Meet India Dupre originally from Leigh-on-Sea, Essex who moved to LA 19 years ago to pursue a career in performing and filmmaking.
Was there a particular reason you chose LA?
I was in a band with Nick Heyward, we had just made an album in London and we came out here to tour. We got a flat in Toluca Lake and lived between England and LA. Eventually I stayed here and made it my home.
What do you miss most from home?
I miss the cobblestoned streets and the sense of history you feel walking down the street. I miss all the different accents from England and abroad. I miss English food! Gravy, peas, fish and chips, roast potatoes that the English do so well. I miss the sense of humor (even in the ads on TV!)
What was your first impression of LA and has it changed since?
After living in London, I was most impressed with the color of the sky when you land at LAX. The blue is something not to be taken for granted.
What do you find the difference is living here versus London?
Little things like: I’d put my sneakers on for the trek on public transport and take a big heavy backpack with nice shoes to change into for later on, more clothes, an umbrella etc. in case it started to rain. In LA you can have different items all in the back of your car and pull right up to an address! I felt it was very expensive in London. I was working in a bar, singing on Sundays and it was tough to make a living that way. In LA I felt you could live a better quality of life for not that much money! But I do miss those dreamy summers in London where everyone is so happy laying sunburnt in the parks taking in every drop of sunshine. I loved traveling to Europe so easily too!
Do you have a hidden gem in LA that you want to share with us?
I recently found the old zoo grounds in Griffith Park – it is where a zoo was established in the early 1900s and they left all the caves there after establishing a new zoo close by. My English friend Jo and I hike over there and while it is sad to think of bears and tigers confined in those dens, the surrounding old trees and vast green areas remind us of English parks and you can breathe in gorgeous fresh air.
There’s also a great beach on PCH called Carbon Beach – there are two Public Access entry points and my husband and I love it. It’s mostly empty and you can take a peaceful walk past all the fancy beach houses. It is worth the drive every time. You leave feeling serene and fulfilled. Park for free on PCH.
What would you suggest to others who are thinking about making the move here?
Americans are very friendly and love Brits. You can really make LA feel lovely by taking advantage of the nature – the canyons, the beaches, the older areas with character and landmarks. I once saw the orphanage where Marilyn Monroe lived as a child that had a view of the Paramount Water Tower that she used to pray to! The Venice Canals, designed by Abbot Kinney in 1905, are stunning and you can take a blissful walk around them.
Lots of our members join our group Brits in LA seeking out words of wisdom – what is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Don’t give up! My friends that stay here usually find their place and do very well. But you’ve got to put the time and energy in!
Lastly, how can we find out more about you? Are you working on anything at the moment?
I am creating a podcast right now for Audible Originals. I moved to Australia at the age of four as a child migrant under the Fairbridge scheme. It was a disaster (they’d promised my mum, Margaret Dupre, a job and a place to live with us kids but ripped that letter up on arrival and sent her away. She could have us back when she had a house and a job.) This all led to a very interesting childhood where my mother, desperate, became a stripper, stole us back, and we hitchhiked from Perth across the Nullarbor to the Gold Coast where she became a popular model.
I made a short film, Stripped, with Vikings actress Katheryn Winnick playing my mother. And another short, RING from the perspective of a doorbell about an affair that goes wrong…
Mum lives here in LA too and we have lunch and garden every other day.
Find India at www.indiadupre.com or on instagram @indiadupre
