Meet Caleb Y Moon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Caleb Y Moon.

Caleb Y, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
“It was a dark and stormy night, and I was reading.” This sentence pretty much sums up most of my childhood, but these days it’s more like, “It was a beautiful day, and I was in bed watching Netflix”. Nevertheless, I’ve always loved stories; being transported to another world far away from reality. So, I made it my job.

Born in Virginia, raised in Maryland, schooled from 1st grade to now in the lovely land of Georgia, I was always a pretty curious kid. I loved to read, (particularly fiction), enjoyed exploring nature, and loved to eat. The fantastical worlds of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Gulliver’s Travels, and Narnia were constantly swirling in my head, and I would often be lost in those places in my waking hours.

Looking back now, I realize that one of the reasons I loved reading so much was because I wanted to escape from my family and my own insecurities. No family is without its issues, but like most immigrant family units, there was a noticeable lack of emotional support and awareness. So, like most immigrant kids, I grew up very emotionally independent and without the tools to navigate my feelings. I became depressed and lonely at a young age, leading to a suicide attempt around 3rd or 4th grade.

I was okay. No injuries. No hospital. But also, no therapy. My parents didn’t understand what was going on, and being a young child, afraid of my own dark thoughts, I didn’t want them to. Life’s rollercoaster continued, and I found myself dropping out of 10th grade in high school. For about a month and a half, I isolated myself in my room, unable to see what life could offer.

Now, I wasn’t doing nothing during that month. I was watching Netflix. Wanting to escape my current predicament, I decided to spend all that time binging all 15 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy. But, somewhere around season 14, I remember an episode about a certain character, April Kepner, played by Sarah Drew, who was struggling with the death of her child. She spiraled into a deep depression, and became very angry towards herself, others and towards God. Being a Christian myself, who was not in the best place with God, I was curious how the story was going to play out. After a couple of episodes of riding life’s rollercoaster herself, April was able to find some healing, closure and was able move forward with her life. And if she could, so could I.

Fast forward a year, I had gotten my GED and was finding some sense of direction. Life wasn’t perfect. I was still struggling with my mental health, but I had learned a very important lesson: I am the only that can decide to keep moving forward. The earth kept spinning, I was still breathing, and no one was going to save me. I had to get up and start walking. I wasn’t alone though. My family still loved me, I had friends, I had God. I just forgot for a moment.

In the “year that shall not be named”, 2020, I was working two jobs, as a server and also as a basic office employee. I had decided against college because I had not yet figured out what I wanted to do with my life. I knew one thing though: I was tired, burnt out, and ready for a change.

I never thought about acting as a career and knew nothing about the film industry, but somehow, I found out (I think on Instagram), that it was really easy to apply to be an extra/background on a movie or a show. I applied to couple, not thinking much of it, and eventually casting bet on me. I was to be an extra on season 3 of Creepshow. Come filming in January of 2021, I had no idea what to expect, but I was excited. It was a long, cold wait to get on set for our turn; we started filming around 10pm. Those few hours of walking around the fake apartment, pretending to talk and laugh was electrifying, and I wanted more. I started taking classes since and never looked back.

Since then, I have filmed a couple of short films and a movie, ‘Sunflowers’, ‘The Great Princess Diana Caper’, and ‘The Last Supper’. Each project was vastly different in terms of genre, character, and message, but it’s been clear that I how much I enjoy acting as a craft and also hopefully as a successful career in the near future.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I feel I have been relatively blessed in my journey so far. I’ve met so many wonderful people in the industry in such a short amount of time that I hope to work with more in the future.

Being Korean-American, or East-Asian as casting will call it, I have found that in the Atlanta market specifically, there are a lot more opportunities available for me because there aren’t a lot of young Asian actors in the Southeast Region. However, I believe there is still a long way to go for Asian American representation in American media. There are so many stories and experiences to be told about Asian culture that are so meaningful and fun.

I hope that as I progress as an actor, the industry will continue to become more open and willing to put different faces and cultures onscreen. I hope that the more people get exposed to the unfamiliar, the more our society as a whole becomes empathetic and kind towards each other.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an open book. I love people and love meeting new people, so that helps a lot whenever I get on set. I think one of the most important things an actor can do when starting a new project is having a great attitude and making people feel welcome. This is something I try to do on every set, and I’ve already made some great connections and friendships that I hope to carry farther along into my career. This is just a great rule of thumb for basic living: be kind and the world will be kind back.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Two things: Don’t be afraid and be prepared. Fear is an actor’s worst enemy. “What if I get rejected?”, “What if I mess up?”, “What if I never succeed?”

There will always be a thousand reasons to say no or give up, but only you can make the choice to move forward without fear. Once you start to listen that voice of doubt in your head, everything will fall apart, and you won’t be able give justice to the character, or you’ll give up on whatever you’re pursuing entirely. Pursue acting/your dream like you won’t fail. And you won’t.

Preparation is huge. You can’t just expect for opportunities to fall into your lap. The film industry is like any other business; if you can’t do the work, you won’t get hired. Go to classes, learn the industry, make friends, get connected, and when the time is right, you’ll book.

Success is hard work meets opportunity. Don’t waste your time.

Contact Info:

• Website: calebymoon.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calebymoon/

Image Credits
Ray Lin