Talking To: Salome Robert-Murphy
Salome Robert-Murphy is an actress, dancer and creator who is now based in New York. Dipping her toe into feature length films, short films and theatre, she has recently created a YouTube Series, The Self Series, during her free time in lockdown.
Finding herself with more time on her hands than usual, Salome created a platform for up and coming actors to create their own work without any resources and, while at the time of writing, she has recently announced that she will be included in HBO Max Gossip Girl reboot. We sit down with her to chat about what it’s been like since graduating in the middle of a pandemic.
· Can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself – where are you from, what do you do, where do you live?
I’m a French-British actress and model, born in Paris and raised in London, now based in New York City! I graduated from Tisch School of the Arts last year, where I split my time training at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and Stonestreet Studios.
· Have you always enjoyed acting? Was it an obvious career choice for you?
I actually grew up with two actor grandparents, so I’ve always been immersed in the arts. I started ballet classes when I was three years old, eventually getting into the Royal Academy of Dance and continuing that training into my college years. I always knew I wanted to be a performer; I would crave being on stage or screen whenever I went to see a film or play. I started training at a really young age and the first time I got on stage for a recital, I was hooked. There’s such an incomparable thrill to performing, every new show I do I know I’m pursuing the right career for me.
· Do you prefer theatre work or film work? Are they very different?
They are really different, and I love them both! With theatre it’s so fun to get totally immersed in a show for months at a time, you form such a bond with the cast.
However, I definitely prefer film work, it’s much more comfortable for me. I get so nervous going on stage because you have one shot to get it all right. With film, you obviously still want to do your best and not waste anyone’s time, but it’s really relaxing to know you get a do-over if you drop a line.
· You created The Self Series on YouTube, a platform for fellow up and coming actors to be constantly creating new content, as a way of being productive during time off – was this important for you to do?
It was so important to me to stay productive, I felt really stifled having graduated mid-pandemic and needed a creative outlet. I wanted to find a way to further my acting career and help out my friends in the same situation. It’s been so gratifying to be have been able to showcase myself and my talented friends, on our own terms and without needing any resources.
· Do you find it difficult to have long periods of time off work – particularly during the pandemic when we’ve all found ourselves with more time on our hands?
I expected to graduate into a world of opportunities but having done so mid pandemic, it was a shock to go from training every day to not at all. I’m always finding new ways to have fun and be productive, even if it’s just an hour a day, it makes me feel really accomplished.
· The Self Series is a fantastic way of collaborating with other people – have you met many people during your work with the series?
Yes! I’ve been reaching out to all my actor friends to get them involved as well as to have them recruit whoever they would think would be great for the series. I’ve also got so many actor friends who I’d never trained with or seen perform, so it’s been so thrilling to get to properly see their work for the first time.
· Do you usually write, create and act? Or has the pandemic involuntarily made you create all of your own content?
I had actually never really created my own work before! I’ve collaborated with friends a lot to come up with projects together, but I’d let them mainly do the writing and I stuck to just the acting side. The pandemic made me realise I couldn’t rely on anyone else and had to start creating for myself. While I still wouldn’t call myself a writer, it’s been really fun to go for it and I’ve definitely surprised myself.
· How has the pandemic impacted your work/career?
It was definitely a pretty big roadblock at first. I just took the time to have a mental and physical break so I could be totally ready to get back at it later on. I’ve been back out and working on a couple exciting projects for a few months now, and I’m so eager to jump on every new opportunity that comes along.
· What do you have lined-up next for 2021?
I’m currently in pre-production for ‘Sell It To Me A Different Way,’ a short film headed for festivals. I’m also starting to focus more heavily on modelling, I have some really exciting collaborations lined up! I’m soon to be seen in Irving Pictures’ feature film ‘Hell Wanted’ and an HBO Max’s Gossip Girl reboot! I’m also of course continuing to work on and grow my platform, ‘The Self Series.’
You can find out more about Salome’s work here:
The Self Series: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyVVTkq4y1pvHats0KCxFiQ/videos
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/salomefelicie/?hl=en
Gossip Girl will be released on July 8th.