Today we’d like to introduce you to Xavier Vanderblue.
Hi Xavier, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Acting has been an industry I’ve been a part of since high school. I was in drama classes with my coach Mr. Burger learning the ropes. A few years later, I met a model named CeCee. She hooked it up with a photoshoot to help build a portfolio for me to send out to agents and that ultimately led to me signing my first deal. You could even say that CeCee really opened my eyes as to what I could actually accomplish, and the rest was history. It’s one thing to have a skill, but when someone who’s not paid (or obligated) to believe in you actually does, it’s a little different.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
HELL NO! This ride has been bumpier than the potholes downtown.. There are so many things that interfere with long term plans, especially when life comes at you so fast.
There have been times I’ve had to choose between going to auditions or going to work to pay bills to keep the lights on. There have been times I’ve had to drive to Austin after a 10-hour shift just to make it to set on time, spend 12 hours there and then clock back into work without sleep or food to remain employed. There have been times when no auditions came in for 2 years straight leaving me wondering if I was even as talented as some people thought I was.
There have been multiple moments where I had to look myself in the mirror and really ask myself if I loved this enough to deal with all the politics of the business while waiting for an opportunity.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I just auditioned for another TV series that could make its way to streaming services in the future. Let’s see how that goes.
Back in the day I used to make short comedy skits on the media platform called Vine. I’ve had one or two of those videos go viral so that was cool. Now people use Tik Tok and they look at me like I’m speaking a foreign language.
My specialty is improv. I’m really good at creating something out of nothing using that to tell/continue a story. There are times where directors hand me scripts and confidently tell me to just give that character a persona and run with it. I believe that’s also what sets me apart. You can’t just look at me and tell what kind of performance you’re going to get. Because of this, I feel I’ve done well to not get typecast in the industry.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Absolutely. Imagine dropping out of college and coming home to tell your mom you’re going to be an actor instead. What a great idea right? I had no plan. No jobs lined up, no connections, nothing. Didn’t even have a demo reel yet. I just had to figure it out as I go. I’ve had to do things like drive to New Mexico for auditions and have my car break down on the side of the road twice on the way back because that was the only lead I had at the time (didn’t even get the gig). I didn’t care it was 14 hours away while driving in a storm that could have blown me off the road in that busted Dodge Neon. I just saw an opportunity. Risk is important. You don’t get to where you want to go by playing it safe.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.xaviervanderblue.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xvblue12/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/XVBlue12
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/xvblue12
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7719686/
Image Credits
Angel Nunez (Featured Photo)
Louis Scott (headshot)
