Keedie's Corner Gets Personal with Actress JC Cadena

I am so happy to share with you my exclusive interview with Keedie's Corner, an online magazine.

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Hi. I'm JC Cadena. I live in Los Angeles, California. I am an actress. I am theatrically trained and I am now making my transition into television and film.

Q.  How long have you been pursuing acting seriously?

A.  I was performing in theatre before I totally committed to pursuing an acting career in 2012.  At the time I was

working in production. I would work a full day and then run to the opposite side of town in mid “rush hour” and rehearse for weekend performances.  I would do this 4 days out of the 5 day work week.

It wasn't easy making the choice.  I traded stability for the opposite. But it was time for me to make the jump, everything in my life at that moment led to this decision. Life really pushed me. I could feel a good "kick in the ass" pushing me towards acting. I've always been a performer ever since I can remember.  So after careful consideration, I jumped in.

Q.  What type of movies did you grow up on?

A.  I grew up watching Mexican Rancheras movies and Mexican game shows.  And American television.  I loved to read and watch scary films every since I can remember.  I think it’s because when I was young my cousins and I use to sit outside near the basketball court during the summer and tell each other ghost stories. I grew up on Stephen King books.

Q.  Who are some of your influences?

A.  My mother is an influence even today.  She was buried in 2016. I always saw her as this beautiful angelic being.  She was beautiful with model looks and I loved her very much.  Her light guides me still.

Tom Hardy is an influence. He is such a great actor and his choices are extraordinary.  I really look up to his acting delivery.  I think stars such as Cate Blanchett, who make it all about their acting and not about their personal life, are great examples of artists I would like to have my career mirror.

A producer friend, Michelle Chydzik, is an influence in my life.  She taught me that a woman can have it all. She was a wife, a mother and a producer.  She was on point and always got to the office before anyone else got there.

Q.  How was it for you growing up?

A.  Earlier in my childhood I had a lot of freedom.  I could explore places alone and I was adventurous.  I have memories as early as 6 years old walking home from school alone.  When my family moved from Quito, Ecuador to Virginia in the US, that changed completely.  We did not have a lot of family around, things were so much bigger in America.  I could no longer be adventurous so I turned to reading.  I spent a lot of my time using my imagination.  I would also write songs, poems and I enjoyed singing, that is, until I graduated from high school.  I worked to try to find myself a lot, and had great experiences that let me know I'm blessed and that I have a purpose here.

Q.  Did you always want to be an actress growing up?

A.  I wanted to be a singer first.  I loved singing.  I sang at school and at church.  But somewhere along the line I got disappointed by it, by the people around it, so I stopped singing for a long time. When I moved to LA I fell back in love with music.  Well actually, I fell in love with music on a trip to Paris. LA has a great indie music scene. I don't understand why there are songs that play again and again on the radio, when there are so many bands that can share their stuff.

In LA it was easy to find music and art.  It is everywhere.  I put together a band and played around Hollywood. It was fun, but again I distanced myself from it at one point and found Acting.  I remember when I made the decision to move to LA, there was the me that wanted to act, but I got so caught up with finding stability that a full time job made sense at the time.  So I forgot about it.

But acting found me again and here I am, an actress.

Q.  What have you been working on? Any up and coming shows to be on the lookout for?

A.  I’ve shot a couple of projects for TV and film.  I finished a play titled “Sabado Mornings”, written by George Corbin and directed by Melvin Ishmael Johnson.  It was a collaboration with Ben Guillory who is Co-Founder and Producing Artistic Director for the Robey Theatre.  You can look forward to seeing me in a project titled "ED Blues”, written by Butch Dubarri. It is a musical comedy. I think everyone is going to enjoy it.  It has great lines and great music.  

CHAINSAW, my production company, for films of all genres, is working with producer Barney Cohen on a film titled, STAR 69. The first feature is a Zombie picture.   I'm very excited about this film.  It will make you Laugh, make you Hot, and make you Scream.

Q. What actress/actors and producers have you worked with?

A. Before I decided to be an actress I worked in production after graduating from George Mason University.  I've been in shows with Bill Clinton, Will Smith, Julia Roberts and Adam Sandler to name a few great names. 

Q.  Which do you prefer, being on stage or on film?

A.  I cannot say whether I prefer stage or film more. The stage requires a lot of work and commitment. After I am done with the show, I often still feel like the character.  It is a process.  So I gravitate to film as a break.  Film is here and now and I don't take those emotions with me. It is difficult to choose. I love them both equally.

Q.  Which one of your characters have you connected with the most?

A.  This is a hard question.  The role I just played in “Sabado Mornings”, Rosa, I connected to a lot. Rosa loved people.  She had a young outlook on life and a positive one, yet she had a deep secret holding her back. In some ways I am very much like Rosa. I enjoy people. I have an optimistic look on life, at least I think so.

