Meet Emily Dunlop | Full time Nanny turned Full time Actress

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

Hi Emily, how do you think about risk?
Acting as a career choice is always a risk. My dad encouraged risk taking growing up but he talked about it so much it became one of those things that blends in with the background and I never really thought about what it actually meant. There aren’t really that many risks to take as a young person anyway since most life choices are made for you, or at least they were for me. I also think you have to have something worth losing for a risk to actually mean something. That’s an important part of risk – it needs to feel scary for the payoff to be at all meaningful. And usually that means you are at one level trying to reach the next, a worthwhile risk might just be the thing to get you there. The first big risk I intentionally took was soon after my husband and I got married. Phil, the most supportive person in my life, has always encouraged me in my career and believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. About a year into our marriage he encouraged me to stop nannying. This was a financial risk for us because, at the time, we really needed that extra income. He helped me see how we could make it work and I quit my nanny job. That first risk felt so scary, so daunting, but we started seeing fruit from the choice almost right away. We took the financial hit but the energy I had to devote to acting made up for it and I started booking more jobs. The second risk we decided to take was buying a house. I felt too young and inadequate to do something as “grown up” as buying a house, but we calculated the risk and went for it. Something that I always feared would tie me down has actually brought us more financial freedom and reward than I thought possible. Definitely a worthwhile risk. After nannying, I moved into a part time job as a VO/acting coach at a studio in Smyrna, and after about a year we felt it was time to take another risk and leave that job to focus more on acting. We took the financial hit, lived very frugally, ate rice and beans and didn’t go out much but ultimately it paid off. After each of these risks my career went up a level and I’m now a full time actress with no day job. Looking back I see that most of the risks I took have been financial ones and after each “leap of faith” I saw reward. There was some really hard work in there too, and some sacrifices. You definitely have to calculate your risk and make sure your actions and discipline back it up. Having some successful risk stories in the bag, my husband and I have come to an understanding with risk. We are able to feel it in the air when the next risk is coming and we know how it feels when it’s one we need to take. It’s always a little tingly, definitely a little scary, and usually requires some sacrifice, but the reward on the other side is worth it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am an actress. I have been working professionally since 2009 and have been full time since 2016. It is definitely not an easy industry and with so many new media outlets and fantastically creative people, the industry is more competitive than ever. I suppose the thing I am most proud of is my personal growth. I have taken good care of my inner and outer world with discipline and love. I work hard, I put in the hours, I’ve paid my dues and I can honestly say that I’m happy when I’m working and when I’m not. I am proud that I am IN my life, and that I have my priorities straight. Actors all know what it feels like to be desperate. Desperate for work! Knowing that you’re good enough if someone would just give you the chance! Feeling victim to the whims of people more powerful than you is a thing all actors are well acquainted with. I am proud of the work I’ve done to combat things like desperation, negativity, insecurity, fear and anxiety when they come up. It’s not to say they don’t pop up, it’s to say that I have equipped myself with the tools I need for when they do and I do not let them define me. I think that’s a great achievement not only for me as an actress but a person in this world.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in East Atlanta so I’d start the day with a good brunch at Home Grown or Muchacho’s before biking the beltline to Gilly Brew Bar in Stone Mountain. Eat the calories and then work them off, baby! It may be OTP, but Gilly Brew Bar is an Atlanta must, and one of their fantastic coffee elixirs can fuel you up for a hike up Stone Mountain while you’re there. The bike ride back should be leisurely with a stop at Revolution Donuts for a calorie pick-me-up (caramel bacon is a personal fav) followed up with a deep afternoon nap. The evening should start with more Eastside fun. I’d get some Jamaican take out from Caribbean Chicken and Fish, the hole in the wall, mom and pop shop on Ponce and N Decatur Rd. Followed it up with some improv and drinks at Dad’s Garage and end the night with some club hopping in Edgewood. A fun-filled day!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Philip Dunlop, my husband, of 1802 Music will always be my number one shoutout. He is the hardest working person I know and has the talent to back it up. He’s also the best lyricist and musician I know. The way he thinks about things is so special to be privy to. He’s a true thinker and talent, a real artist. I’d also like to shoutout my brother, Seth Barnes, who is starting a community called Flourish for people with special needs to live independently alongside non special needs community members. His vision is beautiful and his reason for doing it is our little sister, Leah, who has lived with special needs her whole life. He is dedicated to the cause and deserves a huge shoutout.

Website: https://www.emilydunlop.com/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/dunlopemily

Image Credits
Steph Connors