Elaine Del Valle
Actress & Producer
Del Valle Productions
Long Island, NY USA
“I am Brownsville bred, but I will not be defined. I won’t allow people to define me; I define myself. My actions define me.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationElaine Del Valle
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
Born and raised in Brownsville, NY, known as one of Brooklyn’s most dangerous neighborhoods.
When she was 11, she found out her father was a heroin addict and he was subsequently kicked out of the house—her mother was left to raise four children all by herself while living off of welfare.
Experienced violence and abuse growing up—says this tough upbringing in Brownsville is a point of pride now: “We are known as the biggest, the baddest, and toughest; that’s how I feel.”
Caught the acting bug after being cast as Sandy in a high school production of “Grease.”
When she was older, she started passing out postcards saying that she could speak Spanish and act—started getting calls from agencies all over New York and booking commercial gigs.
But her commercial background started to negatively affect her ability to book the “legit” acting jobs she wanted, so she began studying acting with Wynn Handman, a legend in the theater world.
Her autobiographical one-woman play, “Brownsville Bred,” has sold out shows, won multiple festival prizes, and had a very successful run at the prestigious off-Broadway 59E59 Theaters.
She is now an award-winning producer, actress, casting director, writer, and director with the mission of increasing diversity in the entertainment industry.
Education
High School
Vocational
Acting
Wynn Handman Studio
Acting
Wynn Handman Studio
Vocational
Acting
Michael Howard Studios
Acting
Michael Howard Studios
Certification/License
Acting
Nassau Community College
Acting
Nassau Community College
Career
Actress & Producer
I am a producer, actress, writer, and director working to increase diversity in entertainment.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Acting & Theatre
Entrepreneurship
Communicating / Sharing Stories
Day to Day
As a casting producer, I spend my days meeting with a bunch of actors and actresses, running lines with them and interviewing them to see if they are right for the projects I'm working on. I tend to juggle multiple projects all at once from whatever film / TV projects I'm producing to writing books, plays, and screenplays, and occasionally auditioning for acting roles. It's a lot of meetings and communicating with people working on projects with me and pitching those projects so they can get made.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for high school students
Go to college. It doesn't matter what you study, but it is such an important part of being a well-rounded person. Be sure to take an accounting class, a finance class, and a writing class, because those are skills that everyone needs. Get to know the people around you and network.
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Teachers:
"You need to quit school and go study how a man acts. "
Challenges I Overcame
Drugs / Addiction
Financial
Gangs / Violence
Interviewed By
Beating the Odds
Overcoming barriers as a first-generation college student
