Exclusive Interview With The Talented Celebrity Actress Erin Michele Soto
Lavish Life is honored to interview the talented Hollywood actress Erin Michele Soto who first shined in Hollywood for her role on the smash hit and Emmy Winning drama television series “Studio City” by Sean Kanan which won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Digital Daytime Drama Series in 2021. During 2019, she won a Best Actress award at the Los Angeles Film Festival for her inspiring lead role as Shirley in the coming of age, mini television series, “Shirley and Shelly”. During her successful acting career Soto has been recognized and awarded for her various outstanding performances , such roles starring in the film, “Lifeless” which won her Best Acting Duo, her superb role as Ellie in 2020 won her awards from several film festivals including the prestigious New York Film Awards.
She has also been seen in multiple notable works including her role in Netflix’s “Silencer” (2018), and Sundance Award Winner “In A World”. Currently, she is part of Riot Shakespeare Company with a Shakespeare project in post production for 2023. Erin has an inspirational story and background. She began her career at a young age , started dancing ballet at the age of two and performed her first theater show as the Miller’s daughter in Rumpelstiltskin at seven years old.
Growing up, everyone who watched her perform acknowledged her natural talent but it wasn’t until later in school that she decided to pursue acting as a full time career. She received positive feedback and encouragement to pursue her dreams by her school. After making several trips to La, Soto decided to challenge herself to achieve her dreams by moving to Los Angeles full time. She was inspired by one of her many favorite actresses, Renee Zelweger. She told Lavish Life that when she first saw Renee Zelweger on the big screen she thought to herself, “Wow, she really puts every inch of her being into what she does and she’s incredible. I want to do that, and learn the craft required to get there”.
During her acting journey Soto unexpectedly endured a life changing challenge which could have taken her out of the acting game completely. She suffered a traumatic brain injury which left her in bed for over a year spending countless hours wondering to herself if she would ever be able to recover. She felt completely depressed, so alone, and trapped in her own mind. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get back to ‘normal’ and into the real world, but when she started to lose hope she would imagine her dreams, and the life she wanted .
Soto understood that the only way she could possibly recover was to turn inwards and find the possible. She kept imagining her hopes, her dreams, and the life she wanted. She kept battling daily to not lose hope until she recovered. Impressively, it was not that not long after her recovery she won her first award as an actor. Erin Soto emphasized during her interview with Lavish Life that she is extremely grateful for the support of her amazing friends and the many people she’s encountered during her journey. She’s incredibly grateful for the projects at present and looks forward to her next acting roles ahead.
Erin can you please tell the Lavish Life readers what were your early challenges when you first started your acting career in Hollywood ?
I felt so excited and nervous moving to LA. My biggest challenges were both trying to juggle moving in, meeting people, paying rent, and starting a career. LA felt like such a big city when moving here. But then I realized, this is just the “Welcome to Hollywood” package. Practically everyone else is in the same boat when moving here to pursue an acting career, and it’s cool to let people in the community know you’re new to town and need help.
What are your future goals ?
I want to joyously look back onto my life, at a ripe age of 100, or something ancient of my choosing and be able to say “This ride has been awesome”. I want to be acting in film, television and theatre until the day I pass, and have an abundance of friends, family and money around me.
What are your proudest and memorable moments ?
Career wise, one of my proudest moments was when I did my first show post concussion. It was a tiny theater, and I did the “Laramie Project” and played seven characters. It was the moment when I realized, ‘Okay, I can do this!’.
As far as most memorable though, seeing “Studio City” up on the tv screen in 2020 for the first time at the Emmys. We were locked down. My face popped up on the screen and I was in shock. That’s me? This is real? I was in bed a few years prior. What!? How!? This is how I know miracles happen and dreams come true.
Any advice you want to share with the many young actors and actresses who want to start their acting careers ?
Living life, acting and having an acting career feed each other. One must look at people, live in their shoes, live in your shoes, and wonder about things. If you want to be an actor, live life! I was taught by sports that hard work creates success. Yes, there is truth to that. But one must do both. Take classes, do what you love. And if your heart sings when you perform, keep doing it!
It was a truly pleasure interviewing such a talented actress like yourself, any final words for our readers internationally before we end this wonderful interview?
Thank you Lavish life for putting together this article and for the interview! Thank you, Renee Gonzales, Coral Castillo and Gregory John Michael Kasunich for this beautiful photoshoot. And thank you all, who have been around and supported me in my career thus far. I see you! This is just the beginning.
By Lavish Life Publication Editorial Team
