Meet Austin Freeman | Actor & Real Estate Agent

We had the good fortune of connecting with Austin Freeman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Austin, how do you think about risk?
Risk taking was a huge factor in me choosing to be an actor. I decided long ago that I wouldn’t live my life with regrets and wanted to shoot for the stars. I never wanted to be the guy at the end of the bar that never pursued his dream, or the guy that decided to choose comfort over passion in my career. I could have been an attorney or pursued another career that guaranteed consistent income but I decided that the excitement and lifestyle of the actor were more what I viewed as a life well lived, so here I am.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started acting when I was 16. I grew up playing baseball for years and wrestled all through high school. I was fairly good but never quite felt like I was in my zone. I remember the first time I did a community theatre show in my hometown of Hartwell and it was like something came alive inside of me. I never looked back or questioned if I was in the right place, I just knew.

I went to Young Harris College on a Theatre scholarship and then did two years of summer stock theatre after graduating at Unto These Hills in Cherokee, NC. There were definitely struggles early on in my career learning to transition over into film, learning technique, establishing myself in the local film markets before I moved to Atlanta. Every actor knows the struggle of constantly putting out their best work in auditions only to hear crickets. Every actor also knows the juggling act of trying to find the right day job or second career that goes hand in hand and allows for the drop of a hat lifestyle that comes along with acting. I struggled for years working at a restaurant, selling cars, working at REI and working as a land surveying technician.

Now I am a Real Estate Agent and get the awesome opportunity to represent many of my film and acting colleagues in real estate decisions. I love pairing the two worlds together because I get to help people in my creative community make a huge decision and build their own life dreams by becoming homeowners. That’s really appealing to me and it also allows me to work in film with the tumultuous hours we often have on set. You’ll often catch me between takes writing a contract or negotiating a deal point before going back on to deliver a scene. I love being able to work and weave both careers together so seamlessly.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I have friends visiting I always wanna show love to my neighborhood of Decatur. I love to grab lunch at Leon’s Full Service and then walk the square to check all of the local artists, bookstores and restaurants. We would grab dinner at the Iberian Pig for tapas and their incredible old fashioned followed by a fun after party at S.O.S. Tiki Bar. But the party never stops there…

I’m a huge outdoorsman so I always wanna get outside in nature. We have to check out the Chattahoochee River and grab coffee at the Chattahoochee Coffee Company to sit by the water. But if we really wanna get rough and tumble then I’m taking friends camping and hiking in North Georgia. We have to camp near Helton Creek Falls or High Shoals and hike Arkaquah Trail to the observatory on Brasstown Bald for the stars at night and sunrise the next day. No other view like that in the entire state and there is a majesty to the sunrise there that is holy.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve been incredibly blessed to have some amazing mentors and supporters along the way. The most important of those being my mother, Deana. She raised me and my sister, Katie, by herself for years and was such a positive influence as a single mother that I’ve never forgotten that and always want to make her proud. Needless to say, she’s a very proud mother for me and both of my sisters, Katie and Jessie. The second incredibly impactful influence in my career is my agent and friend, Jason Lockhart. Once Jason moved to Atlanta and began seeing my work, we quickly established a friendship and professional respect for each other. It’s been life-changing to have an advocate and friend like Jason going to bat for and believing in me.

I’ve also been hugely influenced by two book series. The first is The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck and is about a Chinese farmer named Wang Lung in the early 20th century. His journey from poor farmer to wealthy and respected landowner with the help of his wife O-lan affects many of my decisions to this day. The second book series is The Sword of Truth Series by Terry Goodkind. This fantasy series and its core principles of loyalty, friendship and sacrifice have deeply resonated with me since I was a teenager.

Website: www.austinfreeman.bhhsgeorgia.com

Instagram: @austinfreeman

Image Credits
Headshots by Bjoern Kommerell. Others in photos: Wedding Photo- Taissa Farmiga Closing Photo- Jason Lockhart & Jayne Feldman Loki Photo- Tom Hiddleston Hiking Photo- Cory Harrison