Meet Miranda Wilson from San Jose, California via 20 years in Lewes, East Sussex and London. Miranda moved to LA 35 years ago to pursue what became a three time soap star career, then married a Brit and did the barefoot and barmy period in the old country, and has just returned to the land of less humor, in order to relaunch her plan to swing from the Hollywood chandeliers. But wearing bigger pants this time….
Was there a particular reason you chose LA?
When I left I did an Arnold. I literally said to my agent, “I’ll be back.” And meant it!
What do you miss most from home?
From England, I sorely miss the public transport! I’ve been driving for 40 years and I love it. But in the city, I LOVED even more the ease and availability of public transport.
What was your first impression of LA and has it changed since?
Wow! First impression; it was just another place to be. A great, big, wonderful, exciting, magical place. But, just a place. After having done that and left and now returned, LA is more like a game. There is so much more going on than when I ran around here before. So there’s a mountain of new info to learn and play with. That’s exciting in a whole different way than when I was a bright-eyed youngster.
What do you find the biggest difference is living here versus Lewes?
When I walk down the High Street in Lewes, there will be 3 – 10 people, on any given day, that I’ll know and greet and stop and chat with. And walking down the High Street was usually how I go into the center of town to buy food, go to the post office, meet a friend. So, this was almost daily. There is much more human contact there. People might not walk down the street smiling at each other, which was a bit jarring for me at first, but those who know you will make an effort to connect when they do see you. Here, even when I’ve been back for visits, everyone does seem to be so much busier and less available for simple interactions.
And the other quality I miss is the sense of normalcy in going bonkers. Can you imagine ever being allowed to do a Lewes Bonfire Night, anywhere in the US?
Do you have a hidden gem in LA that you want to share with us?
Well. In fact, I am a bit of a ‘Hidden Gem’ in the area of Dialect Coaching! I started coaching Brits back in London, when the casting director Robert Kelly asked me to coach the clients. I’m now here in Sherman Oaks starting up my one-to-one coaching. I coach those wanting to be proficient in General American, and all American dialects. Ask me about a BritsInLA member discount. I’m also open to trading dialect coaching for showreel editing or web design.
What would you suggest to others who are thinking about making the move here?
Get all of your tools in order, as soon as you can. They actually still print out headshots here! During the recent four year period working in London, I was never once asked to bring a headshot in on a casting. Self promotion is a massive part of being an actor. It takes loads of time. Make that time. Behave as if the dice are loaded in your favour, and you are so grateful of that fact that you just can’t help giving a lot of that favour to everyone around you!
Lots of our members join our group Brits in LA seeking out words of wisdom – what is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Feel the fear and do it anyway!
Lastly, how can we find out more about you? Are you working on anything at the moment?
I’ve recently been going around to film festivals where a short film I star in is screening. ‘An American Attorney In London’ was filmed in London by Darrell Alden, a graduating student of the Raw Talent program at Raindance. And we’ve just won two awards in Lafayette, Louisiana at the Cinema On The Bayou Film Festival!
The acting page of my website was pretty up to date until I left England. You can find it at: mirandawilson.com/acting
