Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Rossi.
Hi Amber, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started acting in elementary school plays and immediately fell in love. Around the same time, I started seeing Broadway shows and was listening to as many cast recordings as I could get my hands on (specifically Wicked). Since then, I’ve been chasing the joy I first felt hearing and performing those songs as a kid. In middle and high school, I immersed myself in training, even spending my last two years at a residential arts program in South Carolina. When I graduated, I moved to Dallas, TX to earn my BFA in Acting from Southern Methodist University. I had the incredible opportunity to work in professional theaters across DFW both during and after my years at school, including the Dallas Theater Center, Undermain, and Stage West. It wasn’t until after I graduated that I really started exploring film and commercial work, alongside theatre. I worked for brands like Tostitos, Penske, and Everlywell. I also got the chance to work on voiceover projects with Crunchyroll, the Writer Wrong podcast, and the Trevor Project. But much like singing Wicked as a kid or performing on stages across DFW, nothing compared to the energy of creating independent shorts and passion projects.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The path was definitely not smooth, but certainly interesting! I’ve moved a lot. Like, a new state every 7 years kind of a lot. Not for any particular reason (or weird superstition) other than it’s just how life has shaken out. And while it’s definitely disorienting at times, I’m always able to ground myself in the incredible creative communities I’ve been lucky enough to be a small part of.
I graduated with my BFA in the Spring of 2020, which meant I left campus for spring break and never went back. No final goodbyes or performances, no graduation ceremony. It felt unfinished. And after building so much momentum and feeling so ready to dive into being a professional actor outside of school, I, like everyone else in the world, was forced to take a year off. And for me, after being fully immersed in training programs and working professionally in theater for the previous 8 years, it felt like a death sentence. I was also still living in Dallas, and while I cherish the relationships and experiences, as a Vermonter-at-heart, the geography and climate drove me insane. When my husband and I finally felt like we had way overstayed our anticipated stay in Texas, we weighed the options and it became clear that Nashville was the standout choice for both of us. Unfortunately, we did move here in the Spring of 2023, which was during the writer’s strike and immediately before the actor’s strike. So, in a way, it felt like another major setback of trying to dive into a world that was on hold. The biggest of blessings during this time was finding the 4th Wall Acting Studio, where I’ve been training weekly since, as well as an incredibly welcoming group of friends and artists who immediately adopted us into their circle and made us feel a part of something. I’ve never felt a more generous and collaborative energy than I have in Nashville and the relationships I’ve made since moving are some of the best things to have ever happened to me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
So…if it wasn’t clear from me only talking about this above, I’m an actor! And if you had asked me only a few years ago I would have said I’m an actor who plans on working in theatre my whole life. And while I could never say goodbye to it, I’ve fallen in love with not only acting in front of a camera, but also the process and the miracle of getting a film made.
Because of that, I am absolutely the proudest of my most recent project, Prey For Us which will be premiering at this year’s Nashville Film Festival before going onto some others that we aren’t able to share quite yet. Prey For Us is a proof-of-concept short film for a larger series written by my long-time college friend and creative collaborator, Zoe Kerr. It’s a female-driven horror short that blends sharp humor with a thrilling, unapologetic take on feminine anger. The project was born from Zoe’s obsession with true crime and a single, haunting question: “Why are female serial killers so rarely portrayed in popular media, and when they are, why are they never allowed to be…fun?” She wrote the script several years ago and despite it winning several accolades, including second place at Slamdance, it was seen as a “played out” concept, with an “unlikeable” lead character. I didn’t need to do anything other than read the script to be absolutely hooked and obsessed with even the chance of getting to play this role–who I found to be incredibly likable, might I say. But it wasn’t until last August when we were both feeling particularly tired of waiting for someone else to give us an opportunity to create work that we put our heads together and spent every free second we had working to make this project a reality. I’ll never be able to thank her properly for not only giving me the opportunity to play a role that I love so much, but also for seeing me as a producer before I even knew what that meant. Prey For Us was a way for Zoe and me to say, “we’re not waiting for someone else to give us a chance in this industry.” Something we keep coming back to is that this film wouldn’t exist without the talent, passion, and generosity of the Nashville creative community and I don’t take that lightly. Our budget was tight, we shot during a severe weather event in March that forced us to make some insanely last minute pivots, and still I’ve never laughed so much on set with a cast and crew.
I think something that sets me apart is the amount of time I spent at a young age refining and focusing on my craft. It’s taught me to hold myself to a standard that, while sometimes unreasonable, always keeps me striving for the best work possible. I’m also a wildly stubborn person, so when that’s channelled correctly I’m pretty unrelenting.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Honestly, right now it’s been watching as many movies and shows as possible, and consistently re-watching the ones I love with a critical eye to understand why I keep coming back and how I can learn from them. I’m currently somewhat obsessed with the movie Weapons so I’ve been listening to every interview with Zach Cregger to get as much insight into his process as possible. I did the same thing with Parker Finn’s filmography (Smile, Smile 2) last month.
I’ve also been going to Small World Yoga consistently for a few months and it’s made a pretty massive difference in both my physical and mental health, so shoutout to them because they are Nashville’s only non-profit yoga studio and their classes make a world of difference in my weeks!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amberrossi.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amberrrrrossi/
