EP 114: Jessica Marie Garcia, Actress

07/02/20 • 13 min

Hometown To Hollywood w/ Bonnie J Wallace

Today my guest on the Hometown to Hollywood podcast is actress Jessica Marie Garcia.

Jessica is best known for her roles of Jasmine in the Netflix hit On My Block, Willow in Liv and Maddie, and Becky in The Middle, as well as recurring roles on Diary of a Future President, How to Get Away with Murder, American Princess, Starter Pack, Hacking High School, Huge, and more. She is a member of the all-female ensemble cast of BETCH: A Sketch Show on Hulu, and her feature film Avenge The Crows was released on iTunes, where she plays Peaches starring alongside Danny Trejo and Lou Diamond Phillips.

This is Jessica’s second time on the podcast—our last interview was almost exactly four years ago today.

Our conversation covers a wide range, and includes how she got started, audition advice, the role of training in her success, challenges she’s had, thoughts on social media, the importance of seeing people who look like you in film and TV, and much, much more. We also laugh a lot!

Listen to the first 10 minutes here for free, or become a Friend of the Podcast for access to the full interview, as well as access to the entire collection of over 100 other inspiring and educational episodes designed to help you succeed in the entertainment industry.

It’s easy! In your browser bar, go to https://hometowntohollywood.supportingcast.fm/ and for just $5 a month—about the price of latte– become a member.

Your support allows me to continue to do the work that supports you, and the dreams of your child, or even your own dreams. Thank you!

Some of my favorite quotes from our conversation:

“What we do is very, very vulnerable.”
“Growing up I didn’t realize how much of my own story wasn’t being told.”
“I feel like I came out of the womb reciting a Shakespearean monologue.”
“A lot of actors don’t understand that agents and managers work for you.”
“The 1st year of living in LA was the hardest year of my life. And I would never take that year back.”
“I’m a damn good waiter.”
“You have to get 100 ‘NO’s’ before you get a ‘YES.’”
“Representation matters. When you don’t see yourself represented, you don’t necessarily think you can do this.”
“I just kind of refused to believe that I couldn’t do what I want to do.”
“I knew if I waited in line long enough, it would happen for me.”
“Nothing worth it is ever easy.”
“Everyone has a process... but Stanislavski worked great for me.”
“Once I started owning my power & knowing my worth, I feel like the world has opened up many doors for me.”
“If you really want to do this, I would encourage you to learn every facet of this industry.”

Follow Jessica HERE:

Twitter: @JessMarieGarcia

Instagram: @jess_m_garcia

Jessica’s advice—to learn everything about the industry that you can if you really want to do this—comes from experience. The more you understand about how this industry really works—and just as importantly, does NOT work—the better your odds of success.

If you are ready to build an acting career safely and successfully—for yourself or for your kid—invest in a one-on-one consultation with me. I can save you years of frustration and help you create a detailed action plan.

Today my guest on the Hometown to Hollywood podcast is actress Jessica Marie Garcia.

This is Jessica’s second time on the podcast—our last interview was almost exactly four years ago today.

It’s easy! In your browser bar, go to https://hometowntohollywood.supportingcast.fm/ and for just $5 a month—about the price of latte– become a member.

Your support allows me to continue to do the work that supports you, and the dreams of your child, or even your own dreams. Thank you!

Some of my favorite quotes from our conversation:

“What we do is very, very vulnerable.”
“Growing up I didn’t realize how much of my own story wasn’t being told.”
“I feel like I came out of the womb reciting a Shakespearean monologue.”
“A lot of actors don’t understand that agents and managers work for you.”
“The 1st year of living in LA was the hardest year of my life. And I would never take that year back.”
“I’m a damn good waiter.”
“You have to get 100 ‘NO’s’ before you get a ‘YES.’”
“Representation matters. When you don’t see yourself represented, you don’t necessarily think you can do this.”
“I just kind of refused to believe that I couldn’t do what I want to do.”
“I knew if I waited in line long enough, it would happen for me.”
“Nothing worth it is ever easy.”
“Everyone has a process... but Stanislavski worked great for me.”
“Once I started owning my power & knowing my worth, I feel like the world has opened up many doors for me.”
“If you really want to do this, I would encourage you to learn every facet of this industry.”

Follow Jessica HERE:

Twitter: @JessMarieGarcia

Instagram: @jess_m_garcia

Previous Episode

EP 113: Anthony Meindl on Artists and Social Justice

Today my guest on this special edition of the Hometown to Hollywood podcast is Anthony Meindl. Anthony is a master acting coach, and founder of Anthony Meindl’s Actor Workshop, which has locations in Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, London, Atlanta, Toronto, Santa Fe, Chicago, Cape Town, Copenhagen, and Sydney. His philosophy is radically different from the status quo—he does not use scene objective, sense memory, or any of the standard 20th Century approaches that most acting schools take as their foundation—instead, he emphasizes “living truthfully in imaginary circumstances.”

