SHANNON DALONZO TALKS THE FEARWAY

Interviewed by Culture Coast Talks editor Daniel John. Interview transcripts might have been edited for length and clarity.

Be it as a dancer, model or actress, it's just pretty incredible that you always knew you were to lead a creative life?

I would definitely agree that I always knew I wanted to live a creative life. I loved being onstage in any capacity. I was always finding ways to perform whether it was making up dances with my sister to show my parents or acting in school plays. My sport of choice was competitive cheerleading which is very much a performance. I was a very shy kid and felt as though, whenever I was performing, I was safe. High school wasn’t easy for me. I was very self conscious of being younger because I skipped a grade. At that age, one year seems like the biggest deal. When I took my first drama class in high school, it reaffirmed the safety of performing because it was a space where I didn’t feel judged. That was the time in my life when I really fell in love with acting, the artistic expression of acting was liberating. I owe much of that success to my drama teacher, Mrs. Bates!

So you were on the acting path before modeling took off?

I studied acting in college, however I still was heavily pursuing modeling and knew that was my next step. I moved to New York City as soon as I could. When I eventually moved out to Los Angeles, I had been feeling like I needed something more in my life. I yearned for something I could wake up to everyday and get better at. I felt with modeling, there wasn’t anything tangible I could improve. My look was my look. So, I started to entertain the idea of getting back into acting. It had been a few days of holding this train of thought when I went to the grocery store, and a director approached me, he liked my look and asked me to be in a scene of his film. When I got back to my apartment, that same day, I had an Instagram-DM request from a manager in LA asking me if I ever thought about acting. It all felt like signs I couldn’t ignore! That was the first film I had ever been in. And I am still with that manager.

Do you believe modeling prepared you for the many ups and downs in the life of an actress. Be that facing rejection, the constant grind of it all, or the uncertainty of not knowing what your next role will be?

I do believe modeling prepared me for the uncertainty and rejection of acting. It took me a few years to attach a healthier meaning to the rejection of modeling. At first, it consumed me. Modeling was all I thought about so not booking jobs would be devastating. Not to mention trying to pay the bills while living alone in New York. I used to equate a lot of my self-worth from my career success. Luckily, I got to a point where I realized, you are not right for every job and that is not a good or bad thing. Just because you might be too brunette, too tall, too short, whatever the case may be, it does not take away from your self worth because it has nothing to do with that. You are simply not right for the job.

With acting, it can sting a little harder. In the world of self tapes, it can feel like you're submitting tape after tape that just gets lost in this self tape abyss. Still, I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else with my life.

Except for man-buns, your character in ‘The Fearway’ is not afraid of much?

Sarah was such a fun character to play. I saw her as a woman who knows what she wants. She has this lovely nurturing side that is seen throughout the film in the way she cares for her father. It also gets a nice button at the end of the film, when we reveal she is pregnant.

Can you see parts of her reflected in your own self?

I definitely see that caring and nurturing quality in myself. She’s very strong willed and doesn’t back down from much which is something I admired in her. I think she also knows what’s important to her life. Family. I see that in me as well.

The sun never seems to be setting in this film, was it really as immensely hot as it looks?

On the contrary! We were filming in Palmdale in California in December. Our days had very strict starts and wraps because of the sun. As you say, the sun never seems to go down which means our days started really early to get most of the sun and ended at dusk. The early morning shoots were frigid and I was forced to use heat packets to stay warm. I was grateful for the few hours during the middle of the day when the weather was just right.

How strongly do you identify with your Italian and Dutch heritage?

I grew up very close with my grandparents on my Italian side. I identify with both and I love both cultures but I’d say more Italian traditions have been maintained throughout my childhood up until now.

Would you like to act in Europe?

I’d love to explore all avenues to film!