Her Story
About Sarah
Sarah Hustead is an actor, screenwriter, and director who primarily works in the film and TV sector. She graduated from the University of Maryland in 2026 with a degree in English Literature, with a focus on fiction writing and screenwriting. In addition to acting in award-winning short films and indie projects, including the horror film Ravager and the drama An Accident that she wrote and directed, Sarah has entered into a contract to produce a book adaptation called Salvation for author Noelle Adams, pitching it to streaming platforms. She is currently based between Maryland and New York, targeting procedural shows such as SVU to gain streaming credits before a potential move to Los Angeles. Sarah attributes her success to being stubbornly persistent in pursuing storytelling over other career paths she considered, such as nursing, and she values kindness, empathy, and taking control of her own career without waiting for permission from others. She is a member of Maryland Filmmakers and has stunt training.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sarah
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think it's that I'm insanely stubborn. I came into school thinking I was going to be a nurse because I got my EMT license in high school, but I quickly realized that the only thing that makes me happy is telling stories. I'd rather be stressed out and barely scraping by pursuing the thing that I like than wishing that I had done it.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
To give everything my 100%, but to also not let anyone change who I am as a person. To not fall victim to doing things I don't want to do or be cruel in order to get what I want, because being kind to everyone is going to get me further than trying to step on people to get to the top.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't wait to try and act or do the things you want to do for your career for someone to tell you to believe in you or give you permission. Most of the time in this industry people are not going to believe in you unless you make them believe in you. You have to take control of your own story and your own career and make your own stuff. Don't be scared that it's not going to work out.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
It's a lot of catch-22s and gatekeeping. In order to get the kind of work you need, like streaming shows, you have to either have a ton of recognition already or have an agent willing to stick their neck out for you. But to get that agent you have to have something to show them. There's no one clear path like in engineering. People will tell you a million different things while telling you nothing at all.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I have always believed that dreams are very potential realities because there's nothing that can completely stop you from achieving something if you throw yourself at it completely. If there's something that I want to do and someone isn't giving me permission to do that, then I'm gonna do it myself. Morally, I'm a big believer in you should always be kind to every person you meet because you don't know what they could do for you in the future. I'm a big believer in karma.
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