I started acting when I was five years old. Even before I understood what acting really was, I knew I loved storytelling and entertaining people. I was completely obsessed with movies growing up. I loved the feeling of being transported into another world, and I became fascinated by performances that could make you laugh, cry, or completely change the way you saw someone. I think that’s what first pulled me toward acting — the emotional connection of it all.

A lot of my approach to acting comes from personal experience and observation. I think the most compelling performances come from honesty. Life experiences — heartbreak, loneliness, joy, insecurity, hope — all deepen your ability to empathize and connect to characters. The older I get, the more I realize acting isn’t about pretending. It’s about revealing truth in a way people can recognize in themselves.

Some actors who have inspired me most are Daniel Day-Lewis, Steve Carell, and Jim Carrey because they each have this incredible ability to move between comedy and deep emotional truth.