Episode 3: Ashley Argota discusses the path to becoming an actress
Show Notes
Resources
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Favorite warmup
- The Pigeon pose. Ashley drinks coffee and does this in the morning to open up. It is relaxing and is the next best thing to the splits.
About Ashley
- Grew up in the arts performing in musical theatre, performance competitions, and Disney TV shows. She has been through a lot and learned a ton from the experiences she gained.
- She started when she was 5. She began her journey singing and then grew her experiences from there. She also toured with The Lion King and has worked on Disney Channel shows like True Jackson ! Krisha Bullock is the Casting Director that cast Ashley in True Jackson!
Key learnings
- Ashley has had to fight through a lot more “No’s” than “Yes’s” just like many of her peers. It can be tough on her, and when you grow up doing that, it can also be tough on your parents. Ashley shares her experiences working through auditions and the point at which her mom decided it was her last audition! Fortunately that last audition turned out to be a turning point in Ashley’s career that would continue Ashley’s career and into the actress she is today!
- Ashley has been super fortunate to have supportive people in her life. Not only in her family, but also the industry connections that helped her get into the right auditions. Getting the gig is definitely impacted by the skill of an actress, however Ashley shares her story and gives some credit to having the right people guiding her, good timing, and a little bit of chance on her side!
- Ashley finds time for herself to make sure she is keeping a balanced life. She went to Iceland even though it was right in the middle of pilot season because it was the right choice for her. It was the right decision for her because she values herself and her wellbeing.
Quotes
- “I don’t think I’m afraid now to call my agents and be like ‘Hey what’s going what can I do to get myself out there and on more auditions’”
- “If you don’t think this is fun anymore and you want to stop we can pull you out of it.”
Closing Questions
What is the hardest thing about pursuing the arts?
Keeping your head up when you are told “No” every day. Ashley has build a support system and has amazing friends that help her get through the challenges of her life. This is an important part of the journey.
Who have you learned most from?
Greg was on True Jackson with Ashley. He’s a comedian that many people know from his podcast and from his time on “Whose line is it anyway”. Ashley learned tricks of the comedy trade and so much about the business from him. He is also super intelligent and helped her with school while on the set of True Jackson.
What resource have you learned most from?
You Are a Badass
This book serves as a great inspirational resource that Ashley reads a lot! She gets energized each time she reads it inspired to take on the next challenges of life!
Any quotes or piece of wisdom?
Mamba Mentality, Kobe Bryant.
It has been a source of inspiration for the drive that is required to get focused.
What is your favorite piece of art right now? (music movie, tv show or otherwise?)
Parasite- It deserves all the accolades its been given.
New Girl- She needs to watch a few episodes each day… it is that good!
What keeps you up at night?
Instagram! It is what she does when she gets tired in the evening. She can scroll for a long time and then realizes how many
To a person that might be interested in pursuing the arts while still working the 9-5, what advice would you give?
Take time for yourself. It may seem like you can’t use your 9-5 experiences or her personal life experiences in your art.