Ep 280: Stepping Into the Frame: Ashlie Burgun's Journey to Acting
Filmmaking Conversations Podcast with Damien SwabyShow Notes
🎙 Episode Show Notes
In this episode, we explore Ashlie’s unconventional path into acting — one that didn’t begin in theatre classrooms or on school stages.She didn’t grow up as a “theatre kid.” Instead, Ashlie spent much of her childhood and teenage years behind the scenes as a visual artist and writer, engaging in storytelling from the creative side rather than as a performer.
Though she was generally shy growing up, she did step onto the stage occasionally, performing in bands throughout middle and high school.While pursuing a Fine Arts degree, an unexpected opportunity shifted her trajectory. She began modeling for friends who were photography students, which gradually led to more modeling work.
Over time, the line between modeling and acting began to blur, and she realized she felt drawn toward acting more seriously. Ashlie started acting part-time, taking classes whenever she could and steadily building experience. What began as a gradual exploration eventually became a full-time pursuit.
Today, she actively seeks commercial and film opportunities while also creating her own original content whenever possible. In addition to acting, Ashlie writes and performs music for her own projects and collaborates with other artists.
She is currently involved in multiple ongoing web series and indie films — some of which incorporate musical elements — allowing her to merge her artistic disciplines.She thrives on unique and challenging projects, especially those that allow her to use multiple creative skill sets and push beyond traditional boundaries.In this episode, we discuss: Taking a non-traditional route into acting Transitioning from visual art to modeling to performance Overcoming shyness and stepping into visibility Moving from part-time to full-time creative work Balancing acting, music, and independent content creation Embracing a multidisciplinary artistic identity This conversation is for anyone building a creative career outside the traditional blueprint — and making it fully their own.
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