We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Vanessa Williams. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Vanessa below.

Vanessa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I have had my moments of self-doubt where I thought having a regular job would make my life so easy. I could travel without having to take my self-tape gear with me, I could dye my hair without having to get new headshots, I could save the money I would usually spend on acting classes and private coaching, the list could go on and on.

The last time I had this thought was in November 2022. My seasonal depression hit hard, I wasn’t getting many auditions, and a year had gone by since my last booking. I was watching shows and movies with all of these new actresses and thinking “where was my audition?” I can’t even get in the room. Is it my headshots, my resume, my personality? I tore myself apart trying to find the thing in me that was stopping my dream so I could fix it. But that’s not how this industry works. And I wanna make that known for other actors thinking that same way, IT’S NOT YOU. There are so many factors that go into casting that we will never know. It’s rare to receive feedback or a reason why we didn’t get it email. We find out we didn’t get it by watching a show and thinking “Hmm the scene seems familiar… I auditioned for that. Guess I didn’t get it.”

But… back to tearing myself apart. I then started comparing my side job to acting. I was listening to my co-worker talk about her life. All the trips she was going to take, the freedom of not always needing to be attached to her phone incase of a turn around audition, her healthy mental state from not being rejected for roles. It seemed like maybe I would be happier if I switched careers.

But the thought of switching careers no matter how many times it comes is always short lived, because I can’t see my future without it. I love acting, and when it comes down to it that’s the only detail that matters. I will endure every no, almost, and so close, because it makes me happy. It’s a rush to get an email saying you have an audition due in two hours, that you have a callback in person tomorrow, you’re booked and it shoots in New York, and getting to play constantly and with other amazing creative people is a blessing.

Vanessa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hi, I am Vanessa Nicole Williams and I am an actress. I decided I wanted to be an actress when I was 13 years old. I had joined an acting intensive and fell completely in love with it. The intensive would have agents drop in giving the students an opportunity to audition for them. My second audition there, I booked an agent. Yay. A few months later, having not been to any auditions, my mom received a call that my agent was leaving the agency and would not be taking his clients with him. I was dropped. I was devastated, being that my goal was to be on Disney Channel by the time I was 16. I started to pursue other interests and became too caught up in other activities to give acting my all. Once I finally did, there was no going back for me. I started to explore the true craft of acting, its history, and legends. I was studying up on Uta Hagen, Stella Adler, Sanford Meisner etc. I was exploring writers, directors, plays, musicals, and different genres. I was completely engulfed in everything. I started taking classes and worked extremely hard to learn everything I could from my teachers and the students around me. I’m a firm believer in the idea that you have to do the things that scare you the most. The truth is, there are things in acting that scare me. Sometimes the scariest part is just showing up, but I do. And showing up has had the biggest impact on my life. Not because of the outcome, but because it taught me amazing lessons about who I am and what I’m capable of. And that’s something to be proud of.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The lesson that there are rules. There are no rules, specifically in self-tapes. Obviously there are guidelines but within those guidelines there is freedom to play. To create. When I started doing self-tapes I had this idea that there was a right way to do it. Center of screen, eye line always just off camera, not wearing anything distracting, don’t turn away or they won’t be able to see your face etc. These “rules” stopped me from being able to embody all that my character would do, or how they would act. I would stand there solid, thinking I’m doing everything right. Wrong. That was stifling my ability to live truthfully in the moment. I’m currently unlearning this and allowing myself to play with angles, wardrobe, and props. I’m playing again and I’m not asking for permission.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I would say connecting with the audience and delivering strong powerful messages. It is such an amazing experience to connect with even one person but the experience of connecting with a whole room, is difficult to put into words. I have had a few of those stand out moments during the time I studied at the Art of Acting Studio. In our second year we were given a short film assignment and a solo show. For the short film assignment, I was lucky enough to be paired with some very passionate and talented people. Seeing our short film on a big screen with the rest of my peers watching, was really nerve racking. But it was ultimately what solidified my need to be a part of the film and tv industry.

For the solo show I was telling the story of activist and crime boss, Stephanie St. Clair. Specifically in this one woman show, I wrote in moments where I would break out of character to hammer in the meaning of what this story is about: Stephanie St. Claire deserved to be seen. The overall message being that, black women deserve to be seen. Breaking the fourth wall, I referenced and made eye contact with the black women in the audience. And in that moment, getting that affirmation back from them, was all encompassing and there are really no words to describe that feeling. That’s the feeling I’ll always search for.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @vanessanicolewilliams

Image Credits
Cameron Radice Photography (Professional Headshots)