BIO

Hi there, nice to meet you!

Let me introduce myself—I’m Dawn. My Korean name is 이새벽별 (pronounced Yi Sae-byeok-byeol).

I find third-person resume bios a bit off-putting, so I’ll speak with you as if you are an actual human being. If you are a cyborg or a being from another planet, I have so many questions. Also, I hope you come in peace.

ABOUT ME:

I am an American actress/writer/artist of Korean and Scandinavian descent. 

As a tiny human with a vivid, magical imagination, I dive head-first into life with an attitude of curiosity and wit. I’m unassumingly clever, so it might be wise not to underestimate my fortitude. I’ve overcome a lot, from figuring out how to boil an egg without an egg timer (it’s a real thing) to experiencing and growing from the sudden death of someone similar in age whom I loved very much.

I’ve learned to love the ebb and flow in this wild ocean called life. I’ve dived into the depths and come up with so much appreciation for life’s simple and intricate moments. I’m not afraid to tackle the deep stuff but I am afraid of detangling holiday lights.

Forever curious, at three years old I put a roly-poly bug in my mouth to see if it would curl up on my tongue. It did and now I know what Ivory soap tastes like. (Thanks Mom!) I believe that change is inevitable and growth is necessary (I don’t put bugs into my mouth anymore). How we show up is up to us. Having a sense of agency is very important to me.

I find life awkward, simple, complex. Always beautiful and interesting. Even the “ugly” stuff. Sometimes hilarious and weird—just like people. Shadow/Light are both needed for balance. I am a work in progress, constantly working on genuinely loving and encouraging me to step up my best self each day, even if I stumble. If I can inspire someone else to do the same, it's a day well done. One of my favorite things is when I’m able to bring sunshine into someone’s day. My heart flutters with so much joy when this happens! Everything is energy. Fall down, give love. Rise up, give love. 

As Leonard Cohen said, “Do not be a magician—be magic!”

I’m also a Sagittarius sun/Leo rising/Libra moon. I’ve been told that this combo is great for a creative. Cool.

MY TYPE:

I’m a unique being (like everyone else), but if a young Sissy Spacek, Drew Barrymore, Rachel Weisz, and Park Bo-young were ingredients in a cake you baked, iced with Anna Karina and Melanie Lynskey, and decorated with a young Anthony Perkins, your finished product would be me. Please don’t serve me at your next birthday.

A friend described me as having the ability to be the perfect blend of cute and creepy(I can have a dark sense of humor). He described this combination in me as “delightful”. I can get down with this branding. (Example of me getting my creep on in my reel or sizzle piece, Tuesday.)

My favorite genres for acting are magical realism (Hello Guillermo Del Toro!), off-center comedy, dystopian sci-fi, slice of life and psychological thrillers, but I’m into almost anything with a good story and interesting characters.

MY FAVORITE ACTING HIGHLIGHTS SO FAR: 

• ON CAMERA:

• GUTTERSNIPES I was trusted to portray Waiverly-an underestimated but attuned autistic teenager in this short film written by Joe Aaron, whose daughter is autistic.  Portraying Waiverly was incredibly challenging and I was honored to be able to explore this beautiful character. I felt honored to receive kudos from the autism community for my work, which helped me to realize that I actually am capable of telling important stories for a living. I am incredibly grateful to have been a part of this project and it is one of my most treasured acting experiences on and off screen. (Rehearsal tape available by request).

• RECKLESS SPIRITS Everything aligned in such a kismet fashion to bring this story to life. It’s wild, it’s wacky, it’s an unconventional buddy comedy. I was able to incorporate some of my Korean heritage and so much improv into this character and project. Working with this team has been a dream! It’s forthcoming, but I will be sure to share once it’s out and available!

• THEATRE:

• My favorite live theatre involvement so far has been Kaidan: Walls Grow Thin by Rogue Artists Ensemble and East West Players. I loved it because it was an immersive theatre production housed in a five story warehouse, based on Japanese horror folk tales. I was able to weave my character and the play’s story in and out of the audience’s experience. With five shows a night, each interaction was different, unique and fresh. Story improv is so much fun.

  We’ve even created an interactive app called Kaidan: Alone

• REALITY TV:

• I was sought out by the SVT network to participate in one of Sweden's most popular shows (they won an International Emmy!), a heartfelt genealogy reality show — Allt För Sverige. I discovered my Swedish heritage, as well as many things about myself on this adventure. This has been one of my favorite life experiences because I discovered a country, family, and a part of me that I had never known. I know this isn’t technically acting, but it was very entertaining. Someone even made a meme of me from one of the episodes where I was super excited to be cooking an old-school Swedish meal, until I found out what it was. (Sizzle compilation available in my reels/clips section).

• VOICEOVER:

• I’ve also ventured into the world of voice-over for animation, video games, dubbing, podcasts, and promos. I find it extremely fascinating and a complete blast. Projects forthcoming are currently NDA, but I’ll be sure to update you when they are out! Demo reels are forthcoming as well.

YOU ARE SO AWESOME!

You made it through! Thank you for sticking around and getting acquainted. Feel free to peruse the rest of my site and if you are interested in knowing more about me personally, feel free to swing by my social media. I post pretty frequently.

Links are in the footer. 

Thanks for popping in!

XoXo, Dawn