Volume 3, Issue 13 |
| Camille Mana |
If you expect to be successful in any part of today’s crazy entertainment business you must
possess a great deal of drive and passion for whatever area of the arts you’re pursuing. If you don’
t, you’ll become one of the millions of aspirants who give up and fell to the wayside.
For Camille Mana it was her drive and passion that got her through the ups and downs that every
professional actor experiences before they find success. Here, we get an inside look at how this
talented young thespian took her talents to Hollywood and found her niche.
IAE: Please tell us where you’re from and what influenced you to pursue a career in
entertainment?
CM: I’m from Orange County in Southern California. I always knew that this is what I wanted to do, and
when I told my parents they totally freaked out. Acting and being Asian does not go hand-in-hand, as far as
your parents are concerned. But I would still ride my bike to Barnes & Noble and read every “How To” book on
the shelf. I would also check out everything from the library that I could read about both – the craft of acting,
and the business of acting. I started doing children’s theatre and got involved in my high school drama
department, competing for various drama awards throughout the California area.
When turned 16 and got my driver’s license, I started going up to L.A. trying to get opportunities. I got an
agent on my own and started taking acting lessons.
IAE: What was your first professional acting gig and how did that opportunity come about?
CM: I was actually in commercials. I had been auditioning in LA as a teenager, but then I went away to
college at UC Berkeley (in the Bay Area) and was lying to my agents, pretended that I still lived in LA. [laughs]
It was crazy, but I never missed an audition. I was flying back and forth, trying my best not to miss any exams.
I booked some non-union commercials which eventually led to me booking my first SAG commercial, and that’s
how I got my SAG card.
IAE: How tough has it been for you to break down the many barriers that Hollywood has in place
for minorities; because there aren’t a lot of roles being written for Asian females?
CM: The good thing is that television has improved a little. Early on though, I struggled to establish a
niche for myself because roles for Asian females were written from a very stereotypical point of view. I learned
that I didn’t really fit those types of roles because I’d receive callbacks 80% of the time and could never book a
role. I really struggled with trying to figure out why I wasn’t able to book. But things started to change for the
better when someone suggested that I take a stand-up comedy class. That was the last thing I would have
considered doing because I was so used to auditioning for the troubled teenager roles. But since I wasn’t
booking those (roles), I figured, “What the heck! I don’t have anything to lose.”
People would always tell me I was a little funny, so I took the stand-up class and about 6 months after the
class ended, I booked a series regular role on ONE ON ONE. The show had been on for about 4 years, and
they were adding a new cast of regulars. At that time I was one of 12 Asian-American series regulars on
Primetime Television. So it was comedy that opened the door for me. Now I’m doing a lot of roles that weren’t
intended for an Asian actress.
IAE: What advice can you give to other young actors who are struggling to break into the
business?
CM: There’s a big difference between the way the world sees you and who you might actually be.
Knowing what you’re selling has so much to do with establishing yourself. Until you become an A-list celebrity,
you’re always going to have to prove yourself. What you look like and the way the world responds to you, may
not be who you think you are. But you have to be realistic about what people see, not just physically, but in
your actions and your energy when you walk into a room. The powers that be are only going to let you play 3
to 4 kinds of roles at the beginning of your career, and those will be what get you in the door. After that, you’ll
get to play bigger versions of those roles. [laughs]
Understanding that people saw me as a quirky type of person I think is what helped me find my niche. The
sooner you understand that people are going to view you from their perspective and not yours, the sooner you’
ll have a chance at a steady career.
IAE: So tell us about this stage play you’re starring in. What role do you play and how did that
whole thing come about?
CM: The play is called, ASUNCION, and it’s Jesse Eisenberg’s (The Social Network) debut as a playwright.
It can be categorized as a dramedy because it tackles a lot of serious issues, but at the same time it has a
great deal of humor in it as well. Jesse also stars in it, along with Justin Bartha (Hangover), and I actually play
the title role. I got offered the role without having to fight through a bunch of auditions.
It’s about two very educated, upper middle class young men. Jesse’s character, Edgar, has a degree in
International Politics and Imperialism, while Justin’s character, Vinny, is getting his PhD in Black Studies.
These two guys know a lot about the world, on paper, and they consider themselves very worldly. Eventually
my character shows up and is the complete opposite of them. She’s from the Philippines and is nothing like
Edgar and Vinny, who are hyper-intellectuals.
This play is a big deal to me, for a number of reasons. For one, I’ve never played a character who is an
immigrant. Those who know me, know that I am very American. [laughs] Second, I’ve never played a grown
woman before. Up until now, I’ve only played teenage roles. And third, I’ve never played a “woman of desire”
role before this. Normally, my characters are weirdo’s. [laughs] I’m really excited that Jesse Eisenberg has this
kind of faith in my talent.
