Meet Marla Acevedo: Actress, singer, dancer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marla Acevedo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marla, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’ve always been attracted to the arts. Although I never did any acting until college, I grew up loving and being pulled into anything artistic in various different ways. Art was my favorite class growing up. I took piano lessons at a young age. I was in the church choir early on. Throughout my childhood I mainly focused on dance and sports but as I got older and it was time to “pick a career,” I simply had to go with my passion and what felt right to me. I knew I would be out of my element if I was to pursue anything else and following a career path I wasn’t passionate about was never a way I wanted my time to be spent. I pursued acting because I simply had to, nothing else would suffice.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started my acting career pretty late, which is definitely something that sets me apart since most people go into acting before they become adults.I did feel it set me back quite a bit because I was barely learning things that everyone else had already been exposed to and been doing while I was struggling to learn stage left from stage right etc. Regardless of getting a later start, I’ve worked professionally across the board in tv, film, theatre, voiceover and commercials. I also majored in Musical Theatre and after graduating left to NYC and attended Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York city so I ended up making up for the time that way! I’ve also managed to get representation and gotten signed on with multiple acting agencies. Something I’m most proud is my education. I could have never gotten as far in my career had it not been for the training I received. I still study and still train but having those solid years of school & conservatory were the best foundations I could ask for. Another proud moment was booking a national tour with Dallas Childrens Theatre where I played Butterfly for a year. Traveling across the country, singing and acting was the best job ever. It was tough but if you can survive a tour and still want to do this I think it’s pretty safe to say your all set. I got to where I am professionally honestly by a lot of training, connections and just being involved. I got my first agent because I was in a theatre show with her and we formed a friendship, through there she signed me on as a talent and that’s how I booked my first Co-star role in the show “Queen Of The South” (another proud moment ) but I never would have booked it had I not initially been involved in that play where I met my agent who got me the audition. It’s all connected. I’ve learned tons of lessons along the way some the easy way some the hard way but the thing I’d want the world to know is to always be kind. Not fake kind because you want people to like you but kind because people are humans and we’re all here together to share love and laughter. I truly think my kindness has helped me along the way and a huge reason why people enjoy working with me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I actually have a Youtube channel where I take you along with me on actor life vlogs and around the city to my favorite local spots ! On the channel there’s a lot of actor related content, behind the scenes on sets of commercials, acting advice etc, but I also do lots of lifestyle content and I’m constantly vlogging new food spots, cute coffee shops & the entire beauty of Dallas. I was born and raised here and there’s not enough content out there on it so I decided to make it! I’d def say my go to spots would be Bishop Arts district for local shops, Reunion tower would be a go to for a first timer and I’d take them salsa dancing (pre covid I would, maybe not at the moment)! We also have amazing museums and I would love to take them to a show! Theatre isn’t happening right now but if it were taking them to local theatre would be on my list! The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Omg this feels like I’m at the Oscars receiving an award and giving my 1-2 minute speech haha but I would def shoutout to my family ESPECIALLY my mom. They’ve been so supportive from the start of my career and are always rooting for me. I wouldn’t know what to do without my mother, she’s been the most loving and encouraging person by my side. She uplifts and inspires me and I know I can always go to her for anything. My fiance Oseni is also great I don’t think I could have asked for a more supportive partner. Because this industry is full of rejection, it’s important to have a rock solid support from the ones you love most. I’d also shoutout my voice teacher for sure, Lisakay Fletcher . Not only did she do amazing things for my voice as far as training goes, but she’s also been the most nurturing mentor and cheerleader throughout my career. I owe so much to her, I never would have booked my 1st national tour if it was not for her. She’s amazing and mentors are also an important part of the journey.

Website: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm8347096?ref_=hm_nv_usr_profile
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marla_acevedo/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marla-acevedo-bb20a2175/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarlaAcevedo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marla.acevedo.7/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZG2ERTxpCJKJQPYI9dHfxQ
Other: tik tok @ marla.acevedo