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What’s it like to be an introverted actress in Hollywood? Is it even possible with all the required schmoozing and superficiality of Tinseltown?

The Introvert Interview series is about wrecking preconceived notions about where and how introverts can succeed.

Today, we get to go behind the scenes with an introverted actress Giovannie Espiritu. Giovannie stars as Gin on Dyke Central and plays Jackie in the feature film D-Railed.

Her credits include popular shows Bones, Trauma, ER, and Gilmore Girls.

MethodFest nominated Giovannie for Best Supporting Actress alongside Academy Awards nominees Alfre Woodard and Amy Irving.

She is the also the founder of HollywoodActorsWorkshop.com – an online coaching service for actors.

So how does an introvert become such a successful actress in Hollywood? Let’s get into our interview to learn about that and more.

Giovanni! Thank you for taking the time with me. Let’s start at the beginning. You have an interesting story about how you got started in voice-over acting. Can you tell us that story?

Yeah, it’s totally weird. I was in a cult when I was younger (an off-shoot of an off-shoot of the SDA church) and the only people in the “real world” that I would talk to consistently were telemarketers.

One of them said that I had an interesting voice and said that I should get into voice overs. At the time, I didn’t even know what that was, so I looked it up on the internet and I sent in a very horrible VO demo to the biggest agency in San Francisco that I could find. They ended up calling me in, signing me, and sending me on my first audition that same day. I ended up booking it (it was for a video game) and recording it on the same day.

I took it as a sign from God that I should continue on this path. (My brain was still in the cult… I’m not anymore.)

Wow, amazing! So eventually you made it to Hollywood. People associate Hollywood with superficiality. On your blog, one of the topics you aim to address is networking for introverted actors. What networking advice do you have for more introverted people?

I hate networking. I don’t know how to do it. I know I’m “supposed” to do it, but I am so incredibly awkward that I feel like it works against me when I actually make an effort to try.

I’m trying to network through jobs, and avoid the small talk altogether. I hope that when I get hired on something, I do a good job, and they *hopefully* remember me from that, rather than small talk at some weird party.

If I do go to an event, I usually watch people from afar and then email them afterward, or I have an extroverted friend that knows that I get social anxiety and does most of the talking…and is okay when I have to leave or go outside to take a breather.

There have been occasions where I felt compelled to talk to someone and introduce myself, but usually, its because they said something about a topic that I am a nerd about and I just couldn’t help myself.

Actors are sensitive in general. We wear our hearts on our sleeves.

I do find that relationships are incredibly important in this business. I usually end up working with people whose worldview aligns with mine.

I feel like storytelling has the power to open hearts and truly change the world by teaching people to be more empathetic with one another, so most of the filmmakers that I work with have the vision of making the world a more inclusive place. I think that when your goals align, it is easier to nurture relationships with other peers in your industry. I try to help as much as I can with the skills that I feel confident in and that is my version of networking.

In your parody song, you talk about introverts wanting to hide from the world. But acting has brought you in front of millions of people. What is it about acting that provides you the energy and passion to express yourself so publicly?

The thing that I love about acting is that it is actually very intimate when you make a film. My world becomes about the relationship I have with the person in front of me and my film family becomes my family for the length of the production.

I love acting because I do feel like storytelling changes the world – it forces you to see life from someone else’s perspective. Also, I’m kind of a glutton for different experiences. I want to know why people do the things that they do and learn about humanity from the inside out.

I think that acting teaches compassion. I see it in the students that I teach – when you give them permission to feel everything and not be judged as wrong for having certain feelings, they take that understanding out into the world with them. I don’t actually have to be in front of millions of people – the end product is – but the actual filming is done with a small cast and crew.

As far as relating to the general public, I’m not really famous enough to have to deal with that problem (thank goodness!) Even at film festivals where my Amazon series has played and we have a Q&A afterward, I am usually unrecognizable from my character since Gin is more masculine of center, and I present as more femme in real life.

I have performed in theater productions where I have been surrounded by well-wishers afterward, and I am thankful and gracious, but I definitely have to go home and take a long shower and re-group. Sometimes I just sit alone in my car for twenty minutes to recalibrate.

Empathy is so important. How else does being an introvert help your ability to be a successful actress?

I think that having a full inner world and imagination is key to being a good actress. I had an Einstein quote printed on my student sheets in my acting school: “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” Introverts tend to have full inner worlds and HUGE imaginations. Has introversion ever kept you from landing a role or job?

