Growing up in West Hollywood, Siena East was surrounded by artists long before she knew what kind of storyteller she would become.
Now, the Choctaw writer, actor and comedian is building a growing career in television and film, with credits including acting roles, writers’ room experience, and festival-recognized short films.
Her parents moved to Los Angeles to pursue creative careers. Her mother was a dancer and painter, while her father worked as an actor after traveling between New Mexico and California.
That creative home shaped East’s interests early and gave her the confidence to explore new paths.
“Anything I was excited about or interested in, my parents really encouraged,” East said. “Art was never a profession that was discouraged.”
“Art is about creating your own world and inviting people into it,” said East. “Your worlds are unique and valuable.”
By her teenage years, East was already exploring acting and writing.
She studied Meisner acting techniques, helped teach classes and wrote short films.
At first, she believed directing would be her path, which led her to attend New York University’s film program.
While in school, East discovered another passion: comedy. She began performing stand-up, studying television writing, and focusing on scripts that centered on humor and strong characters rather than dramatic short films.
“Comedy was the way it felt most true to me to tell stories… I had a teacher who said the most important thing is taste,” East said. “You’re not going to be good for a long time. If you can tell when something isn’t working, that’s probably the best thing you can do.”
After graduating, East returned to Los Angeles and worked to build her career.
She shared a room with her younger brother, took jobs as a production assistant, trained at Upright Citizens Brigade, performed stand-up and sent her writing to industry programs. Her parents stayed supportive, she said, though comedy took some time to warm up to.
As East’s career has grown, she has focused more on how Native characters are shown in film and television.
“My whole life, being Native was how I perceived the world,” she said. “Through self, through character, through conflict.”
East said Native viewpoints should not be treated as small or limited.
“That’s not a niche perspective,” she said. “It’s the only perspective I know.”
East said she strives to write complex characters, especially Native women, instead of perfect or polished portrayals.
“I think the ability to be flawed is the ability to be human… I’m more interested in human representation than anything else,” she said. “Flawed people who are interesting and compelling and relatable.”
That approach carried into her role on “The Lowdown,” a drama series created by Sterlin Harjo about a Native-owned news outlet in Tulsa, Okla. and the people who work there. The show features a well-known cast, including Ethan Hawke, and has drawn attention for casting Indigenous creatives in leading roles both on screen and behind the scenes.
East played Deidra, a character she said stood out for her humor, independence and quiet defiance.
“She was funny, human and grounded,” she said.
What stood out most to East about this experience was the atmosphere on set. She described the production as collaborative, with a crew that felt more like a family.
“When I left after filming the season, I was legitimately sad,” she said.
“I’d left jobs before and thought, ‘Okay, next one.’ This one felt like college. Everybody cared about what we were making.”
She credited Harjo’s leadership and the number of Indigenous creatives across departments for shaping that environment.
“Our perspectives are dedicated to being in community with each other,” East said.
Along with acting and writing projects currently in development, many of which she cannot yet discuss, East has also returned to stand-up comedy.
She performs mainly in Los Angeles and sometimes in Oakland, California.
According to East, her shows focus on personal topics such as mental health and childhood experiences.
“What I want people to leave with is feeling unashamed,” she said. “Feeling heard and seen.”
East also shared some advice for young Native artists hoping to work in film, television or comedy.
“There is always room for you,” she said. “Share your perspective. Find artists you respect. Work together.”
She said much of her progress came from creative relationships built during college and in her early career.
As Native representation in Hollywood continues to grow, East said she hopes future stories will show depth and honesty.
Not perfect heroes. Not simplified symbols. Just people. And, if East has her way, people who are allowed to be funny.
You can stream “The Lowdown” now Hulu and Disney+.
For more on Siena East, visit sienaeast.com or follow her on Instagram @sienaeast.