Meet Raymond-Kym Suttle from London who moved to LA just over a year ago to pursue acting, writing, directing, film-making (and is a reluctant producer too), plus he teaches Dynamic Hatha Yoga and dance too. He’s also a fight choreographer and has make-up skills…
Was there a particular reason you chose LA?
I love the weather, the general ‘can-do’ attitude here, there’s a lot more opportunity to work in the film industry (I’ve worked more in one year here than I have in the last ten years in London) and despite the challenges, no matter what else is going on my life there’s sunshine and heat more often than not and that makes me happy!
What do you miss most from home?
Decent chocolate; the banking system (when will US banks hurry up and work out how to do online banking properly?!); the underground (or at least not needing to find parking); places to buy healthy and reasonably priced food on the go like Pret a Manger, Wasabi and real fish and chips!
What was your first impression of LA and has it changed since ? If so why?
I first visited LA in 2002 and I’ve noticed that a lot of it seems very run down since then. My first impression of the general atmosphere here is that people are very friendly. They still are, but I’ve worked out that a lot of people here are unable to sustain meaningful contact beyond casual amiable interaction. That being said, I’ve been lucky to make some excellent friends here.
What do you find the biggest difference is living here versus London?
Having a car is an expensive daily addition to my finances that I never had in London, but I love my car, despite all the problems I’ve had as a result of buying it from a dodgy car dealer who ripped me off and sold me a vehicle with a lot of faults (the transmission broke 2 weeks after purchase, then the radiator a week after that, and various other minor things that all amounted to a hefty added expense), I love my Jeep and it’s been extremely useful to me as a film-maker. I also love my home – so much more space than I had in most of my homes in London and extraordinarily kind and generous housemates.
Do you have a hidden gem in LA that you want to share with us?
I love Aroma cafe near the junction of Tujunga & Moorpark, and I love the yoga studio where I teach, YogaNoHo – it’s a fantastic space. I recently took part in the Collaboration Film Challenge (my film was nominated for best picture, my co-star nominated for best actress too) – it’s a brilliant competition to take part in as everyone wins simply by virtue of the fact that you get to work with amazing people and create work contacts.
What would you suggest to others who are thinking about making the move here?
Have lots and lots and lots of money saved or a bloody well-paid job to come to. Be aware of the limitations of the O-1 visa because they make life tough if you need to earn a living doing something other than what your visa allows you to do. Make sure you have a support system and be prepared to work hard and constantly. Networking is everything here. Be reliable, trustworthy and don’t piss people off because you never know when a reputation for being less than wonderful to work with will come back and bite you!
If your your life was a TV show what would be the theme tune and why?
“Safe and Sound” by Carly Simon, an oldie but a goodie: “If through all the madness, we can stick together, we’re safe and sound, the world’s just inside out and upside down…”
Lastly, how can we find out more about you?
