MEET A MEMBER - GABY SANTINELLI

Meet Gaby Santinelli from London who moved to LA 18 months ago to pursue life in America Was there a particular reason you chose LA ? I was born in New York City, and raised all over the United States before I relocated to London, and pursued acting & singing in Britain. While living in London, I won an Oliver Award (Jerry Springer - The Opera National Theatre/West End), sang on Feature Film Soundtracks (The Lord Of The Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc), acted with Colin Firth (A Summer In Genoa), and became a dual UK-US Citizen. When I felt it was time to move back to America, I chose Los Angeles over New York because my father has been an actor here since 1989, and I wanted to live near him. Oh, and the weather: 15 years of British damp had finally crept into me'bones! What one thing do you miss from home? I miss ironic, self-deprecating, language-based humor. And the British news. What do you find the biggest difference is living here versus  London? The people! Luckily, I work with non-Americans all the time, as I am an Accent Coach ;-) Do you have a hidden gem in LA that you want to share with us? The Sunset Restaurant, Westward Beach, Malibu, 90265. Great food, good prices, free street parking, directly on the beach...what's not to love?! What would you suggest to others who are thinking about making the move here?  There are not enough British characters in American television/film for the many British actors trying to make it in LA. If you are moving to America to pursue a professional acting career, you must sort out your American accent, FAST. It's not an extra add-on. It's an essential element to your Actor's ToolKit. Accents require awareness, confidence, strength and stamina. Think of accents as physical training. Are you trying to carve out some six-pack abs overnight? We all know that it cannot be done! It takes time. So does mastering an accent. Lastly, how can we find out more about you ? Are you on the Internet ?  My website is gabysantinelli.com