauty, behavior, and “type” boxes this reminds all of us to be the person we were when we are most free because that person is perfect.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I am so incredibly lucky to have a supportive family, spouse, and friends. They are there whether I win or fail and love me just the same. Knowing I have these people and their support gives me the ability to go all out in my endeavors and have courage while pursuing my dreams.
Some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. 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. 🙂
I would love to have breakfast with Amy Poehler. Not only do I think she is incredibly talented as a comedian, producer and of course actor, but I think she is an exceptional human being. She is constantly supporting others, expanding her career, and showing people that you can lead with kindness and still be uber successful. I also think it would be one of the funniest and most interesting breakfasts I would ever have, so Amy, if you’re down-I, would love to grab a coffee and have a stack of pancakes with you!
How can our readers follow you on social media?
They can follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook at @sarahdelpizzo.
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational!