Meet Audrey Montague | Actor & Singer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Audrey Montague and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Audrey, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I fell in love with acting when I was thirteen years old, and it’s been the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do since! I remember feeling just this overwhelming sense of joy and fulfillment on opening night of my first show ever, and it’s not a feeling I’ve been able to replicate anywhere else outside of the creative field. I love to perform, more than anything in the world, and I’m so blessed every day that the opportunities I’ve been granted have allowed me the privilege to continue pursuing that dream.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started acting when I was twelve years old for my middle school theatre department, and I instantly fell in love with the craft. Growing up in Seattle, the film scene was small, but the theatre scene was massive, so I spent my teenage years constantly performing in the greater Seattle area, taking on iconic roles like Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, challenging roles like Thomasina Coverly in Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, and, the role I’m proudest of, Anne Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank. I left traditional high school behind in favor of taking all of my classes online because I was (thankfully!) so incredibly busy with theatre work and auditions that the standard school schedule just wasn’t flexible enough for me! I moved to LA in the fall of 2018 to study acting at AMDA College of the Performing Arts, where I was fortunate enough to take my theatre training and expand upon in it by studying film acting and voiceover, both of which I’ve ended up loving as much as live performance. Since graduating college, I’ve worked on several short films, have begun teaching acting and musical theatre classes, and still audition nearly every day for theatre, film, and voiceover.

This is the highlights of my story, but what you don’t see in the elevator pitch of my creative career is how truly difficult it has been at times. The constant, never-ending rejection is incredibly taxing, sorting through casting sites for the thousandth time in a week is draining, and not being given a job or opportunity to perform is so, so frustrating, since there’s nothing I’d rather do! However, I’ve always known that this wouldn’t be an easy path. It’s daunting, to say the least! I remember being told in college that if I felt like I could do literally anything else, I’d better go and do that instead, because this career was going to be merciless, cutthroat, competitive, in ways I’d never be able to handle if this wasn’t the *one thing* I wanted.

Luckily, this is the one thing I want.

I’ve learned to not take the rejections so personally, because the odds of the “no” having anything to do with me are likely slim to none. I’ve learned to have fun with my auditions and not worry so much about what the casting director might think of me, because I have no idea what they’re looking for, so maybe they’re not so sure, either! I’ve learned that my journey is just that: mine. It looks different than the people I did theatre with in high school, or the people I went to college with, or the people I met at that one audition that one time! Theodore Roosevelt once said that “comparison is the thief of joy,” and I want to remember the joy I feel in my craft, so I do my best to put the comparison to the side.

And I do my best to continue to find the joy!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Unconventionally, I actually live outside of the city, so my favorite spots are all very touristy. Ha! I’m a Disneyland goer to my core so I’d definitely have to make that a stop, but again, out of the city! My favorite place for coffee in the city is anywhere in Silverlake – it’s all so artsy and cute, and it’s super yummy coffee. I love Ramen Maruya in Little Tokyo (by far my favorite part of the city), and somisomi nearby is so good for dessert. The vibes at The Stowaway downtown make for a fun but relaxing evening out, plus the live music is always entertaining!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to say, first, that I thank God every day for the skills and gifts He blessed me with that I’m able to hone to make this career possible. I am also, of course, so thankful to the people I hold dearest for their unwavering support of my goals and ambitions. I chose a wild, unpredictable career, and it’s full of rejection, so I’ve found it so easy to fall into that trap of wanting to give up – but I am so blessed by the incredible people I have surrounding me who remind me to keep going, and who sometimes believe in me more than I believe in myself. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their help!

Website: https://audreyemontague.wordpress.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/audreyelizabeth07/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreymontague/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/audreyelizam