Chillin’ with Sarah Minnich

By Chilled Magazine

From the silver screen to television and music videos, Sarah has built herself a multifaceted career in entertainment.

She is best known as Brenda from AMC’s hit series Better Call Saul and for her roles in the feature films Sicario and The Ridiculous 6, a Western comedy by Happy Madison Productions starring Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider and Luke Wilson.

A California native, Sarah was raised by incredibly active parents who taught her how to take care of herself and the value of spending time in nature. After moving to New Mexico to be close to her family and escape the pollution and congestion of California, she completed her Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree from the University of New Mexico, with hopes of one day pursuing a PhD.

Over the years, Sarah’s passion for acting has led to her training with the Sol Acting Academy, SAG Foundation, and The Actor’s Company LA. With her talent, she aims to touch the lives of many through the performance of complex human emotion and struggle. Moreover, she hopes to one day be a public influencer and have the opportunity to pass along the knowledge that she has gained from her own struggles and past decisions, specifically to young women.

Aside from acting, Sarah has a passion for many causes including addiction recovery, healthy body image, human rights, animal rights, saving the environment, and conservation. When she is not working, Sarah enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and working with plants. Some of her other hobbies include travel, yoga, writing, and spending time with animals.

Chillin’ with Sarah Minnich, pose on stool

Chillin’ with Sarah Minnich

Photo by Lesley Bryce

Tell us a bit about the projects you are working on. 

Right now, my most notable project is Waco on the new Paramount TV. I am excited for this project, as it has gotten a lot of media attention and the cast is stellar! I recently recurred in the Netflix series Godless alongside Jeff Daniels and a few exceptionally talented New Mexico local actors. Coming soon I have a couple of projects coming out that I am particularly excited about: The Wave with Justin Long, and Icebox with Anthony Gonzalez. In The Wave, I play Long’s embittered wife and get to let out some pretty epic aggression on not only him, but the camera as well. In Icebox, I play a border patrol officer who co-handles the capture and management of Gonzalez’s character; this film will have some pretty interesting points to make about the immigration situation facing child immigrants in this country.

With your busy schedule, what do you like to do with your downtime? 

My fiancée Jannis and I spend a lot of time exploring with our dog Max. We adopted him from a shelter in South New Mexico where things can be pretty brutal for doggy health. Fortunately, he is very healthy now and loves to go on walks, play with his toys, and lay comatose on our laps while we watch movies. Aside from that, I also am doing post-graduate work in education a few nights a week; it keeps my brain busy and gives me something to focus on after big auditions that want to take up all of my thinking time. I train weekly with my acting coach and sometimes do short film projects with industry friends. Aside from those things, I also spend a good deal of time working in my father’s plant nursery; working with nature keeps me grounded and content.

Chillin’ with Sarah Minnich, shopping in the market

Chillin’ with Sarah Minnich

Photo by Lesley Bryce

When you go out to eat, where do you like to dine? 

I love Mexican and New Mexican food! Ramen is one of Jannis and my favorites, and we frequently hit up the best local sushi spots. Green chili is a huge hit here in New Mexico, and hungry locals and tourists can find anything from green chili chicken enchiladas to green chili ice-cream. I am known in my family as a connoisseur of dining out and we often will eat out many times a week depending on if I feel like cooking or not.

What types of dishes do you usually order? 

I like to ask the server what the most popular dish on the menu is and consider that before going with my own choice. If we’re eating Mexican or New Mexican food at a restaurant (e.g. La Choza in Santa Fe), I’m typically looking for chicken enchiladas smothered either in green chili alone or ‘Christmas style’ (which means both green and red chili sauce). If we’re eating take-out or walk-up Mexican, I almost always go with tacos … my family jokes that I have a taco addiction. If we’re eating Ramen, I always go with some version of spicy miso. If I’m eating sushi, I’m what they call a whimp; either I get a California role or a tempura role (basically some kind of shellfish, cooked).

Chillin’ with Sarah Minnich, blue dress, blue background

Chillin’ with Sarah Minnich

Photo by Lesley Bryce

Do you cook? 

Absolutely! It runs in my family. My mother is an outstanding creative chef and my grandmother was an accomplished traditional house-wife kind of chef. I took a little bit of both of their styles and meshed them together to make my own experimental style that relies on organic and non-GMO ingredients. Ask me what my favorite ingredient is: garlic. Along with garlic, I use a lot of olive oil, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, heavy cream, asparagus, herb de Provence, pepper, red pepper flakes, chicken, turkey, shellfish, linguini … 10 paragraphs later, I still wouldn’t be done with this list.

What types of drinks do you order when out? 

When I do have a drink with dinner, I typically stick with champagne. Sometimes, if we are somewhere that is known for high quality, I will order a Mojito or a Margarita.

Do you prepare drinks at home? 

On special occasions, my fiancée and I will share a split of champagne.

Do you own a home bar? 

No home bar at our house; just a bottle of Don Julio that’s never been opened. Hahaha. Unless you consider 10 boxes of soda water as part of a home bar.

Chillin’ with Sarah Minnich, market, leaning on parking meter

Chillin’ with Sarah Minnich

Photo by Lesley Bryce

If you did own a home bar, what would it be like? 

Very simple and classy, with a variety of olives and fresh fruit to garnish.

What is your favorite drink/cocktail? 

I really love olives and therefore find a dirty Grey Goose Martini to be incredibly tasty.

Have you ever been a bartender? 

Yes, actually. I worked two or three shifts as a bartender one month while I was waitressing at a local pizzeria many years back. We served beer and wine, and I was well-liked by customers for my outgoing personality and willing smile. It didn’t last long though, as I never knew how to recommend beers to people since I don’t really drink beer that often. Go figure!

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