Sarah J. Halstead is a beautiful and talented actress, comedian and writer from Flint, Michigan who decided to follow her dream. Sarah started her training in NYC and eventually made her way to Los Angeles. Personally nothing inspires me more than meeting someone who takes on the challenges that come with fulfilling one’s purpose. Halstead is also an incredibly passionate person who brings that fire to every creative endeavor that she is working on. I have never seen such a gifted multitasker and have enjoyed watching her star rise. Sarah can be both sarcastic and serious within one setting. She is versatile in her craft and never misses an opportunity for growth as an actress or comedian. Her late mother was her biggest supporter of her acting and I’m sure she is proudly watching. Sarah is very passionate and active with raising ovarian cancer awareness; as well as the Flint, Michigan water crisis.
Sarah’s screen credits include schizophrenic murderer Sheila LaBarre in Deadly Sins as well as wholesome 1950’s housewife Jean Carpenter in the TV pilot Life in Kodachrome. Halstead’s stage credits include characters Kristine Urich from A Chrous Line and as Velma Von Tussle in Hairspray. Halstead also makes time to build a stand-up comedy career, working comedy venues around Los Angeles. She is a very busy woman. Recently I had the privileged opportunity to sit and chat with her about how she got involved in the industry, her perseverance and some of the projects she is taking on.
Did you always know that you wanted to become an actress? You are incredibly creative. Was there someone in your family that inspired you?
My Dad is a classical guitarist and though my Mom was a business woman, I always felt she had an artistic side that was never explored. It was important to my parents that my brother and I have access to the arts. It was pretty apparent that I wasn’t athletic (I would let the volleyball hit me in the head at every practice), so even more reason to enroll me in the arts! I started ballet and piano at age 7 and fell in love with performing right away. I didn’t discover acting until college years and knew acting was my calling as soon as I had my first theatre experience.
I know you trained formally in NYC. Tell me a little about that process and how did you like New York?
I love, love, love New York and though it was a trying time of being the most broke in my life, it was also the most poetic. It was a time of being young and foolish and any mistakes made were ok because that’s what young people do. I wouldn’t trade that experience for the world. I made it to Off-Broadway but never On-Broadway so I have to go back and complete this quest before I die. My goal is to emulate the late Elaine Stritch and perform a one woman show in my 80’s while enjoying dry martini’s with three olives, and living at The Carlyle Hotel. My foundation of training was the Lee Strasberg technique with Sam Schacht at NYU. I had also dabbled with Uta Hagan which was a great honor. I wish I could go back in time and take their classes much more seriously. At the time, I had no idea the enormity of privilege it was to study under these iconic practitioners.
Living vicariously through you, I loved that you packed up your car not long after and eventually made your move to LA to pursue acting. Was a
defining moment where “you just knew?”
I sold my home, all of my belongings, quit my lucrative job, loaded into a 30ft RV and just started driving. I had no experience driving anything bigger than an SUV and couldn’t believe the rental company gave me the keys with no training, etc. I ran over the curb and almost tipped as I was driving out of their lot! I took off a fuel pump handle at the first gas station stop and from there I just prayed that I would make it. To be honest, I didn’t have a plan. I just knew I needed a change. It wasn’t until I arrived to Austin TX, while staying in a hipster trailer park called Pecan Grove, that I had the epiphany to begin acting and performing again. Prosperity was the furthest thing from my mind. It still is, to be honest. Once I arrived to LA, I filled out a profile on LA Casting and Actors Access and to my surprise, my phone started blowing up with audition notices. I was rusty as first, and I’m still no expert with auditioning; it’s my least favorite part of the process.
I’ve been dying to ask: How did you like playing the schizophrenic character Shelia LaBarre on Deadly Sins on the Investigation Channel?
It was exciting as hell. At the time, I was in a phenomenal scene study with acting coach, Kyle Pierce. Kyle had been reiterating that I had this very sexual, crazy, dark character in me. I didn’t see it and thought because I was in my 40’s, I was supposed to play dowdy characters with no spice. Kyle was steering me to take bigger chances, and when auditioning for Sheila LaBarre, I just really let go and went for it.
I know that you feel dabbling in all aspects of artistic training is very important to you. Why do you feel this is so important versus focusing upon one genre?
It’s a method that works for me. Sometimes, at my level, we don’t have time to prep, so relying on deep relaxation and sensory goes out the window. “Following steps” is another technique that won’t work if you need to whip it up faster than scrambled eggs. I’m always in a good scene study and try to take improv. classes whenever possible. I doubt I’ll ever be finished with learning.
Since you are so versatile – comedy, drama, writing, musicals – is there one that you actually like the most or perhaps all in different ways?
To be honest, for me, it’s all hard. Drama is least hard but the most difficult to achieve in terms of landing roles. Writing demands a lot of disciple and time. Comedy hurts and it makes me cry. Musicals are for Marvel characters which I’ve only faked and have never mastered. However, with each, at some point, I have experienced one smidgeon of a second of achievement, and this has led to an euphoric state that I’m forever chasing, like a drug.
What are project are you currently working on?
I’m in pre-production for a web series I’ve written called Comic Sans. It’s about a middle-aged divorcee who’s starting a new life as a comic and actor. 🙂 I also have a plethora of upcoming stand-up comedy shows and continue to shoot 1-2 commercials per week. I hope to land more TV credits along the way. I also hope to produce another comedy show fundraiser for my hometown of Flint, MI, which has had dangerously high levels of lead in their water for over two years.
You are incredibly driven and focused? Where does that derive from? Is it just “you”?
Admittedly, due to losing so much time trying to be something that I wasn’t (corporate life and wife), I’ve had a lot of anxiety that I’m in a race against the clock. This is the explanation for my current drive, persistence, and work ethic.
So…we met at a fashion show and somehow I knew you were an actress before “I knew”. Do find fashion an artistic sense of self-expression? I notice some actresses do and others, not so much.
Absolutely! I believe fashion defines personal style weather being yourself or in character. I quite adore people with a large fashion sense. I believe bold glasses, color, hats, etc. exemplifies confidence and transparency in a person.
When you do take a moment to yourself, what do you do? I adore your Instagram pics. with the novels that you are reading and your cup of tea.
I love to read. It’s a true escape from reality when needed. The smell of a book store immediately calms me and puts me in a happy place. I love to visit Book Soup, or The Samuel French book store, find a quiet corner and read for hours. I also meditate every day and enjoy spending time at Agape International Spiritual Center.
To see more of Sarah, you can follow her on the following platforms:
Website: www.sarahjhalstead.com
IMDB: www.imdb.me/sarahjhalstead
Instagram: http://Instagram.com/sarahjhalstead
Twitter: www.twitter.com/sarajayhalstead
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sarahjhalstead
About Author
