somindboggling journeys

This episode features child actors Lyric Angel and Cameron Keitt and their dedicated and supportive moms, Angel Dixon (Lyric Angel's mom) and Daria (Cameron's mom). The child actors give a glimpse into what it's like for them to work on set, while the moms get candid about what it's been like to raise, support and nurture child actors. The moms touch on how the children started acting and working in the business. Lyric Angel and Cameron talk about their experience shooting a Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Commercial in 2020 (which is still THE commercial spot that's featured on the brand's YouTube homepage!) and what they loved about the shoot. Lyric Angel opens up about her music and shooting a short film, while Cameron walks us through his favorite moments from his time on SNL. We even learn what they each wanna be when they grow up.

— The actors watching themselves on the commercial

— Being professional child actors

— Teaching discipline

— Childhood work ethic

— Being a momager

— Getting started in the entertainment industry

— Managing being a mom and supporting their kids' careers

— Meeting your child where they are

— What Lyric Angel and Cameron like about being actors

Episode Links:

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Kia Barbee is a storyteller, creative producer, founder of “ScriptRead,” writer of TV pilot “French Mgmt,” author of the play “Roommates” which was just showcased in New York City, and a preschool teacher. Kia talks to us about being a writer, what her process is, why she created “ScriptRead,” and what she currently has in the works. A prolific writer in basically all of the genres — we're talking supernatural, sci-fi, dramas, satire, dramedy, thriller, psychological drama, and even romcoms — Kia can do it all. She's already written a TV pilot that was featured at the Austin Film Festival AMC TV pilot and been commissioned to write a play by Jeff Daniels’ theater company “Purple Rose.” With a new novel in the works, Kia has no plans of slowing down and always seeks to just move forward. 

— Being a creative producer 

— Writing a TV pilot 

— Taking new directions in your writing 

— The changing representation of Black women on TV 

— Creating “ScriptRead” to create a resource for both writers and actors 

— Working on a new play, TV pilot, and novel all at once 

— Kia's writing process 

— Anslem Richardson's advice to Kia 

— Creating your own IP 

— Being a preschool teacher and an artist 

— Naked Angels in New York City  

ScriptRead will be having a live reading focusing on young writers on July 18th, 2022 at 7pm! Sign up for their newsletter to stay up to date with all of their future readings and themes. 

Episode Links: 

Kia Barbee's Instagram 

Kia Barbee's Twitter 

Learn more about ScriptRead here

ScriptRead's Instagram

RSVP for ScriptRead Cycle 10

Follow Roommates on Instagram

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Justin Phillips and Laura Cornachio are two comedic actors who I met on the set of a Nathan's Hot Dog Commercial. They're both working actors, and we decided to sit down and have a roundtable talk all about acting. We talk about what it was like to film the commercial together, how we learned Andy Cohen was the name attachment, how a bee almost derailed the shoot, and what has come of our big booking. We even get very real about what it's like to try to get footage, trying to overcome imposter syndrome, learning to speak up for yourself, and what we think is the best hot dog. 

— Booking a commercial for a big brand 

— How attitude affects your audition 

— Battling hopelessness and imposter syndrome as an actor 

— Being put on hold 

— What it's like to work on set post-pandemic 

— The current state of self-tapes 

— How today's working actor has to be their own production company 

— Finding your story and trusting yourself 

— Acting Classes 

— Promoting yourself 

— Social media for actors 

Episode Links: 

Justin's Instagram

Lauren's Website

Lauren's Instagram

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Sam Valentine is the creator and founder of the One Broke Actress podcast and my co-producer here on Somindboggling Journeys. Having just wrapped her 9th season of One Broke Actress, launched a new podcast production company called Fast Forward Productions, and had a recurring role on Bosch: Legacy, Sam is a busy working actor/CEO/dog mom. She takes us through the inspiration behind One Broke Actress, what her schedule looks like, how she manages her time, and why transparency is so important to her brand.

— Creating One Broke Actress

— Being in your "Flow State"

— Finding Fast Forward Production with Ashli Pollard

— Batching content

— Sam's weekly schedule

— Managing 2 different companies alongside her acting career

— Creating a career that is sustainable

— Finding productivity in the morning

— Financial stability

— Why everyone needs to have "nothing" days

— Deconstructing the myth of the "big break"

— The cost of hustle culture

Episode Links:

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Anastasia and I met on the set of NORK (2022), a new project about two friends chasing the American Dream with the goal of helping their community in Newark, New Jersey. This project is Anastasia's first lead role, and she was an absolute pro. A current student at NYU, Anastasia joined Somindboggling Journeys all the way from Madrid. She takes us through her love for Cheetah Girls 2 and Bridgerton, her thoughts on going to NYU for acting, and what she is manifesting for the next phase of her career.  

