845. Fearlessly Failing: The Resilient Actor - Damien Strouthos
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In this deeply candid episode of Fearlessly Failing with Lola Berry, actor Damien Strouthos shares his journey through the emotional highs and lows of a creative career, emphasizing resilience, self-awareness, and the power of community. Drawing from his Greek Cypriot heritage and experiences in Australian theatre and screen, Damien reflects on the challenges of rapid auditions, the silence after submissions, and the mental toll of rejection. He reveals how listening to Lola’s podcast became a turning point, inspiring him to seek coaching and reframe his relationship with failure. Central themes include the importance of celebrating effort over results, trusting bodily intuition, and building a supportive 'tribe' of creative partners. Damien also discusses the transformative role of performance coaching, hypnotherapy, and the courage to say no—even when opportunities feel tempting—highlighting how these practices foster long-term sustainability in an unpredictable industry. His story is a testament to the quiet strength found in vulnerability and connection.
Celebrate effort, not just results—reward the act of showing up, not just booking the role.
Trust your body’s signals: unease is a valid guide, not a weakness.
Saying no is an act of self-respect and strategic clarity, especially when it aligns with your values.
Coaching and creative partnerships are not luxuries—they’re essential tools for resilience.
Rejection silence is common; don’t mistake no response for personal failure.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Audition Paradox: Speed vs. Depth
“You kind of like if you start impressing these ideas onto a script without enough time to get through that bullshit and kind of move into the next stage which is actually like, okay, well, what does this character actually want?”
Cultural Identity as Creative Fuel
“Now I feel like, first of all, there's a much smaller pool of us. There's a very tiny pool, particularly in Australia who are my age actors and stuff. And it feels like I get to... play within my own culture a lot.”
The Silence After Submission: A Psychological Trap
“If you don't book, often you just don't get a response. That's very common. And so unless you're aware of that and have really good mental health... there can be like a very big self-doubt picture that creeps in.”
The Power of the Tribe: Coaching, Partnerships & Vulnerability
“Having a partner that gets you and sees you and really it's... you've got very similar lived experiences as actors. It has to be like a superpower, right?”
Adversity Quotient: Training Resilience Through Dissonance
Lola introduces the concept of AQ (Adversity Quotient), which Damien embraces as a framework for growth. He explains how acknowledging anxiety, racing thoughts, and physical tension—rather than suppressing them—can lead to empowered choices aligned with one’s values.
“It's okay to feel the way you're feeling, take a beat, and let's turn it into luck and adventure, like, and be more in the energy of where you want to go.”
“Having a partner that gets you and sees you and really it's... you've got very similar lived experiences as actors. It has to be like a superpower, right?”
“Reward the effort. Yeah. Because when I've talked, I don't know if I've ever talked about this on a podcast but... the idea is like if I went, when I was a kid, I did little athletics or whatever. And if I won a race, maybe I'd get bought an ice cream... But if you don't win, then you don't get the reward.”
Host
Guest
Lola Berry
person
Damien Strouthos
person
Australia
place
Jess
person
Greek Cypriot
other
Los Angeles
place
The Tourist
other
Shirley
other
Les
person
Molly Packer
person
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