Sonya Balmores
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What are you THANKFUL for?
I love the opportunity to meet so many different types of creative people, from directors, assistants, casting, hair and makeup, stunt men, writers, etc… I love hearing people’s life stories, especially the older colleagues I meet. I love hearing their words of wisdom, how they got into the industry and the people they’ve worked with. It’s a reminder of how small the business is and a reminder to be kind and respectful because you don’t want to end up being the center of a gossip story!
I’m thankful for the craft service.
And I love that I get to be a part of something bigger than myself, storytelling is an ancient thing humans have been doing for eons and I love that audiences can be touched by actors and filmmakers in encouraging ways! It’s a powerful medium that I’m honored to be a part of.
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What is your favorite ‘life lesson’ you learned while being on set?
How to speak up for myself! I’m still in the process of learning it and practicing it. Not in a demanding way, but in ways that protect me (I’ve had to put guys in check and stop immature harassment, some men think minor “flirtations or sexual jokes” are okay, but sometimes they can cross the line, and I’m married so I have to protect that as well). I still need to learn how to speak up when it comes to my work. It’s hard when you’re a supporting actor or co-star, you’re there to do your part and not get in the way (and you’re so thankful you booked the gig, you don’t want to do anything that may jeopardize that;), but I would love to be able to navigate a good way to say what I would like to do creatively without seeming “difficult”.
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(PC: Ja Tescson)
Although you are passionate about entertainment you also believe there is so much more you have to add to life? What else are you passionate about?
Yes, acting and the entertainment industry are just one of my passions in life. But the self-promotion part burns me out. It sucks to always be looking at my headshot, showing my reel, talking about ME all day and “getting” followers. I’ve erased my FB pages and Twitter accounts multiple times only to have to restart them because now it’s affecting actors chances of booking a job! Ugh. It’s a weird crazy part of the business now… but I know most people hate it too, most artists aren’t 100% comfortable talking about how great they are. Besides my other passions like reading, writing, the ocean, dance and exercising, serving others is one of the best things I can do with my time. It kills selfish narcism! Putting other people first. Giving people the time of day to listen even if it’s a drag, I tell myself, “Hey ya this is nonsense but I want to show them I care,” so I listen. My other passion is women and children, I’ve visited and helped out at orphanages, women’s prisons, and leper colonies, and now the issue of trafficking is on the forefront, so I love supporting groups that care for those girls and sharing the info with my network.
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Tell me a about the non profit you are working with and what it seeks to accomplish?
I’m working for Hope Heals, it’s run by a wonderful couple named Jay and Katherine Wolf. I heard about her story through friends at church. When I watched their documentary on their website, I couldn’t stop crying! Katherine was 26, healthy, newly married and just had a baby, out of nowhere she had a stroke and almost died! It really was a miracle that she survived and although she’s severely handicapped, she has her mind and personality intact. Today they run their non-profit Hope Heals and travel the country sharing their story and their hope. They tackle tough topics like suffering and expectations, when life deals you unexpected storms, will you sink or ride the proverbial wave with hope?
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What struck me the most was that Katherine (now my boss:), was in LA pursing the entertainment industry working as a model and actor, she was beautiful. After I watched it I started sharing my reaction to it with my husband, “Who would I be if I lost my ‘looks’ or my abilities?” It sounds so shallow but it’s true, I’ve worked as a model and actor since I was twelve, would I still be me? Would I be happy with myself if I could never do what I’ve always done? Although I’m friends with Bethany Hamilton and involved in her film, Soul Surfer – which never stops encouraging me, I think Katherine’s story hit home for me because she was older, she was married, she was in the industry and in one day it was all taken away. It made me think about what is really lasting, what was my identity placed in? Further more, when you get married, part of it is because of your attraction to your spouse, if I lost my beauty, would my husband stick around? These are some hard questions to deal with and I knew it would be amazing to work for Katherine and her husband and watch how they do life together.
Follow Sonya @
http://instagram.com/sonybaloney, https://twitter.com/sonyabchung