I definitely am at a disadvantage in networking situations. Usually, the shiniest or loudest actor/actress gets the most attention.

But there are so many reasons why actors don’t get the job though… even if we do the best audition and kicked ass and took names in our scene, we may not be hired because we were too short, or look too much like the lead, or the producers ex-girlfriend… it may not even have to do with being an introvert.

Is there a difference between conversations and interactions while acting and those while not acting?

Yes. I can play an extrovert pretty well. Hah! But most of the time it’s because the words are already scripted for me.

In real life, I have a hard time putting my thoughts together in conversations and it really annoys some people or they think that I’m dumb in real life – especially if they just met me.

I realized that improv (I’m a student at UCB) is difficult for me because it takes me a while to think about what I want to say and by the time I know what I want to say, the moment has passed.

Your job must require long days on sets and social and media interactions. What strategies do you have to plan time for yourself to recharge?

A lot of time in my car! And I always bring a book with me. Thankfully there is a lot of downtime on set while they are setting up lights for the shot, etc.

I do have to be really careful of my energy, especially if it is an emotionally charged scene, but most people on professional sets respect that since actors have different processes.

Speaking of books, what are your favorite books, blogs, or podcasts that impact your life?

The Wayne Dyer books really had an impact on me because they helped me get out of a victim mentality and take charge of the thought patterns that created my life.

I listen to a lot of podcasts (especially when I used to drive back and forth from LA and SF to teach), most of them are in the inspirational vein like Oprah, but I did listen to James Altucher for a while and I was fascinated with Personality Hacker where they analyze the Myers-Briggs personalities and how they interact with each other.

I am an INFP and most of my friends are ENFJ’s and my kiddo is an ENTP, so figuring out what each person trigger is in terms of conversations and conflicts was very helpful.

We are expecting our first child in March. What advice do you have for an introverted parent of an extrovert child?

I would suggest that you have a lot of play dates for him… which are going to be awkward for you as a parent with small talk (it def was for me – doubly so, because I was really young when I had my kiddo and most of the adults were at least 10-15 years older than me).

But once they have established play buddies, it gets easier to have quiet time. Even if it means reading a book while they play nearby.

When my kiddo grew up, I enjoyed all the life conversations that we’ve had.

I just let him know that my downtime doesn’t mean that I don’t love him.

It helps that my kid is into personal growth though… so he has researched about personality types and Meyers/Briggs stuff. He’s the one that got me to listen to the Personality Hacker Podcast.

That is great advice! If you could send a text message to all of my readers, what would it say?

Are we talking 140 characters here? LOL.

In the business sense, I would probably say: Hey, if you know anyone that wants to learn acting, go to hollywoodactorsworkshop.com and book a session!

Hah, just kidding. If I had a message to tell the whole world, it would probably be:

You are worthy of everything wonderful. You are enough. Trust the patterns, not the actions of others. Follow your instincts. There is a still small voice that knows what you want and how to get there. Learn to listen to it.

That’s a damn good text. What are you working on right now?

I am working on creating more projects that feature women of color at the forefront. I’m in post-production on a short called, “Ally3000,” and in development of a few feature scripts and sketch shorts.

I have a feature film coming out called “D-Railed,” that is a fantasy thriller where Lance Hendriksen (Bishop from Aliens) plays my boss Manny.

What work are you most proud of?

Right now, I’m proud of my work on the LGBT series Dyke Central because I KNOW it has saved lives in other countries and given people hope that there are others out there like them.

I was also proud of the work I did years ago directing and performing in benefit productions of “The Vagina Monologues,” but I try to keep looking forward instead of ruminating on past accomplishments.

Where can readers find you?

People can find me at:

hollywoodactorsworkshop.com

IG: @giospirit2

Twitter: @giospirit

Youtube: youtube.com/giovannieespiritu

Readers can also learn more about Giovannie’s success at my extroverted friend, Michael Dinich’s blog.

If you want to be interviewed for the series, contact me and tell me why you’d be a great subject! Be sure to sign-up for email updates to never miss an insightful interview.

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I struggled for years to decode why going to work, socializing in loud places, and taking trips with large groups were so draining. Finally, after gaining an understanding of introversion, I started to progress professionally and socially. Coupled with my newfound knowledge of introversion, the concept of financial independence was the motivation I needed to improve my life. This blog documents my journey and the journeys of other introverts, lessons learned, and strategies for a meaningful and fulfilling life as an introvert in an extroverted world.