Meet Valory Pierce | Actress / Voice Actor / Content Creator

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

Hi Valory, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I’m from the Pacific Northwest and I was born to Chinese immigrants, my father being the first to arrive in America all by himself at the age of 17 and slowly sponsored over the rest of his family members over the years. My family upbringing has immensely impacted my course of life in such a way that has made me both stronger and braver. I would even say I definitely take after my father in terms of his tenacity, bravery, creativity along with his adventurous and artistic spirit!

Growing up, my family wasn’t well-off as they came over to the states with little to nothing to their name and they worked hard for everything they had, it was hard earned and fought for. I truly believe that is what they instilled in me as a child: to keep pursuing a goal and working hard towards it each and every day. Many times, we had to think of creative ways to craft and make-shift things and survive while making sure we have food on the table and a roof over our head. We didn’t have a lot of money, so my mother would often make clothing for us and or get hand-me-downs from work colleagues and friends. Our toys came from Goodwill and thrift stores, getting anything new was a TREAT.

But my parents did their very best to provide for us, going as far as getting used Direct TV cable cards so we could enjoy maybe 20 hrs of cartoon cable shows (my favorite being Cartoon Network and since then I now even have a show that’s airing on international Cartoon Network, an absolute dream come true!). My father even learned how to pirate VHS movies because we couldn’t afford to buy VHS tapes at the time. My parents got creative and often would think outside-the-box to make things work, I like to think I developed that trait from them. Survival has definitely played a big part of my life and it’s sometimes nice to sit back, take a breather and look at how far I’ve come. It’s important to have those days of rest and enjoy life, time is so fleeting and precious.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Art and my creative spirit is what gives me a sense of freedom. Growing up in a very dysfunctional (and sometimes abusive) family the only escape I knew was art, performance and music. I would often reenact dramatic scenes from TVB dramas as a child and entertain family members to make them laugh and smile, was my sanctuary. Drawing was my way to cope with my broken family, because it gave me a chance to draw out a family that I wish I had. Art and performing has always been very personal and special to me.

My first step into the entertainment industry was as a fashion / print model, then slowly I began creating my own content on YouTube, which then somehow placed me in the world of voiceover. The journey was not easy but it’s unique to me and my story. There also weren’t a lot of Asian American actors in film or in voiceover when I was a child, so I didn’t have a lot of faith in my abilities to make it happen or dare to even try. But I am glad that has changed in recent years.

Perhaps the greatest and the most difficult challenge in my career… was the death of my father in 2022, which greatly impacted and affected not only my creative spirit but also shattered my very core. I had to deal with my grief and depression alone in a foreign city so far from home, that being LA felt like it was waiting for me to trip over and shatter into despair. Denial, heartbreak and the fire that I needed to SURVIVE was all I knew to keep me going and preventing me from spiraling. There’s really no 1-size-fits-all-guidebook to dealing with grief or heartbreak, but the immense loneliness and isolation I felt – slowly began to chip away my soul and eventually my identity during my time in LA. But I survived and now I’m learning how to step back and really heal in order to breathe new life into my craft. Mentally and emotionally I’m in a much better place and very thankful that my close friends stood by me and supported me during the toughest moments of my loss.

The characters that I play are often strong women (sometimes creatures) and they know how to SURVIVE whatever life throws at them and I LOVE IT! I’m grateful for the projects I’ve been fortunate to be a part of and I can’t wait to see what the future holds! Being an artist, a creative soul…it excites me when I get to play different characters in vastly different worlds, so in a way I’m honoring the promise I made to my late father that “I will see the world.”

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Girl, if it’s good Asian food (or any good food, really) I’m your girl. Having lived in both the Pacific Northwest (Washington and Oregon) and having lived in LA and Orange County, I am quite picky with what restaurants or places I spend my time in or even suggest to my friends. Maybe it’s the Leo in me haha BUT! Luckily for me, my best friend is pretty low-key and easy going so we really would just google places and see where we would want to go and live in the moment haha

I think just spending time together, no matter the place, is what makes our time special and magical. The older we get, we just want to go to a few places and enjoy sceneries and good company (oh wow I sound like a grandma haha but we are very low-key in our daily life)

My favorite boba spot (yes BOBA) would be OneZo in Monterey Park, CA. Specifically the one in Atlantic Times Square! Kura Sushi in Glendale is also always fun.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Honestly, I would not be where I am today without the love and support from my brother, my best friend Angela, my amazing friends, chosen family and of course, to the amazing colleagues, clients and studios that took a chance and saw something in me… thank you!

Thank you Taliesin for giving me my first shot in voiceover which became my first professional acting credit, Thomas for planting the idea of me pursuing acting (voiceover) and to my 3 wonderful chaotic gremlin dogs who would check on me to make sure I’m doing alright.

To my Day 1’s and my viewers, thank you for continuing to cheer me on as I go on this crazy journey and being there during some of the hardest moments of my life, thank you.

Website: https://valorypierce.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ValoryPierce/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ValoryPierce/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/Valory