Meet Adrian Eppley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adrian Eppley.

Adrian, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in Charlotte, NC where I took an interest in acting at an early age through my church performances. I always loved being on stage, but I was a very strong athlete. I played basketball, volleyball, softball, soccer, and swimming. Needless to say, I have always been the competitive type. I stayed in acting classes for all of my high school years. When the time came to pick a major at Clemson University, I decided on nursing school. But I took one acting class just to see if my love was still there. After that first semester I auditioned for their theatre program and got accepted. I decided I was going to pursue a career in acting. After graduating Clemson, I moved to New York City for almost four years. I learned so much about myself and the industry while living there. It help shape me into the person I am today, but I started to miss the south and my family. I decided a move to Atlanta would be beneficial to my career and overall well-being. It has been the best decision I have ever made. Being an actress is difficult. There are tons of ups and downs that you face on a regular basis. So to be happy in your own life before diving into the field with everything you have is very important. Now that I am at peace with my surroundings it has benefitted my career. I have my first TV show airing tomorrow night on the Oxygen channel and it feels amazing.

Has it been a smooth road?
The journey to get where I am at right now has not been easy. When beginning my career in NYC, I was so overwhelmed by the new city and the speed of it that I spent the first year adjusting to my surroundings. I tried to get an agent, but I had nothing on my resume at that point. I refocused my energy on getting work for myself, and fortunately I had some luck. I was booking a lot of non-union commercials, but I still never got my hands on a TV/Film audition. I had to make a decision to leave the ongoing work in NYC to start over in Atlanta for a chance at those opportunities. Moving to a new city for the second time was much more difficult than the move to NYC. However, my quality of life has improved tremendously, and because of that I am able to focus more energy on auditioning.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
There are so many factors when it comes to being successful in acting. It takes constant training and practice. Also, investments in headshots and self-tape equipment, paying to get in front of casting directors and agents, networking, and if you’re like me finding a flexible part-time job. During the days I am mostly working on scripts or new auditions, but at nights I bartend at a steakhouse to make ends meet. I am most proud of the ability I have to put myself out there. It is terrifying to be vulnerable in front of people you know. In acting, you have to be willing to have that vulnerability in front of people you have never met before. I think what sets me apart from others is my patience. It requires a lot of patience on set because most of the time you aren’t performing for the majority of it. You also have to have patience in waiting for the roles you are right for. I am most proud of a film I recently just finished working on called The Game Changer where I play a cheerleader named Paige. I also am in a short film called Old Blue Eyes that I filmed back in NYC. It has been submitted to a lot of festivals including Sundance and Atlanta Film Festival.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I love most about Atlanta is that there is a great community behind you. Coming form NYC where you see new faces every single day, it’s nice to finally feel like there is a family around me. I also love being outside in nature so having hikes and mountains close by helps my quality of life tremendously. The people in the south truly are more kind and polite than those up north. I feel like I am back to my southern roots here in Atlanta. The one thing I dislike would be the traffic, obviously.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.adrianeppley.com
• Phone: 704-936-8085
• Email: adrianeppley@gmail.com
• Instagram: @adrianeppley
• Other: imdb.me/adrianeppley

Image Credit:
Vimala Faith

Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.