Scarlet Moreno is a Los Angeles-based actor, director, and multidisciplinary artist whose distinctive creative vision blends beauty, horror, glamour, music, and dark humor. Despite the uncertainties and lack of external validation that often accompany an artistic career, she continues to develop her craft and create work that reflects her individuality. Her latest short film, Money’s Tight, is set to begin its festival journey at FilmQuest, while her live performance, The Steamy Chanteuse, showcases her passion for music, cabaret, and theatrical storytelling. Through her work, Scarlet encourages aspiring creatives to embrace their unique tastes, trust their artistic voices, and start building the worlds they want to see without waiting for permission.

Here is the Q&A session we had with Scarlet Moreno.

Scarlet Moreno As Cover Story Interview – October 2026 Magazine Edition

How do you introduce yourself?

I’m Scarlet Moreno, an actor, director and artist based in LA! My latest short film “Money’s Tight” is premiering at FilmQuest and other festivals in the next few months.

Struggle – What hardships have you gone through in life?

One of the hardest challenges in being an artist is learning how to keep going through the periods when there’s very little external validation for your work. So much of a creative life is uncertain. You make something you believe in, put it into the world, and you don’t necessarily get to control what happens next.

I’ve had to learn to separate the joy and value of making the work from the outcome of the work. I’m definitely not perfect at it, but I’m getting better. 

What do people usually not know about you?

People are usually surprised to learn that I’m a very proficient horseback rider! My dad is a real-life cowboy, and I’ve been riding horses for as long as I can remember. I’ve always wanted to make a Western for exactly that reason. Gotta put the skill to use on the big screen!

What sets you apart from others?

What sets me apart is the world I create through my work. Thankfully, I believe I’ve gotten to a place where it’s very distinctly my own. I’m always drawn to the juxtaposition of concepts that maybe shouldn’t belong together: beauty and horror, glamour and desperation, humor and darkness. I love women who are complicated and messy and allowed to behave badly without the story immediately asking us to condemn or forgive them.

I’ve also never been particularly interested in being just one thing. I’m an actor, a director, a singer. I love fashion, music, performance, all of it, and inevitably all of those things end up in the work. “Money’s Tight” is probably one of my best examples of this. It’s a murder story dressed in rock music and blue eyeshadow. That combination feels very specific to me.

And in life, I believe it’s a similar idea. I like things that are heightened and beautiful and a little strange. I’d rather make the world more joyful and interesting.

What are your upcoming major events?

Right now I’m really excited to be taking “Money’s Tight” out into the world and beginning its festival run at the wonderful FilmQuest. This film has been a long time coming, so getting to finally share it with audiences feels incredibly special.

I’m also preparing for a live show I’ve created called “The Steamy Chanteuse” taking place at Voda Spa in West Hollywood on October 20th. She’s an old-school diva who has spent years performing on the international circuit and has finally decided Los Angeles deserves her reappearance. It’s part cabaret, part character piece, and a very different outlet for the same things I love in my film work: music, glamour, theatricality, and building a world people can step inside.

It feels like a really exciting moment because these projects are very different, but they’re both very much a part of my creative world.

What expert advice would you like to give?

I don’t know that I’d call myself an expert. I believe I’m very much still learning and honing my craft. But I will say: make the thing that feels the most like you. 
Your taste is valuable. The weird combination of things you love, the references you can’t stop thinking about, the things you find beautiful or funny or unsettling, that’s where your voice is. Follow that instead of trying to make your work easier to fit into a box.

And don’t wait for someone to give you permission. If there’s a world you want to see, start building it.

Your social media handles and website links?

• Instagram: @scarletinni
• Tiktok: @scarletinni
• Website: www.ScarletMoreno.com