Dakota Gorman
American actress, Dakota Gorman, American actress and writer, is known for her appearances in popular television shows such as Teen Wolf and Criminal Minds. She began her career in the entertainment industry in 2000 and, since then, has experienced much success. Not only is Gorman a successful actress but she is also an avid script writer for films. Recently, she released All About Sex, a film she wrote, directed, and acted in.
Black headpiece by Lynn Paik
Cross earrings by Erickson Beamon
Bodysuit by Cristobal Eolo (The Confessional Showroom)
Tell us about yourself.
In the most condensed version, I am a newly New York City resident, who was born and raised in Los Angeles. My parents are indie actors, and they nurtured my own interest in acting. Film, television, and theater has always been close to my heart--a huge companion to me growing into the person I am. At my core, I’m incredibly sensitive and have always been deeply affected by good storytelling, in the sense that it’s really influenced how I perceive things, how I want to move through the world, and what kind of experiences/interactions I have in my life. My friends know they can push me to do all kinds of things because I tend to operate under the idea of “all for the story.” The more I experience the more I can draw from and expand my way of thinking. It’s definitely been the catalyst for a lot of embarrassing, fun, and memorable moments. I also absolutely feel like I have twenty different personalities going on inside one body. My interests and general persona are all over the place, and a lot of times are contradicting.
Left:
Dress by The Tri Collective (Flying Solo)
Shoes by Beautiisoles
Hat by Chu Chu NYC
Right:
Black headpiece by Lynn Paik
Cross earrings by Erickson Beamon
Bodysuit by Cristobal Eolo (The Confessional Showroom)
What is the most significant change in you since becoming infected with the Coronavirus?
The being sick portion sucked, obviously. Not as much as it could have so I am grateful for that. The real change was around the pandemic as a whole though. For better or worse, I think Covid forced a lot of us to question what our priorities are, how we want to use our time when it’s in our own hands, and what we’ve neglected being swept up in the “busyness” of pre-pandemic life. I never want to be “too busy” for the things I want to do for myself anymore, I hope people who feel similarly are able to make that happen too. I want to decide what I pursue and what I sacrifice instead of life deciding that for me. Time is a valuable resource I’m not willing to be so flippant about anymore. The stress of 2020 helped me have honest conversations with myself about the excuses I was making around any given element in my life where I felt defeated or stuck. I started empowering myself more, focusing on what felt good and putting energy towards the things I can do, what I am capable of, versus living under the sensation of tolerating something or just trying to make it through.
When did you realize you have a passion for writing? Do you prefer writing or acting?
I’ve always loved creative prose, but I mainly wrote for my own satisfaction. It wasn't until college that I fused that passion with filmmaking. I studied screenwriting at Chapman University, pursuing both careers after graduating. Originally I never had any interest in directing, it’s actually pretty bizarre to me that I fell in love with it as much as I did because in my everyday life I can be painfully indecisive and at times passive in a very observational kind of way. But being on set directing “All About Sex” I felt so in my skin. For me, directing combines the cerebral introversion of writing with the more extroverted physicality and playfulness of acting. It’s the ideal hybrid between the two and if it’s up to me I’ll be doing all three as much as possible for the rest of my life.
Left:
Bodysuit by Love Moschino
Jacket by Love Moschino
Boots by Per Fidem (Flying Solo)
Headpiece by Lynn Paik
Right:
Shorts by Montce (Flying Solo)
Bralette by Montce(Flying Solo)
Jacket by MB3 (The Confessional Showroom)
Boots by TealHouse (Flying Solo)
Hat by Lynn Paik
What do you generally do when you're looking for ideas?
I don’t have a go-to method or source, but I do derive a lot of inspiration from real life. The basis of all my projects tends to be rooted in some form of reality, and then embellished to different extents from that core seed. You often don’t have to look very far to find a spark of something interesting, and from there it’s just going down the rabbit hole. If I’m really invested in an idea, wherever it comes from, my excitement makes itself very obvious in that I don’t want to be doing much else aside from seeing that idea through. If something doesn’t personally interest me, I don’t even bother. It matters more to immerse myself in a story that I’m ignited by versus searching for an idea with the goal of satisfying an audience. Obviously you hope people gravitate to what you create, but at the end of the day you really can’t predict (there are just too many external variables), so you might as well make it as fun for yourself as you can.