IAE: When and where can people go to see the play?
CM: It will be playing at the Cherry Lane Theatre in NYC’s “West Village”, and I’ve been told that it’s the
oldest most historic Off-Broadway theatre. There is a lot of history at that theatre and a lot of the great
playwrights in the last century have done work there. It runs from October 27th through November 27th.
IAE: Tell us about the movie that you’re in that’s out and how it came about?
CM: The movie is called, NORMAN, and it came out in select theatres on October 21st. So far, it’s my
favorite of any of the films I’ve worked on. It’s such a great movie. I got to work with an amazing cast, such as
Oscar nominated actor, Richard Jenkins, Adam Goldberg (A Beautiful Mind), Dan Byrd (The Hills Have Eyes)
and Emily VanCamp (won ‘Best Actress’ for her role in this very film at the San Diego Film Festival).
The movie is about a troubled highschool kid named Norman Long (Dan Byrd) who gets busted lying
about having terminal cancer. In reality, his father, Doug (Richard Jenkins), is the one who is terminally
ill. The movie is a dark, art-house dramedy. I play “Helen Black”. She’s this offbeat, outcast Goth girl who has
a crush on Norman. Helen provides a lot of the film’s comedic relief and levity when times are very dark and
heartfelt. I’m very proud of this movie.
IAE: If you weren’t an actor, what would you be doing?
CM: If I weren’t an actor I’d probably be one of the people studying every issue of your magazine. Not that
I don’t read the magazine, because I do, but I would be reading everything I could get my hands on that could
tell me what I needed to know about this business.
If acting wasn’t my thing, I’d probably be a manager, a producer, or a publicist. In college, I held internship
positions in casting, publicity, screenwriting, and at Capitol Records. Every one of those internships taught me
something valuable about the entertainment industry, and each company wanted to hire me on full time.
I did those internships to enrich my knowledge on the various parts of entertainment, and it has made me a
permanent student of the business. When I’m on a set, I’m asking everyone about their job because it helps
me be a better collaborator. It’s a practice that I believe has led to the successes I’ve had thus far.
possess a great deal of drive and passion for whatever area of the arts you’re pursuing. If you don’
t, you’ll become one of the millions of aspirants who give up and fell to the wayside.
For Camille Mana it was her drive and passion that got her through the ups and downs that every
professional actor experiences before they find success. Here, we get an inside look at how this
talented young thespian took her talents to Hollywood and found her niche.
IAE: Please tell us where you’re from and what influenced you to pursue a career in
entertainment?
CM: I’m from Orange County in Southern California. I always knew that this is what I wanted to do, and
when I told my parents they totally freaked out. Acting and being Asian does not go hand-in-hand, as far as
your parents are concerned. But I would still ride my bike to Barnes & Noble and read every “How To” book on
the shelf. I would also check out everything from the library that I could read about both – the craft of acting,
and the business of acting. I started doing children’s theatre and got involved in my high school drama
department, competing for various drama awards throughout the California area.
When turned 16 and got my driver’s license, I started going up to L.A. trying to get opportunities. I got an
agent on my own and started taking acting lessons.
IAE: What was your first professional acting gig and how did that opportunity come about?
CM: I was actually in commercials. I had been auditioning in LA as a teenager, but then I went away to
college at UC Berkeley (in the Bay Area) and was lying to my agents, pretended that I still lived in LA. [laughs]
It was crazy, but I never missed an audition. I was flying back and forth, trying my best not to miss any exams.
I booked some non-union commercials which eventually led to me booking my first SAG commercial, and that’s
how I got my SAG card.
IAE: How tough has it been for you to break down the many barriers that Hollywood has in place
for minorities; because there aren’t a lot of roles being written for Asian females?
CM: The good thing is that television has improved a little. Early on though, I struggled to establish a
niche for myself because roles for Asian females were written from a very stereotypical point of view. I learned
that I didn’t really fit those types of roles because I’d receive callbacks 80% of the time and could never book a
role. I really struggled with trying to figure out why I wasn’t able to book. But things started to change for the
better when someone suggested that I take a stand-up comedy class. That was the last thing I would have
considered doing because I was so used to auditioning for the troubled teenager roles. But since I wasn’t
booking those (roles), I figured, “What the heck! I don’t have anything to lose.”
People would always tell me I was a little funny, so I took the stand-up class and about 6 months after the
class ended, I booked a series regular role on ONE ON ONE. The show had been on for about 4 years, and
they were adding a new cast of regulars. At that time I was one of 12 Asian-American series regulars on
Primetime Television. So it was comedy that opened the door for me. Now I’m doing a lot of roles that weren’t
intended for an Asian actress.
