Tricia Merrick is living out a dream that she first had decades ago when she was in college. How many of us lie in bed dreaming instead of getting up and pursuing our dreams? Tricia tells us that it’s never too late to throw aside whatever holds you back, and pursue your passion!
In her words:
“I grew up the NYC suburbs as the 4th out of 5 children with a very strict, regimental mother. She often commented on how surprised she was that we were all so different but continued to demand that we all follow her orders. We knew not to question her authority (even my dad knew better) and to never color outside the lines she dictated.
“I loved to perform.”
I always felt a stirring deep within to break free of this mold, to express myself instead of always keeping quiet. I loved to perform, whether it was singing solos in school and church or acting in plays in high school. Giving voice to this tamped down spirit was incredibly freeing and I loved it.
I went to a Liberal Arts College in Ohio and did not pursue my passion for acting – that certainly wasn’t encouraged on the home front! I graduated with a BA in history and went into sales for Xerox when I graduated. I married, had 3 children (one with special needs) and was a stay at home mom. While I loved being able to be a part of my kids’ lives, I still had this stirring deep within that I needed and wanted to express.
I started my journey into acting by meeting Betsy and Scott at Taylor Royall and trying out for and booking a number of commercials in Baltimore. My children were still young though and my husband went through a bout of cancer (he’s great now) so there were many starts and stops along the way as family always came first. My passion was second to everyone else’s needs.
“I was going to put my passions and dreams first.”
In 2010 we moved back to the NY area. My 2 older children were in college and my youngest ended up going to boarding school, so I was an empty nester. I also turned 50! That was a HUGE turning point in my life. A friend asked me around that time what I wanted to do and why I wasn’t pursuing my dream and when I had no legitimate answer, she said “well you must not want it very much” That was such a wake-up call for me. I did want this, desperately! I finally realized it was MY TURN! I was going to put myself, my dreams and my passions first. So, I put on my big girl pants, signed up for acting classes in NYC and haven’t looked back.
Since then, I have appeared in many TV commercials, print ads, short films and even recently had a role on Law and Order SVU!
What would I say to my younger self? Don’t be afraid to color outside those lines!
“You are enough.”
What is the best advice I’ve ever gotten? A Casting Director once said to me in an audition “you are enough”. I thought this was so profound on so many levels. Whether in acting or in life, believe in yourself, don’t try to be someone else because not only is everyone else taken, but you are enough!”