Q. How do you deal with the industry and pressure to perform?

A.  It takes a lot of energy, a great support system and a good and positive outlook to pursue acting.  Honestly, at first the pressure lies in booking the job not in performing.  Performing is the reward.

Q.  For you to feel successful as an actress what are some goals you would like to accomplish?

A.  At this point in my life I feel successful that I am where I am in my performance level.  I can feel the difference.  And I am grateful. I would like to get to the next level of course.  This year I'm really focusing on the film industry.  For me to feel successful I would like to be performing more lead roles in film and making a bigger name for myself.  And I’d like to use this platform to help the community.

Q.  What level of success would you have to reach to feel as if you made it?

A.  I would like to get an “EGOT”, (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar,Tony). That would be a dream come true. I use visualization as a form of relaxing on stage.  Sometimes I visualize my Oscar speech.  They say if you are going to dream, dream big. Right?

Q.  What would you like to be remembered for when its all said and done and the lights go out?

A.  I would like to be an inspiration to people encouraging them to chase their dreams, and to be kind to each other. 

★☆★☆★Flame Time★☆★☆★

Q.  Do you have any “shout outs”?

A.  A “shout out” to Keedie's Corner and Mike Ice who reached out to me and are giving me this opportunity to speak my mind. A “shot out” to my family.  And to all my people in Ecuador after the earthquake tragedy, blessings to you. 

Q.  Let the readers know where they can go to watch your performances?

A.  To find out more about me and my performances visit my website, www.jccadena.com.  I am always updating. You can read an extensive bio, sign up for my blog, titled; “Adventures in Actorland".  I share advice and experiences on the road to becoming a professional actress. You can contact me there as well. Plus you will find a link to all my social media sites.  

Q.  Any words of wisdom? Whatever is in your heart just speak it?

Words of wisdom from me …. work on your passion everyday, feed it, nourish it, love it.

Click here to see actual interview: keedies-corner-gets-personal-with-actress-jc-cadena/

Feel The Moment - Allow, Accept and Include

If you are one of those people that never cries,  am talking to you.  Cry, please cry.

So many of us have had some really difficult life experiences.  We have cried so much that now, a wall has gone up.

This wall of toughness, of pushing that feeling out and replacing it with something else may work perhaps.  I'm  here to tell you to stop it. It often helps to experience your feelings even if it is a feeling of sadness or helplessness.  For me, I had pushed all emotion aside to the point where I did not even know what I was feeling.  I chose to go to therapy for five years to understand and bounce off the emotions I was feeling.  I didn't even know I was angry.

I am not suggesting you have a mental break down at work or at a networking event.  But definitely

don't wait till you've been at a party and you have had a few too many and out come the flood gates. If you catch yourself getting to that place, I suggest excusing yourself and heading home.

Take the time to sit on the couch and acknowledge what you are experiencing, feel the moment.  Feel whatever you are feeling right then and there.  If it's anger, then acknowledge it. If it's sadness and you need to cry, cry.  If it's embarrassment, then sit with that feeling and let your body succumb to it.    If you can't figure out what it is, perhaps that moment of confusion is just a moment that will soon pass.  And once you've allowed yourself to let the moment pass,  you have purged yourself from toxins in your body in a healthy way.  In a kind way.

Feelings don't always have to be "down" feelings.  Make sure you also celebrate the moments that are happy.

As a creative, it is a healthier way to live with so many emotions in us.

Allow,  Accept and Include, are the words I have in my mind all the time.  Allow, accept and include. allow, accept and include......

jc cadena

Happy Memorial Day

To all you beautiful people who have fought for our country, America.  I remember you today
and thank you.  Thank you for the freedom we experience. Because of your hard work we are blessed
to live here.  Amen

Waiting for the Call!

I was anxiously waiting for a call from a director.  I was hoping that my hard work and dedication will get me hired in one of his next productions.  When he finally called, he was not, "hey beautiful and talented JC, I would like to hire you for my next show."  But, in reality, it was, "Hey JC I think you should take my workshop I'm teaching."  $$$

(Part of me thinks, "of course I got this type of call - of course I did. ")

On the other hand, I'm kind of burnt out from teachers.  I mean, to tell you the truth, my past teachers have not been all that supportive or at least not the type of support I would have hoped for.  So I've been wondering where I was going to go study next.  'Cause I definitely need a certain type of environment to study in.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not insulted by the fact he asked me to pay to take one of his classes.  When I'm working I don't take classes, because I'm working on my craft on stage and I spend all the time doing that. But when I'm not working I always get myself to a class.  I'm always learning.  

