Bainbridge Island native and friend Dylan Arnold had his breakout roles in indie films like Fat Kid Rules the World and Laggies and his star has only risen with roles in Mudbound and Halloween, and serious arcs on Nashville and The Purge. In this conversation we discuss his community theatre beginnings and his decision to focus on training before pursuing a Hollywood career, as well as how to stay positive and active now that he has one.
Some of my favorite quotes from our conversation:
- “Don’t try to recreate what you’ve done before… You’ve got to read off the other person and let it be new each time.”
- “It’s the spontaneity, it’s the reaction, it’s the stuff going on underneath.”
On education:
- “The connections, honestly, were just as crucial as the training.”
- “There should be no shame in [training] and no shame in not doing it. It’s whatever your process needs.”
On auditioning:
- “No audition is make or break. You can love it and work on it, but don’t get attached to it… There’s always another audition.”
- “In six months, that casting director might say, ‘He wasn’t right, but let’s bring him in for this thing,’ and that might be the one.”
- “Relaxation and breathing. In life, in acting, in auditions, whatever! That is the key.”
- “You never want to go in to get a job. You want to go in and say, ‘this is who I am, this is what I’ve got,’ have fun performing it, and then let it go the second you’re out of the room.”
On your career:
- “Go do your training, then come out to LA.”
- “Look at the big picture. See it as a marathon and not a sprint.”
- “It’s important to remember who you are and appreciate the people around you.”
Follow Dylan Arnold HERE:
Twitter: @dylanheyarnold
Instagram: @dylanheyarnold
Come see Dylan perform in Good Boys at the Pasadena Play house, June 26-July 21st!
Link here: https://www.pasadenaplayhouse.org/event/good-boys/
Dylan began acting at the same community theatre at the same time that Dove did—Bainbridge Performing Arts on Bainbridge Island– and he went on to study and graduate from the BFA acting program at University of North Carolina School of the Arts before finding success in Hollywood.
There is every different way to succeed as an actor. The important piece is to follow that path that works best for YOU. Trying to figure that out? Book a consultation with me over Skype, or in person in LA, and I can help you make a plan! Just go to https://hometowntohollywood.com/consultations/ and find a time that works for you on my online calendar.
The future belongs to those who believe in their dreams.