Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My journey into acting began in a completely unexpected way. I saw an ad in a teen magazine for modeling and sent my information to Barbizon. They called while I was at school, and my mom ended up signing me up as a birthday present. I went in thinking I wanted to be a model, but while I was there, we did a mock commercial audition, and that was really where I discovered acting. I loved it. I was encouraged to pursue it, but at the time, finding legitimate representation wasn’t as easy as it is today, so the timing just wasn’t right.
In 1991, I auditioned for *The Grapes of Wrath* at our local community theater, The Country Gate Players, and was cast as Ruthie. The following year, I played one of the Lost Boys in *Peter Pan*. During my junior and senior years of high school, I also attended a performing arts program where I studied with the late Carol Scurato, who owned The Country Gate Players with her husband, Bill Scurato. That gave me the opportunity to take acting more seriously and continue developing as a performer.
Around that same time, my father’s story was being produced for an episode of the television series *Top Cops*, and that gave me my first real look at a professional television set. I was fascinated by everything. I loved talking with the actors, watching what was happening behind the scenes, and seeing how all the different pieces of a production came together. I even got to meet the little girl who was playing five-year-old me, which was a pretty surreal experience.
I stayed in contact with the late Sonny Grosso afterward, and over the years he became someone I could occasionally reach out to for advice about the industry. I also became pen pals with Cher, the makeup artist. I was learning French at the time, so we would write back and forth in French, and she would send me new words and sentences to learn. Those are some of the memories from that time that have always stayed with me.
I went on to major in Theater Arts in college, but life took an unexpected turn and acting was put on hold for a while.
By 2007, I was seriously looking at acting again. The dream had never really gone away. I just didn’t always know how to get into the industry the right way. Sonny gave me some practical advice about things like headshots and reaching out to casting directors, and that year I booked my first paid short film. I remember how exciting it was to actually get paid to act.
From there, I started working more on professional sets. I also did background work, and I honestly learned a lot from it. I learned set etiquette, professionalism, how productions actually worked, and how important your reputation and relationships with people can be in this business. I also made friendships along the way.
For a long time, I kept trying to figure out what my Plan B was supposed to be. Then I heard a well-known actor say something along the lines of, if you’re already planning for Plan B, you may never completely commit to Plan A. That stayed with me and changed the way I looked at what I wanted.
In 2012, I moved to Los Angeles. One of my early jobs there was on the ABC sitcom *The Neighbors*, where I worked as one of the Zabvronian aliens across multiple episodes. That experience ultimately led to my SAG-AFTRA must-join status and eventually becoming a member of the union. Around the same time, I also started working as a stand-in, which gave me another perspective on television production and an even better understanding of what goes on behind the camera.
Over the years, my love for storytelling has grown beyond acting. I also write and produce, and I discovered that I really enjoy producing and bringing the different pieces of a project together.
Today, I’m putting my focus back on acting while also owning Malakai Entertainment, a production company. In a lot of ways, I feel like I’ve come full circle. The difference is that I’m coming back to it now with years of life experience, a much greater understanding of the industry, and a clearer understanding of who I am—both as an actor and as my authentic self.
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?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. One of the hardest parts has been having to step away from acting at different points in my life, even when it wasn’t what I wanted.
There were times when personal circumstances and responsibilities had to come first, and there were also relationships where acting wasn’t always understood or supported. I’ve had people around me who genuinely didn’t understand how the industry works. At times, people seemed to think I could just call Casting and ask to be put on a television show! If only it worked that way.
Stepping away is difficult, but coming back has its own challenges. You’re not necessarily returning to the same industry you left. The audition process changes, technology changes, submission platforms change, and suddenly you’re learning parts of the business all over again while also rebuilding your career.
My career certainly hasn’t followed a straight or traditional path. There have been starts, stops, and detours, but the desire to act has always remained. No matter how much time passed or what direction life took me in, acting always seemed to find its way back into my life.
I’m returning to it now with more life experience, a stronger sense of who I am, and a much clearer understanding of what I want from my career.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Acting is really at the center of what I do. I’ve had the opportunity to work in theater, film, and television over the years, and each has taught me something different as a performer. I’m drawn to character-driven work and the challenge of stepping into someone else’s life and finding what makes that person rea.