IAE: What advice can you give to other young actors who are struggling to break into the
business?
CM: There’s a big difference between the way the world sees you and who you might actually be.
Knowing what you’re selling has so much to do with establishing yourself. Until you become an A-list celebrity,
you’re always going to have to prove yourself. What you look like and the way the world responds to you, may
not be who you think you are. But you have to be realistic about what people see, not just physically, but in
your actions and your energy when you walk into a room. The powers that be are only going to let you play 3
to 4 kinds of roles at the beginning of your career, and those will be what get you in the door. After that, you’ll
get to play bigger versions of those roles. [laughs]
Understanding that people saw me as a quirky type of person I think is what helped me find my niche. The
sooner you understand that people are going to view you from their perspective and not yours, the sooner you’
ll have a chance at a steady career.
IAE: So tell us about this stage play you’re starring in. What role do you play and how did that
whole thing come about?
CM: The play is called, ASUNCION, and it’s Jesse Eisenberg’s (The Social Network) debut as a playwright.
It can be categorized as a dramedy because it tackles a lot of serious issues, but at the same time it has a
great deal of humor in it as well. Jesse also stars in it, along with Justin Bartha (Hangover), and I actually play
the title role. I got offered the role without having to fight through a bunch of auditions.
It’s about two very educated, upper middle class young men. Jesse’s character, Edgar, has a degree in
International Politics and Imperialism, while Justin’s character, Vinny, is getting his PhD in Black Studies.
These two guys know a lot about the world, on paper, and they consider themselves very worldly. Eventually
my character shows up and is the complete opposite of them. She’s from the Philippines and is nothing like
Edgar and Vinny, who are hyper-intellectuals.
This play is a big deal to me, for a number of reasons. For one, I’ve never played a character who is an
immigrant. Those who know me, know that I am very American. [laughs] Second, I’ve never played a grown
woman before. Up until now, I’ve only played teenage roles. And third, I’ve never played a “woman of desire”
role before this. Normally, my characters are weirdo’s. [laughs] I’m really excited that Jesse Eisenberg has this
kind of faith in my talent.
IAE: When and where can people go to see the play?
CM: It will be playing at the Cherry Lane Theatre in NYC’s “West Village”, and I’ve been told that it’s the
oldest most historic Off-Broadway theatre. There is a lot of history at that theatre and a lot of the great
playwrights in the last century have done work there. It runs from October 27th through November 27th.
IAE: Tell us about the movie that you’re in that’s out and how it came about?
CM: The movie is called, NORMAN, and it came out in select theatres on October 21st. So far, it’s my
favorite of any of the films I’ve worked on. It’s such a great movie. I got to work with an amazing cast, such as
Oscar nominated actor, Richard Jenkins, Adam Goldberg (A Beautiful Mind), Dan Byrd (The Hills Have Eyes)
and Emily VanCamp (won ‘Best Actress’ for her role in this very film at the San Diego Film Festival).
The movie is about a troubled highschool kid named Norman Long (Dan Byrd) who gets busted lying
about having terminal cancer. In reality, his father, Doug (Richard Jenkins), is the one who is terminally
ill. The movie is a dark, art-house dramedy. I play “Helen Black”. She’s this offbeat, outcast Goth girl who has
a crush on Norman. Helen provides a lot of the film’s comedic relief and levity when times are very dark and
heartfelt. I’m very proud of this movie.
IAE: If you weren’t an actor, what would you be doing?
CM: If I weren’t an actor I’d probably be one of the people studying every issue of your magazine. Not that
I don’t read the magazine, because I do, but I would be reading everything I could get my hands on that could
tell me what I needed to know about this business.
If acting wasn’t my thing, I’d probably be a manager, a producer, or a publicist. In college, I held internship
positions in casting, publicity, screenwriting, and at Capitol Records. Every one of those internships taught me
something valuable about the entertainment industry, and each company wanted to hire me on full time.
I did those internships to enrich my knowledge on the various parts of entertainment, and it has made me a
permanent student of the business. When I’m on a set, I’m asking everyone about their job because it helps
me be a better collaborator. It’s a practice that I believe has led to the successes I’ve had thus far.
| Camille Mana - Film/TV/Theatre Actress |
Copyright © 2009-2011 I Am Entertainment Magazine, a publication of NFluential Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
| IAE is published by |
| About us |
| I Am Entertainment Magazine |
| Advertising |
| Connect with us |
| Contact us |
| FOLLOW US: |
