This article appeared first on VoyageLa.com

As a magazine that is dedicated to bring “hidden gems” from around Los Angeles and the surrounding areas to the forefront, Voyage LA was gracious enough to bring me on to their website a year ago. Today the interview still holds true. I am evermore passionate about growing The Modern Actor family and a way to do that is to share a little bit about me, which this interview might do. I will also say that if I was to be said “hidden gem,” then I’d go with the sunset fire opal. —E.R.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eddie Ramos.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Eddie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Five years ago, I made the choice to move 3,000 miles away from my childhood home in Queens, because I was blessed with the opportunity to make my biggest dream come true. I can say with conviction that the decision to move to LA was the best decision of my life, and I have never felt happier. I feel lucky everyday to call this beautiful place my home.

I can still recall being nine years old and watching my favorite actors on TV and saying to myself “One day, that’s going to be me!” Fast-forward through an Off-Broadway show and auditioning for Dora the Explorer, high school drama class, to getting accepted to the B.F.A program at Syracuse University, one the most competitive programs in the country, to now being able to say that I have been on almost a dozen TV shows in sunny California.

When I embarked on my journey, the goal was clear, but the way I would get there was always a mystery. I think being from New York always gave me this edge, and a mindset to move forward no matter what. To never give up! However, I have been confronted with my biggest fear multiple times, the fear of not making it. Every day I make an agreement with myself to put my best foot forward and at times it’s not the easiest, but I’m always happy I do in the end. When I start to relax with where I am in life— and to start to vibrate with it—that’s when things start coming my way.

The entertainment industry has provided me with my highest highs and my lowest lows, and in both times I remind myself to take in the moment and understand that this will pass. I also remind myself of how far I’ve come and every time I step on a new set I am brought back to that nine year old kid watching movies, dreaming about his time in the sun!

I would like to emphasize how incredibly honored and grateful I am to be an actor in today’s world. I have absolute faith that inner peace and happiness is possible when we take time to realize how far we’ve come.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Since, I’ve been in Los Angeles pursuing acting, things haven’t been that hard, because I have set up my life by design. Everyday, I strive to perfect a daily routine that allows me to be creative and stay inspired. There are some days where I find out that I didn’t get that awesome role, or I wish I had few more bucks in the bank, but in reality these moments are so worth it.

For me the hard days were those days in high school and college where I felt I was living someone else’s idea of how my life should be. I put up so many walls and probably put more roadblocks in my life than needed to be. I was a little punk to be honest 😉

So, as you know, we’re impressed with The Modern Actor – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I get very excited talking about this! I am the founder of a website/lifestyle brand called The Modern Actor. It’s a place where I hope actors will come to share their stories about the business and connect with others in the industry on what it takes to stay driven, inspired, and creative in today’s world!

In my years as a working actor, I know what it’s like to scour the internet for that “magic formula” to help me navigate my career. Yet, I come back from my search with tips that don’t really apply. It’s always a story about an actor who knew so and so, whose parents were actors, or they don’t reveal anything about their process at all.

I want to change that for artists on the rise! That’s why I have condensed what I have learned in 17 years of acting and transformed it into actionable lessons, products, and tutorials to teach others how to become successful actors.

Whether it’s through an article where I give my perspective on a topic, a guest post, or my new podcast episode, The Modern Actor strives to help actors of all levels, stay prepared and confident in their own careers.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I am really pumped about what the future holds for me. I know I can put myself on the right track to have a bright future by living a positive life and spreading love through my work as an actor and writer. The biggest change I am looking forward to is to continue to embrace change and things that take me out of my comfort zone. I want to continue to grow and one of the ways I will do that is by surrounding myself with others who motivate and inspire me to do so.

I used to live life as a lone wolf, because it was safe for me not to share my work or my deepest desires. I was afraid if I spoke them out loud I would be judged or criticized. Reaching out to guests for my podcast has really taken me out of my comfort zone, and I realize how much I crave to embrace and be embraced by others now. I look forward to growing my wolf pack.