We knew that you wrote, acted, and directed a film called All About Sex. How did you switch between these three identities?
I’ve accidentally built up the habit of compartmentalization, which really served as an asset in this particular situation. Having to fill three different job titles, I would isolate whatever part of my brain that I needed to use at any certain moment. If I was in front of camera, it was actor mode. Behind camera, director mode. And I knew as the writer I couldn’t cling too tightly to anything on the page. For me this way of working was incredibly beneficial because I didn’t have the tug and pull of any cognitive dissonance -- wanting to accomplish something as an actor or writer and that being in conflict with what I wanted to achieve while directing. I followed what I felt best served the story and what the energy was on set. When I sensed even the slightest lack of cohesion, I’d adjust instead of straining to make it work. When bouncing between several different jobs you kind of have to act as your own system of checks and balances. If you try to hang on tightly to any one idea you’re just going to be locked in battle with yourself. It takes knowing not all of your ideas are good, and even if they are it doesn’t mean they get to stay .
Dress by The Tri Collective (Flying Solo)
Hat by Chu Chu NYC
Bracelet by Erickson Beamon
What is the most difficult challenge you've faced in your acting career? How do you get through it?
Patience. I’m not naturally patient, so that’s been a big learning curve for me. As with nearly everyone, life has unfolded much differently than I could have anticipated in any variation of my imagination. Part of that is taking a lot more rejection, even post successes. On my worst days it feels like I’m constantly having to convince people why they should work with me or come on board to a particular project. Now I’m just trying to do whatever I can for my personal life and career by using what’s available to me. To continue making my own opportunities for growth, whether that means really pushing myself in class or stepping outside my comfort zone in everyday life, and, of course, pursuing the art that I want to be a part of. A lot of what gets me through the rougher moments is attention to self-work. I always steer myself and others to Abraham Hicks, who puts a lot of the human existence into simple terms. I believe we make things harder on ourselves than we have to in an attempt to “work for results.” Ultimately all results are out of our hands. I’m learning to embrace how exciting that is versus defaulting to fear around how destabilizing that sensation can sometimes be. Truly taking focus off of what we can’t control leaves little room for disappointment and instead opens the door for life to turn out even better than we can plan for ourselves.
Do you want to try any other types of roles in the future?
Absolutely. One of the main reasons I wanted to pursue acting is to step into the life of someone else who is completely different from how I am day-to-day, or to be able to use these recessive pieces of my personality. I get annoyed being around myself too much, so acting is a nice way to have at least some kind of mental break from that.
What are your long-term goals? Do you always want to work as an actor?
My creative work is very embedded in my life and personality. I feel like it’s never really turned off. Even if I’m just hanging out with friends or doing something completely unrelated to any of this, I’m still writing down dialogue, taking notes, and being aware of visual elements around me. That being said, I don’t think I’m capable of ever abandoning these portions of my life, so ultimately the goal is to be lucky enough to create the things that intrigue and inspire me and constantly push those boundaries. I like discovering new pieces of life and learning about things I don’t have knowledge of.
Tell us your life motto.
I think it’s Shia LaBeouf screaming in my head, “JUST DO IT.” In all seriousness, you’re never too young or too old to start identifying what you’re curious about and exploring what that curiosity can lead to, even if it’s completely irrelevant to any main focus you have. Sometimes we as a collective tend to develop these ideas of what we want to transpire in our lives, build a roadmap, and become totally tunnel visioned about it. It’s great to have ambitions, but we should also exercise the muscle of leading with “What excites me? What brings me joy?” There is a way to be simultaneously disciplined and free to explore. I think the key to that door is fluidity and action behind desire.
Can you link us to your socials?
IG: @dakotagorman
Twitter: @dakotagorman
CREW CREDITS:
Photographer: Boyz Bieber
Talent: Dakota Gorman
Fashion Stylist: Ayoka Lucas
Fashion Stylist Assistant: Kristen Milford
Hair: Aziza Rasulova
Makeup Artist: Tanya Marques
Tearsheets: Daniel López, Junior Art Director, PhotoBook Magazine
Interview: Lilli Li, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
