Matt McGorry has finally found his footing in Hollywood 

Robin Roberts on her path to success: 'I've always told myself, find a way'

Derek Hough never thought dancing would be his life

“I’m a born-and-raised New Yorker [and I] never thought I’d want to leave, never thought I’d want live in L.A.,” Matt McGorry says. “[I] didn’t learn how to drive a car until a little over year ago! But I came out to L.A. full time when we started shooting the series

McGorry didn’t just take time to make the move cross-country, but also spent years performing while also excelling in personal training before he would commit to acting full-time.

“The biggest light bulb moment [for me] was making the switch away from my career path as a personal trainer — because I was very into that — and deciding five years ago I needed to put that aside and really focus on the acting.”

Fortunately, it took just a few small parts before McGorry hit it big with Netflix’s critically acclaimed series

. “I remember train rides home with Dascha [Polanco]… and we were like, ‘I wonder how this is going to be received.’ To have a show that’s really smart and well done and also happens to be something people likes is the dream come true.”

, McGorry says he’s truly come into his own. “When I first started

I was so stressed and anxious about doing a good job and constantly seeking validation. Now I’m a bit more confident in [acting]. Getting to flex my comedic muscles on

early on and now [doing] some more serious work, it’s really gratifying.”

Watch episode 3 of My Journey with Matt McGorry above and head here to watch the rest of the series. 

\'The Wiz Live!\' producers: \'Once this airs, we’ll be jumping in on \'Bombshell\'\'

From \'Dirty Dozen\' to \'Mockingjay,\' Donald Sutherland looks back

Check out the first look of Sarah Jessica Parker in new HBO comedy \'Divorce\'

First trailer unleashed for Gerard Butler\'s \'Gods of Egypt\'

\'Ant-Man\' director to take sequel in \'very unexpected directions\'

\'Tomb Raider\' reboot finds a director and writer

Taylor Kitsch joins \'The Death and Life of John F. Donovan\'

See The Cast of \'The Hunger Games’ at Their First and Last Premieres

Where Does \'Carol\' Rank Among Cate Blanchett\'s Best?

What It Looked Like Inside the VH1 Big In 2015 With Entertainment Weekly Party

See All the Red-Carpet Style from VH1 Big In 2015 with Entertainment Weekly