Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Veronica Burgess Is Helping To Shake Up The Entertainment Industry
An Interview With Elana Cohen
This is a marathon, not a sprint. Where you think you will be in 2, 5, 10 years is probably not where you will actually be. But keep your head down and focus on the work and trust that these goals will be realized in their own time.
As a part of our series about Inspirational Women In Hollywood, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Veronica Burgess.
Veronica is an American actress and model born and raised near Long Beach, CA. Growing up as a dancer influenced her desire to perform throughout her life. After serving 4 years in the US Navy, she decided to pursue entertainment as a full time career while finishing up her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Kinesiology from Cal State University Fullerton. She is best known for her roles in Shameless, Monogamy, and Heroine Kombat. Veronica has also been in a number of films, the most recent include Cops and Robbers starring Michael Jai White and The Way We Weren’t starring Fiona Gubelmann. In 2016 Veronica married actor.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Yeah, for sure; thanks for reaching out. I grew up just outside of Los Angeles and started performing at the age of six. Most of my performing as a kid was dance, but I did do some musical theater as well.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I have always loved performance art, so even when life took me down different paths, I always came back to performing in some capacity. But it really wasn’t until I was in my mid-20s that I thought about making acting my career.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
When I found out I was pregnant in late 2015, I had a moment of panic, thinking that my career would just kinda stop. But in fact, it was the opposite. I had more auditions, and I booked my first TV role while I was eight months pregnant — “Shameless.” It was not only one of the most memorable moments in my life but also in my acting career.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Oh my gosh, I’ve had so many mistakes over the years, but the first one that comes to mind is when I was asked to read for a role for a Stephen Spielberg show several years back. I was so nervous I actually started reading the wrong role. This was when auditions were still in person. Anyway, I was so embarrassed I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. The lesson I learned was that it’s ok to be nervous, but you have to know and remind yourself to take a breath that nervousness is just because you care, and physiologically it’s the same feeling as excitement. So flip the narrative — you aren’t nervous; you are excited!
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My friends and mentors at The Acting Center have helped me so much. They have taught me how to be a professional actor and how to understand this business. Without them, I would prob still be trying to figure it out.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
Don’t be afraid to mess up; that’s art, it’s messy, and that’s what makes it beautiful. Also, rejection is more common than anything else in this business, and it’s just part of it. Focus on the work, feel good about the work, and the bookings will come. Trust the process and try not to compare yourself to others around you.
Every industry iterates and seeks improvement. What changes would you like to see in the industry going forward?
I would love to see more opportunities for veterans. As a veteran, I feel it’s important that our voices are seen and heard. There are several internships and programs for folks behind the camera but only a couple for actors. I would love to see more programs for us to meet and work with casting, directors and producers.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
Well, I am pretty excited about what I am working on this week. I’m actually headed to set in about an hour to work on a new TV show for ABC. As far as where I am headed, I think 2023 is going to be a year of change, of leveling up, and I think folks will be seeing a lot more of me on their screens.
We are very interested in looking at diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture and our youth growing up today?
Diversity and inclusivity are paramount in our industry. It’s important that when folks watch their shows, movies, etc., they can see themselves in that world. And the best way to do that is to write diverse characters, cast a diverse group of people, and share new and different stories with the world. This can also help folks step outside of their own culture and experiences, and into someone else’s so they might understand different types of people, which is incredibly vital to living a life of compassion and understanding.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
1. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Where you think you will be in 2, 5, 10 years is probably not where you will actually be. But keep your head down and focus on the work and trust that these goals will be realized in their own time.
2. Comparison is the thief of joy. This is something I still have to remind myself of. Especially in the beginning, you cannot help but compare yourself to others who have been doing it longer or know this person or that person, or who have a resume with a bunch of credits. But your journey is unique; it’s yours, and you should own it. Focus your energy on yourself, compete with who you were last year or the year before that, but don’t compete with others.
3. Always be creating. It’s not enough that you are in class once a week and auditioning here and there. Create your own footage for your reel, write and shoot a short in your living room, just create create create and you will improve faster and have things to talk about.
4. A good rep is worth their weight in gold, but a bad one can leave you feeling tied down and stuck. Make sure when you meet with agents and managers you not only get along and see eye to eye on your career goals but that they can actually back up what they say they can do for you with examples of other actors they have done that for.
5. Always be learning and expanding your craft. You don’t want to be the same actor you were six months ago, a year ago. Always seek to get better. What can you learn from your scene partner in class? What can you learn from the seasoned actor on set? Always keep your mind open and your ego in check.
Can you share with our readers any self-care routines, practices or treatments that you do to help your body, mind or heart to thrive? Please share a story for each one if you can.
I am a big advocate for self-care. Self-care for me starts with a mindset. I like to journal and do gratitude lists and short meditations. If I do these things each day, my mindset is in check, and I can feel happy and fulfilled even on the hardest days. For example, last year, when I was working with Diavolo (an acrobatic modern dance company) on SOS — Signs of Strength, our rehearsal days were long and strenuous. Doing a morning routine of meditation and journaling really helped me be ready to tackle each day and be excited, despite being exhausted a lot.
For my body, I am best when I am staying active. Sometimes that is the gym or fitness classes, and other times, that looks like taking a hike with my dog or playing on the trampoline with my son. I also give myself monthly facials and hair treatments to keep me looking my best.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Some will, some won’t, so what, moving on” This was told to me by a friend and colleague, Jona Xiao, and it couldn’t be more true. Some people will like your work, some won’t, but it doesn’t matter because if you like your work, you can feel satisfied and continue onward. It’s perhaps the most relevant quote for any artist to keep in mind, in my opinion.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
To support and love one another. We all have different experiences and viewpoints, and what is right and true for you may not be right and true for someone else, and that’s ok (as long as it isn’t causing oppression or harm, of course). But if we can all lead with love, light, and courage to be ourselves and accept others as they are, I think the world would be a much more peaceful place.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
Omg! Robert Downey Jr.! I have always been a fan of his work since, like, the Ally McBeal days, but I really admire the person he is and the hardships he has encountered and how he has risen from the ashes, so to speak, to have this incredible career. Super inspiring. He is also my celebrity crush, so also, there’s that! Haha
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
Yes! I am on Instagram and Twitter — @hello_veronicab I am also on Facebook; you can just type in my name, and my fan page should pop up. You can keep up with the projects I am a part of on these platforms as well as IMDb.
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