It just wasn't the call that I wanted.  I wanted to be hired for his next show. And I wanted to get paid as an actor. 

Well anyway, I entertained the possibility of working together. But, I thought, how will I know if our acting is the same type of acting.  So I decided to ask him a question on what his thoughts were on a certain performance we had both seen.  Unfortunately, our opinions differed greatly, in fact a lot.  So how can I now study with a teacher that I know has a different opinion of the actor I am or want to be.   

Should I give this director/teacher a try (Although the cost he was asking was high for me).
After all it was disappointing because I was expecting a call to be hired rather than a call that would drain my pocket book. Perhaps I'll learn something new about myself or even get better.  Now I am being very optimistic.

What do you think?

But first,  I am looking forward to a vacation in July.    jc

I'm just not that adventurous without acting.

Perhaps I should be more adventurous in my personal life. I am quiet calm I would say.  I mean my favorite thing to do is hang out at home and watch a movie with my loved ones.  But this means that I get really comfortable and stay indoors.

The only way of really being adventurous is in my acting. I will travel to and go anywhere for, and if it wasn't for acting I wouldn't really get to see all these amazing things around me.  I'm just not that adventurous without acting.

I know some people say, make sure not to make your life, acting, but that is impossible.  I am always

working, always and when you get popular you work even more. There is no time for hanging out and having a good old time.  The time that I do have I spend, marketing,  learning lines, rehearsal, preparing, relaxing until shoot day.

When someone tries to push me in my personal life out of that comfort I don't do well either.   I will go at my leisure I cannot be pushed to do something I haven't done before like Surfing, just as an example.  It had to be done like I am learning a new thing and step by step slowly until I get used to it.

Anyway, thank you acting for being the adventure in my life.

Marketing for Actors

 At an early age I was shy about the things I really wanted.

When I first started in my entertainment career I was really shy on set and even though it was the best thing in the world, I spent a lot of time at aww of everything around me.  Everything was new and I enjoyed watching the Producer yelling all the important last minute executive decisions to getting lunch for everyone in production.  I got to do a lot of wonderful things, one of them being riding a golf cart as fast as possible on Capitol Hill lawn in Washington D. C..

What I exuded in eagerness I lacked in ability to make lasting connections. As an actor or a person who works in the entertainment industry, these connections are important.  You never know when they will pay off down the road.  And you will make friends for a lifetime.

How do you do this without coming out desperate, or just plain awkward and naive? You have to market yourself.

The most important thing on set is knowing who is who.  Hint: One way to know this on the set of a film, in an independent production, is by looking at their walkies.  Most of them halve the name and position of the crew written on a white tape across it. 87% will be wearing the proper walkie. So if the director approaches, casually look at his walkie and then you'll know his name.

Now you you've let him know you are smart, you know his name.  You can even introduce yourself and bam, you are a golden child.  People love when you remember their name.

The most important thing on set is knowing who is who.  Hint: One way to know this on the set of a film, in an independent production, is by looking at their walkies.  Most of them halve the name and position of the crew written on a white tape across it.   So if the director approaches, casually look at his walkie and then you'll know his name.

Try to remember people's names so you can use this again when you casually walk past each other.
Google Hermine Hilton, a expert on memory writes book on memorizing names, she has helped me.
Begin by doing this marketing campaign for you, you will get a great reputation.

Good luck,

JC

Pictures on set for The End
 

Mother Your Light Shines Forever In My Heart

"Mother your light shines forever in my heart. Over and over you sacrificed your needs for mine. There will be my endless devotion to your love. Holding the weight of my challenges in your hands.  Even though I didn’t understand.  Repeatedly you forgave me and held me in your arms."   

by JC Cadena

On Mother’s day we honor our mothers for all the sacrifices they have made for us.  They have unconditionally given their bodies, their hearts, their lives, their love,  so we can live and rejoice.  I will reflect and honor her memory on this day.  If you are lucky enough to have your mother close, this is the day to tell her how special she is.  I encourage you to get sentimental, a hug, a kiss on the cheek, a single flower, a poem, to show a feeling of love or gratitude.

It’s not how big your gift is, but how big your heart is. Make that day special for her.  Just as she made you feel special on those days you felt low.

Tell her about the special memory you have.  Perhaps you still remember that day you felt sick or sad and she made  your favorite meal to heal you.  Or she bought you that toy, you really weren't suppose to have.  Tell her that now.

On this day its about our expression and respect for her.  If you are hesitant; perhaps, you've distanced yourself from her.  On Mother’s day break that wall and tell her you love her.  This is it.  This is your chance.

Honor her as the Greeks honored their mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele.  Honor her as the faithful were lead back to honor the mother church. And honor her the best way you know how, let yourself be that child that cried for her and love her.