Although one would never guess, Sherrie Prose didn’t start acting until the summer of 2017. Before then, she was a high school Spanish teacher, a job she retired from after 25 years. Fluent in Spanish, Sherrie says; “I was inspired to learn (Spanish) so my parents wouldn’t know what I was talking about with my friends. Usually a boy or a party”
After taking acting classes and going to some auditions, Sherrie landed her first role in 2017’s The Last Leaf, a powerful dramatic short film by New Mexico-based filmmaker Matthew Evens. Since then, Sherrie has remained busy in front of the camera, appearing in commercials and music videos, besides short and feature films. One of her upcoming feature films, entitled Walking with Herb, stars Kathleen Quinlin, Edward James Olmos, and George Lopez, is slated for release next year.
As this interview goes to press, Sherrie is at the Borderlands Film Festival in Las Cruces, New Mexico. 2018 being their inaugural year, the team at Borderlands Film Fest proudly state they feature independent films from around the world, with an emphasis on female-driven, Spanish language, and US Military-produced projects. Learn more about Sherrie and her upcoming projects in her recent interview that follows. Above photo by Micheal Valdivia.
SHERRIE PROSE: Hi, Chris! Happy to be a part of your project. I always wanted to live in the Southwest since I learned about the desert and tumbleweeds in fifth grade. I never liked the cold. I prefer shorts and flip flops to parkas. I adjusted just fine.
CHRIS: You graduated with a BS in Spanish and Latin American Studies from St. Cloud State University and spent a semester at La Universidad de Costa Rica. So are you fluent in Spanish?
SHERRIE: I am fluent in Spanish. I taught it for 25 years. Growing up in Minnesota, no one spoke anything other than English. I was inspired to learn so my parents wouldn’t know what I was talking about with my friends. Usually a boy or a party. When I moved to Costa Rica, I immediately socialized and immersion was key. I just recently retired from teaching so I could be a full-time artist.
CHRIS: Would you say you’re now permanently settled in El Paso or do you plan to move on from there?
CHRIS: So when would you say you officially began your acting career?
SHERRIE: It really never crossed my mind to act until the summer of 2017. I met a lot of actors and directors and starting looking into it. I took my first class that fall with Mark Vasconcellos. I was hooked. It was a turning point in many avenues of my life and I was ready to dive in. It was then that I got my first role in The Last Leaf with Los Metates Studios and director Matthew Evans. It was amazing. It was then that I started to have dreams of what I could really do if I chose it as my career.
CHRIS: Had you done any theater when you were in school?
CHRIS: When was the very first time you were in front of the camera?
SHERRIE: I suppose as a child. I was an only child until I was 12, so I was always seeking anyone’s attention. “Hey! Look at me! Watch this,” etc. But, as far as cinematography, my first gig was with DoubleScope Films appearing in a music video for the Chamanas last fall called, “Saltar.”
CHRIS: You star in an upcoming short film entitled Juana Doe, which is about a forensic anthropologist who discovers she has “supernatural abilities when working with unidentifiable remains of migrants along the Texas-Mexico border.” Has the filming of that one already been completed?
CHRIS: One film you were in, that I haven’t seen yet; Somnium, has a very interesting and eerie poster. Can you tell me about your role in that one?
SHERRIE: Yes! I’m excited to see it myself. I actually just play a featured guest in an upscale scene. But, it was really exciting to be hand selected to work in New York with Joseph Ciminera. His daughters are twins. They play the eerie ghosts.
CHRIS: Do you admire any indie film actresses in particular or is there currently anyone in indie films, on either side of the camera, you’d particularly like to work with?
CHRIS: Is that a particular type of role you’d like to play that you haven’t played yet?
SHERRIE: I would like to play a very dramatic role, someone with a lot of pain inside, a true life story, someone I could meet and study and be that person sharing to others their story.
CHRIS: You’re also signed with Bazaar Models?
SHERRIE: This is true. However, I’m an actress first.
CHRIS: I saw a very recent photo of you with Kathleen Quinlin. Was that taken during a film project the two of you are in?
SHERRIE: Yes. That was taken while filming, Walking with Herb, directed by Ross Kagan Marks. She’s a sweet lady. Extremely talented. She plays the wife of Joe, who’s played by Edward James Olmos. If you’ve never met him, he’s a genuinely good man. Herb is played by George Lopez. The production/crew team was so awesome.
CHRIS:I understand you also appeared in a music video that is upcoming?
CHRIS: Do you have any skills or hobbies only those close to you would know about?
SHERRIE: People don’t know I have a Master’s in criminal law. I had wanted to be a lawyer. Later, I mastered in education as a diagnostician. However, I continued to pursue teaching. I love learning. When I have downtime, I like to draw and to color, crossword puzzles, walking, and things. Other than that, I’m fairly simple. I keep busy looking for acting gigs and working with DoubleScope Films and Aurum as an account executive when I’m not acting.
CHRIS: With that, I’ll thank you again for doing this Sherrie. In closing, any shout-outs to anyone?
SHERRIE: Shout out to Mark Vasconcellos! He was my acting coach and is now a dear friend of mine who continues to guide me in the business. You can see him in his film, River. Also, to Director Hafid Abdelmoula for casting me as a pregnant lady in Broken Gaiete, which is coming in the spring of 2019. And, of course, to my friends and family for supporting me and believing in my dreams. Also, thanks to you, Chris, for this opportunity to tell you and others about my aspirations of being an up and coming actress.
Sherrie’s latest demo reel
See more of Sherri at:
Her IMDb Page
Her Facebook Page
Instagram
Explore Talent
Sherrie on Twitter
About the author
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Chris flirted with the music business there and in Nashville before joining the U.S. Army and serving in South Korea. He remained in Asia for several years afterwards, teaching English, traveling, and covering the regional entertainment scenes. Currently in a mindset between Seoul and San Francisco, besides Idol Features, you can also catch his writings in the print edition of the monthly magazine, Effective.
Felicidades amiga te deseo mucho éxito en ti nueva carrera.
Muchisimas gracias, Pat. Amigas y maestras-siempre.