From the Navy to Hollywood: My Unconventional Path to Acting

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Taking the Road Less Traveled

At 17, I joined the Canadian Navy, already charting a path that was anything but traditional—especially as a young woman at the time. While acting had always been a dream of mine, the Navy became my first great adventure, pushing me to step outside the conventional expectations of stability and predictability. From the disciplined life of the Navy to the creative challenges of acting, my journey has been anything but linear. From Montreal to Los Angeles, with stops at university and countless life lessons along the way, it’s been a road of unexpected twists, setbacks, and triumphs that shaped who I am today.

Discovering My Strengths (and Struggles)

After leaving the Navy, I was determined to go to university. I decided to tackle a subject I had always struggled with: math. That challenge led me to major in accountancy, and I minored in languages, revisiting Spanish (after studying it in high school) and picking up German. With Armenian, French, and English already under my belt, I guess I became a polyglot!

But my passion for acting never left me. In my late 20s, I began serious training under Jacqueline McClintock, a Meisner technique instructor in Montreal. Her intense teaching style demanded focus and discipline, and it ignited a belief in me: this wasn’t just a hobby—I could actually do this. I trained rigorously while working to build my resume in Canada, moving between Montreal and Toronto, where I started booking roles.

Toronto became my stepping stone to U.S. productions, and I eventually connected with a New York manager. This opened the door to bigger opportunities, and after two years of traveling between Canada and the U.S., I decided to take a leap and move to Los Angeles.

From New York to LA: Dreams Realized (and Derailed)

New York was a dream come true in many ways. One of my biggest inspirations was Law & Order, a show I used to watch on A&E in Montreal, wondering how people booked roles on it. The first role I ever booked in the U.S. was on Law & Order: Criminal Intent. It was surreal to go from watching the show as a fan to being part of it. Moments like that reminded me that the hard work was paying off, and they fueled my ambition to push further.

At 34, I made the move to Los Angeles. While some might say it’s a late start by Hollywood standards, it never felt that way to me. I still remember my first Christmas Eve in LA: 84 degrees, sunny, clear blue skies, and palm trees as far as the eye could see. It was nothing like the cold, snowy Decembers I had grown up with in Montreal. I fell in love with the city—the weather, the opportunities, and the strong Armenian community that felt like a piece of home.

Though I rarely questioned my decision, in the moments I did, I made the choice to hang in there, to see what might happen if I didn’t give up. Every time, sticking it out paid off. 
I remember once seeing a postcard of a forest trail that split into two paths, that read ‘Take the road less traveled.’ At that moment, I thought, ‘Okay, I did that. But where the hell am I now? I know, I’m lost in a freakin’ forest, that’s where I ended up!’” Pursuing acting meant choosing a path without stability, one that tested my dreams and resilience. 

The Challenges of the Road Less Traveled

Acting isn’t all red carpets and exciting auditions. There are long stretches of silence—no auditions, no callbacks. Then there’s the emotional rollercoaster of being ‘pinned’ for a role, thinking you’ve been selected, only to hear, ‘They went in another direction.’ It’s a constant battle with uncertainty: one phone call can change your life, your finances, and your schedule in an instant—or leave you hanging with nothing.

Reflection: Why It Was All Worth It

Looking back, I can say this: the road less traveled isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. For anyone feeling like they’re starting late or struggling on an unconventional path, I feel you!
And if you ever find yourself wondering, ‘Where the hell am I?’ know that you’re not alone. That feeling of being lost is part of the process, and it often means you’re on the verge of something big! 

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