Name: Kayla Vera
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Current Location: Brooklyn, NY
TrunkSpace: When did you know that you wanted to act for a living?
Vera: Growing up, I had a very strict upbringing. I had to be home by 10 pm, I couldn’t wear any makeup or paint my nails in bright colors… and so I had always dreamt of escaping to some new place and being someone else, living someone else’s life even if only for an hour. And now as an actor, I have that opportunity. I can be a bad girl, a dangerous one or an evil one. I can be a lawyer, a mom or a femme fatale. I step into the souls of these new people and I can be them even if only for an hour. It’s fascinating. I’m a good girl deep down, so it is a lot of fun for me to be bad sometimes!
TrunkSpace: Was there a particular performance or actor/actress from your childhood that you remember being drawn to and inspired by?
Vera: I absolutely love and adore Nicole Kidman. I have been following her career for a while now and I get inspired by everything she does, especially the new HBO show she is in called “Big Little Lies.”
TrunkSpace: How did you decide to approach your career as an actor? Did you formulate a plan of how you wanted to attack what is known for being a hard industry to crack?
Vera: I’m not so much worried about “making it” in everyone’s eyes anymore as much I’m trying to enjoy my journey as an actor and constantly strive to become better. We all have a different concept of success and happiness and I feel that it’s more important to enjoy what you do, and be the best that you can be at it instead of trying to please everyone around you. Breathe, smile, keep learning and have fun!
TrunkSpace: When did you decide to move away from your home and pursue acting as a career? How old were you at the time?
Vera: I used to sing before. I traveled and performed live in front of large audiences, and had an amazing time exploring that passion of mine. A few years ago I decided to pursue acting. I joined SAG and have been studying at various acting schools in NY and LA. Sometimes when I take a break from school, I take on an indie project and it gives me an opportunity to test what I had learned in class, and master my own “style” of acting.
TrunkSpace: Was that move an easy transition for you initially? How long did it take you to feel at home and find a good support group of friends and peers?
Vera: For me transitioning from music into acting was relatively easy. I was already used to performing in front of live audiences, sometimes small and sometimes quite large ones. I was also used to the camera from filming a multitude of music videos where you have to create a character according to the song lyrics. It is just not as deep as the character work you would have to do for a film, but it is similar.
TrunkSpace: What has been been your biggest break in terms of a particular role or project thus far?
Vera: I haven’t had my “big break” just yet, but I’m working on it! 2017 is my year!
TrunkSpace: Is there a specific type of role you’d like to take on or a specific genre that you feel more at home in?
Vera: I’m very interested in modern drama. I would love to do theater… that is what I’m training for, but at the same time I’m open to other genres as well.
TrunkSpace: What would you say is the greatest strength an actor/actress can have outside of acting ability itself?
Vera: You have to really know yourself. Acting is so much more than technique. You have to feel every character you play on a very deep level so that you almost become a vessel of that energy, and then when it comes through in your performance, that’s when magic happens.
TrunkSpace: What is your ultimate dream when it comes to your acting career? Where would you like your path to lead?
Vera: I’m grateful having met some big people in the industry and also having had the opportunity to be mentored by a few of them. That alone to me is an accomplishment. I continue to grow as an actor and I feel that when the time is right, it will all fall into place for me. I’m in it to win it.
TrunkSpace: What advice would you give another young aspiring actor/actress who is considering moving away from home to pursue their dream?
Vera: My advice is… don’t let other people’s opinions dim the light that you have inside of you. That light is what makes you you! You have to protect it and develop it and let it shine bright, like a star in the night sky.
TrunkSpace: Where can people (and casting directors) learn more about you?
Vera:
My website www.kaylavera.com
My Instagram www.instagram.com/kaylavera.official
