Acting With Positivity and Mental Health: An Interview with Young Actor Connor Dean

Connor Dean is a 17 year old actor and competitive tennis player. He was born in Florida and lived there until he was about 7 years old then he moved to Los Angeles with his parents and his older brother. He went to a hybrid homeschool in which most of his school is online but takes 2 classes at the high school. He is the captain of his Varsity tennis team, if they have a season this year!

PositiveVibes Magazine: How did you begin your acting career?

CD: My brother is an actor and I always had to ride to auditions with him because I was too little to stay home by myself. I was about 4 when I decided to audition myself because I figured if I had to go anyway I should audition too. I found an agent, started taking classes and discovered I really liked it. After I booked my first job I was hooked!

PositiveVibes Magazine: How do you remain positive and productive during these times?

CD: At first when we had lockdown it was kind of nice because we had been so busy that the break from everything felt good, but that didn’t last past a week! Being able to go outside and continue my tennis training really helped me stay positive. I think exercise is so important for your mental health and well being. When I wasn’t training or doing school work I had the time to work on writing, drawing, and other projects because we were home all the time.

PositiveVibes Magazine: Why do you think we should be focusing on positivity and mental health?

CD: It is so important to focus on positivity and mental health especially during this pandemic. Being positive can change your whole world. My acting teacher always told us “what you believe you can achieve” and it’s so true. If you believe in yourself and stay positive there isn’t anything you can’t do. Mental health is just as important as physical health because our mind is so powerful. People are really struggling during this pandemic which is why it is so important to reach out to your friends and family. Sometimes a 5 minute phone call or quick text can change a person’s entire day!

PositiveVibes Magazine: What is your favorite part about being an actor?

CD: My favorite part about being an actor is getting to play people that are different then my real personality. I also love meeting new people and having unique experiences. I am really lucky because my acting has introduced me to many interesting people and I have been able to go and do a lot of things kids my age haven’t been able to do.

PositiveVibes Magazine: What has your favorite acting role been and why?

CD: I think my favorite acting role so far has been my recent role in the holiday short film “Jingle Trails”. I had such a good time working with the director and I also won a Young Entertainer Award for my lead role in that film.

PositiveVibes Magazine: What do you enjoy doing when you are not acting?

CD: When I am not acting I am usually training for tennis. I spend several hours a day training as well as going to tournaments almost every weekend that I am not working. And just like a regular teen, I enjoy playing gaming with my friends and going to movies.

PositiveVibes Magazine: Do you have any exciting projects right now?

CD: Right now I am working on my horror film script which I started working on in January. I hope to finish it soon. I am also working on a podcast and a few other projects with my brother. We started a production company called Penny Arcade Pictures so we will have our projects under the production company.

PositiveVibes Magazine: What is it like being an actor during Covid-19?

CD: Being an actor during Covid-19 is hard because most of the film industry is shut down so there has not been a lot of work. All auditions are self tape or over Zoom which is always interesting, but things are starting to open up a bit now so hopefully work will pick up too.

PositiveVibes Magazine: Please share anything else you would like us to know

CD: I just want everyone to know that this is a difficult time for everyone but we all need to practice kindness, have patience, and hang in there because things will get better!

Interviewed by PositiveVibes Magazine