Right now, I’m putting my focus back on acting. I’m back in training, working on voice-over, auditioning, and continuing to strengthen myself as a performer. I’m also refreshing some of the skills I can bring to a role, including roller skating and piano.
That same love of storytelling is also what led me into writing and producing. Over time, I realized I enjoyed not only performing, but also helping shape projects and bring them to life from the other side of the camera.
In 2018, I founded Malakai Entertainment with my late wife, Danielle Green. Not long after, COVID-19 hit, I learned very quickly how much something completely outside of your control can affect a business. One positive thing that came out of that period was bringing Darren Lav into the company. He became a business partner with us and remains a co-owner with me today.
One project I’m especially grateful to have been part of was the documentary *Black Inventors Got Game: The Gathering*, where I worked as one of the producers and cinematographers. That project gave me the opportunity to work with James Howard and learn more about the work he was doing with the Black Inventors Hall of Fame. I really enjoyed working with James and being part of something that brought attention to Black inventors, their accomplishments, and stories that many people may never have learned about otherwise.
Today, Malakai Entertainment has several feature projects in development. We’re also creating peaceful visual content for wellness centers, medical offices, therapy spaces, and similar environments. We find locations that have a calming quality, film them, and then create finished pieces using the natural environment, music, and sound.
Producing has given me a completely different appreciation for filmmaking. I’ve experienced sets as an actor, stand-in, producer, and from behind the camera. Because of that, I understand how many people and departments it takes to make even one scene work. I think that has made me a more aware and collaborative actor. I respect the fact that every person on a set has a job to do and that we’re all there trying to create something together.
What I’m probably most proud of right now is stepping back into the industry at this point in my life. I’m returning in a different casting age range, the technology has changed, and regular self-tape auditions are relatively new to me. Some things feel very familiar, while other parts of the business feel completely different.
It would have been easy to decide that too much time had passed or that the industry had changed too much. I know people who have chosen to move into completely different careers, and I understand why. For me, though, the desire to act never went away.
I feel very blessed that I’m in a position now where I can truly focus on my career, continue training, put myself back out there, and see where the journey takes me. I have more life experience to bring to my work now, I know myself better, and I think I appreciate the opportunity differently than I did when I was younger.
If there is something that sets me apart, maybe it’s that I’m willing to come back and start this chapter again. I’m not expecting it to look exactly like the career I had before. I’m interested in finding out what it can become now.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
I would probably have to start with the people and relationships that are truly important in my life.
I’m especially close to my niece on my spouse’s side of the family. She is like a little mini-me in so many ways, and we have a bond that is honestly hard to explain unless you see us together. One of the most important things to me is making sure she knows I’m a safe person she can come to about anything, no matter what. I try to answer her questions truthfully, while also teaching her the importance of being kind, staying positive, and treating people well. Being that person in her life means more to me than I can really put into words.
And then there’s my little zoo at home—my two cats and my turtle. They are absolutely part of my family too.
Another thing that matters a lot to me is helping other actors, especially people who are trying to figure out how this industry actually works.
When I first started pursuing acting, I fell for a few scams and lost money because I simply didn’t know any better. I didn’t know what legitimate representation looked like, what I should or shouldn’t be paying for, or where to go for accurate information. I remember what it felt like to really want this career and not know who to trust.
That experience stayed with me, and it’s one of the reasons I try to help other actors now. I offer lessons through my website, I post an “Acting Myths” series on Instagram, and I created a Facebook group for serious actors where the focus is on learning, asking questions, and getting honest information about the business.
I don’t believe in selling people a fantasy about acting. I love this industry, but I also think actors deserve to understand how it really works. If I can help someone avoid a scam, recognize a red flag, save some money, or simply feel a little less lost than I did when I was starting out, that matters to me.
I think when it comes down to it, what matters most to me is being someone people can trust—whether that’s in my personal life or in this industry. Being there for the people I care about, being honest with them, and hopefully using some of what I’ve learned along the way to make someone else’s path a little easier.
Pricing:
- Hourly lessons $40
- Monthly Coaching $150
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lauralamonaco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura.lamonaco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauramlamonaco
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauralamonaco/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LauraLaMonaco
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/lauralamonaco
- Other: https://laurielamonaco.usa-models.com/