— Choosing a stage name

— Being a university student during COVID

— Deciding to take a gap year

— Making time for travel and family

— Learning from different cultures

— Going to NYU + the pros/cons of an acting showcase

— Getting representation

— Her experience booking a lead role

— Why doing your own makeup is important (Shoutout to Stila + Fenty Beauty)

— How representation plays a factor in the roles we take

— Our favorite shows/streaming platforms

— Self-tape auditions

— Dreams and goals for life after graduation

Episode Links:  

Anastasia's Instagram

Watch the NORK (2022) Official Trailer

NORK is inspired by Kayla Michèle and Chisa Egbelu aka the PeDuL team

Anastasia's Official Website - Coming Soon...

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Marchelle Thurman is an actor, writer, producer, and director. A graduate from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Marchelle walks us through her journey as a multi-hyphenate. From balancing a full time corporate job while being a creative to being inspired by Issa Rae and Lena Dunham, Marchelle gets real about how the hustle never stops. Even as she juggles multiple projects, Marchelle is the type of person who brings 100% to everything that she does. It's one of the things that I'm constantly inspired by, and it's no surprise that her first feature film (that she co-wrote!) ended up as the winner of the Audience Choice Award Best Feature Drama at the Sedona International Film Festival this year. Tune in to hear about her temporary move from New York to Atlanta, from co-star to feature film lead, and how networking was at the heart of it all. 

— Making her own work 

— Landing a full time job 

— Deciding to temporarily move to Atlanta from New York 

— Becoming a writer, producer, and now director 

— The difficulties of post-production 

— How the pandemic affected her career 

— The film festival circuit 

— Reframing the audition as the win rather than the booking 

— Finding an actor mentor in Lana Young  

Episode Links: Marchelle's IG 

Marchelle's website: Black White and the Greys Official 

Website: Follow @blackwhiteandthegreys on Instagram! 

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Kenya (Robinson) is a multidisciplinary artist born, raised and currently based in Gainesville, Florida and a self-proclaimed mischief-maker. She is a performance artist, voiceover artist, writer, sculptor, painter and more who studied at the Los Angeles Technical College before going on to study at Yale University and Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. She's had her art featured at a variety of museums and institutions including Deutsche Bank and the Smithsonian Museum, where one of her pieces is a part of their permanent collection. After creating and expounding upon her project, "White Man On a Pedestal (WMOAP)," Kenya joins the podcast just before heading off to London to work on what is sure to be an urban classic, "HOOD Tales!"

— The value of a woman's last name

— What inspires her art

— Recognizing universal through-lines in her exhibits

— Redefining what an artist is

— The current state of urban fiction

— How books mark time

— Affirming Blackness in a way that is not anti-Black

— Ghost writers

— The ups and downs of working with museums

— Curating an art show

Episode Links:

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Welcome to our first Interlude podcast episode. I wanted to take some time in between guests to reflect on all we have shared so far this season. From Cameron's time management and Gerard's work ethic, to Morgan taking control of her career and opportunities…we see that no journeys are one in the same. I also comment on the pursuit of this podcast and my own dreams, even though the world around us is constantly shifting and so emotionally challenging. In fact, with all the despair, I think our dreams are more important to hold onto now more than ever. So let me leave you with a little inspiration on this Memorial Day. 

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Morgan Page is a singer/songwriter, actor and producer who just released her first single: Broken Open. We met in an acting class and her fearlessness was apparent from the very first time that I met her. She just took a major step in moving over to the West Coast, where she has begun producing her own music while continuing to build her acting career. Despite being a creative professional for years, Morgan shares why she feels like her journey is just beginning.

— Deciding to make the journey from New York City to Los Angeles

— The process of creating, producing, and releasing her first single

— Finding inspiration in others, especially Mickey Guyton

— Hustling over Partying

— Networking and building relationships in a new market

— Why marketing yourself is important

— Gaining exposure through social media platforms like TikTok

— Learning to accept our own unique journey in life, even when we are taken to places we never expected to be

Episode Links:

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Gerard Brown is best known for his work on Juice (1992), which launched the careers of Omar Epps, Jermaine Hopkins, Khalil Kain, and Tupac Shakur. He also wrote episodes on shows such as Spawn (1998) and Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (1995). In this episode, Gerard shares his experience writing Juice and the "feast or famine" nature of the film industry. He also talks about the difference in writing for film and theatre, and what his favorite project to date is.

— Who Gerard is

— Gerard's writing process, and the unpredictability of success

— Writing under pressure

— Why writing on multiple projects at once doesn't work for him

— His experience teaching and doing workshops for his work

— Audition stories from Juice

— Two major scenes that were changed when adapting his Juice screenplay for the big screen

Episode Links:

Gerard Brown's IMDb page

Rumpelstiltskin on "Happily Ever After"

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