In this special edition of the podcast, we focus on the connections between art & social justice, and between actors & culture. We also discuss acting and the industry and one of the very best audition tips I’ve ever heard shows up about 45 minutes into our conversation. It’s an unusual episode for an unusual time: typically these episodes are designed to be as evergreen and timeless as possible, but I felt that a deeper dive into the impact that actors can have on the world was warranted.

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. I found it inspiring and stimulating.

It’s easy! In your browser bar, go to https://hometowntohollywood.supportingcast.fm/ and for just $5 a month—about the price of latte– become a member.

Your support allows me to continue to do the work that supports you, and the dreams of your child, or even your own dreams. Thank you!

This is Anthony’s second time on the podcast—our first conversation was in the summer of 2016, four years ago.

We explore some very juicy subjects, including the connection between art and politics, artists and social justice, what acting training can do for people, how art can change the world, and much more.

Some of my favorite quotes from our conversation:

“To be a storyteller is to reflect back to society what it means to be a human being, having a human experience.”
“When you realize that nobody knows, you realize that you have just as much of a chance as knowing as anybody else.”
“All art is political.”
“The reason people don’t want to engage in a discourse is because it’s uncomfortable.”
“We equate, as human beings, that feeling something new or unknown or uncomfortable means we’re in trouble. It evokes the fight or flight response.”
“Everything you want is in the uncertainty.”
“When we speak from the heart-- even though we will make mistakes—we are leading from the right place.”
“Instead of waiting for somebody to choose you, choose yourself.”
“My responsibility isn’t to change the world; it’s just to change who I am.”
“You want to know the secret of how you get work? Have fun. If you have fun, then we, watching you, will have fun.”
“We underestimate the power of connection, & the power of our own voice.”

Follow Anthony Meindl HERE:

Website: http://www.anthonymeindl.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnthonyMeindl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonymeindl/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnthonyMeindlsActorWorkshop/

Did you find this episode informative and inspiring? Imagine what you could learn in an hour of one-on-one with an acting career expert? If you could use some help getting started in an acting career, or jump-starting one that has stalled, book a consultation with me. Working with me can save you months and years of frustration, time and money. I look forward to talking with you!

Next Episode

EP 115: Audrey Whitby & Victoria Moroles, Actresses and Founders of Acting with Actors

My guests on this episode of the Hometown to Hollywood podcast are the founders of coaching business Acting with Actors, actresses Victoria Moroles and Audrey Whitby.

Audrey is known best for her work on The Thundermans, The Standoff, Liv and Maddie, Betch, So Random!, Awesomeness TV, Townies, Guilty Party, and In the Vault.

Victoria is best known for her work on Teen Wolf, Liv and Maddie, Down a Dark Hall, Here and Now, Cloud 9, and Snow Falls.

With a combined 100+ episodes of children's and network television under their belts, chances are they know the casting director or show-runner on most projects, especially if it's under the Nick or Disney umbrella. Multi-cams and sitcoms are Audrey’s specialty, and Victoria has starred in multiple teen-dramas and features. Both have experience teaching, coaching, and working with kids.

We cover a lot of ground, including how they each got their start in the industry, audition advice, how they approach coaching actors, advice for young people who want a career as an actor, ways to deal with rejection, and even a little advice for actors dealing with the COVID shutdown.

It’s easy! In your browser bar, go to https://hometowntohollywood.supportingcast.fm/ and for just $5 a month—about the price of latte– become a member.

Your support allows me to continue to do the work that supports you, and the dreams of your child, or even your own dreams. Thank you!

Some of my favorite quotes from our conversation:

“I think where I really thrived and learned the most was through studios and private coaches.”
"You take what works best for you from each teacher, and make your own way of doing it.”
“We’ve taken all the techniques we’ve learned over the past decade and created a really safe space to do self-tapes.”
“I speak kid actor.”
“With training you learn from watching, with coaching you learn from doing.”
"Confidence is always going to be the basis of somebody who is successful.”
“Nobody is your direct competition.”
“It’s not my job to get the part. It’s my job to do my best.”
“You never, ever know where a self-tape is going to end up.”
“If you look at it as an opportunity to show people how great you are as opposed to an opportunity to get the role, that’s when you start to flourish.”
“You have to be prepared to let down some guards, not care about what people think of you... that’s been a huge lesson for me.”
“Keep going, and be patient with yourself, and have fun.”
“As actors, every singe thing we do is something we can learn from.”

Contact Victoria and Audrey HERE for coaching:

Email: [email protected]

Call or text: 818-254-9650

Follow Victoria and Audrey HERE:

Instagram: @victoriamoroles

@audreywhitby

Twitter: @victoriamoroles

@audreywhitby

FaceBook: @victoriamoroles

Audrey and Victoria’s advice—to take what you learn from different people and then make it your own—applies to your journey in the industry as well. The more you understand about how this industry really works—and just as importantly, does NOT work—the better your odds of success.

If you’re ready to build an acting career safely and successfully—for yourself or for your kid—invest in a one-on-one consultation with me. I can save you years of frustration and help you create a detailed action plan.