Meet Dahlia Nicole | Actor & Cosplayer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dahlia Nicole and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dahlia, how do you think about risk?
Risk terrifies me, so of course, I decided to dedicate my life to areas that thrive off of it. Everything in performance is a choice, and every choice is a risk. As an actor, putting myself out there in terms of marketing and auditioning is arguably the hardest part of the process. I have to be vulnerable and open myself up to the idea that I can’t make everyone like me all the time, and I have to continue to remind myself that that’s okay. While there are some successes as an actor, there are mostly rejections. It is comforting to know that a rejection does not mean a lack of talent, just that I didn’t happen to align with what the casting team had in mind.

As a cosplayer, I take a gamble with every new project. I have to try and gauge the pop culture favorites of my audience in order to cater to both their interests and mine. I never want to lose myself and become characters I have no connection to, but I have to be mindful that I have to produce content in a timely fashion before trends die. While I do still cosplay characters that there aren’t particularly a “demand” for, I have to acknowledge that I have to mix them in with more popular characters in order to keep a balance so I don’t ostracize a majority of my audience too often.

I’ve always been a careful person, and while it has kept me safe, it hasn’t led to opportunities for major growth. Once I put my pride aside and realized that I have to be okay with losing big if it means getting the chance to win big, I was much more relaxed and able to take as many leaps as I need to to get where I want to be.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started theatre when I was a child, right after the movie High School Musical came out. I basically memorized the movie, so I was stuck into a community theatre program and the rest – as they say – was history. Acting is my one true love, but I also wrote plays, songs, poetry. I competed at a high school level and was very active in school plays. Then once I got to college, I was active in the behind-the-scenes areas of theatre, like stage managing and assistant directing, and even more active in the in-front-of-the-camera areas: I realized I adore being in films! As I worked my way through learning the ins and outs of acting for the camera, I realized that cosplay as a hobby is basically an offshoot of acting. I was able to embody and become characters that I loved, and going to conventions in cosplay meant I had the opportunity to interact with other people who love those same areas of pop culture as you. I applied to be in many panels at conventions and was cast in a few; I did in-character Q&A’s as popular children’s characters and live shows that ended up selling out of tickets before my own friends even got a chance to snag any. The ability to blend costume creation and acting helps build the world of the character, especially when I’m interacting with children who recognize who I’m supposed to be dressed as. It’s easy to lose focus when your life is balanced on two fields that are highly volatile, but thankfully acting and cosplay both cycle into each other. Through cosplay, I am able to make connections with a lot of like-minded creatives, and this in turn gives me the motivation to work harder on acting. Through acting, I am able to deeply appreciate performances in pieces of media I watch and it inspires me to create costumes for characters I want to honor.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I honestly have no idea, I’m not from Arizona! I’m from sunny South Florida, and I only recently got accepted into a Master’s program at ASU. I’ll definitely be looking to Shoutout Arizona for some tips and recommendations!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The main person who deserves a shoutout would have to be my mom. I know a lot of people think their mom is the best, but truly, my mom is THE best mom I could have asked for. Since the beginning, she put me in theatre and helped me get the resources to express myself creatively as I grew up. She had no idea what cosplay was when I started, yet she would follow me around conventions proudly announcing, “That’s my daughter and she made that costume herself,” every time anyone stopped me for a picture. She is my biggest cheerleader and she pushes me to believe in myself enough to take necessary chances in my life and career choices.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dahlianicole_/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dahlianicole_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dahlianicolecosplay

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Dahlialiketheflower