Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Randolph Summiel. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Randolph thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
I received my Master’s Degree in Acting for film and my undergrad degrees are in Radio Television and Film communications, and Liberal Arts. That’s where I learned the tools for my craft in front of and behind the camera. I also built long-term business/friendship relationships in college which are very important to my journey. The skills that I believe were the most essential to my growth as an actor and a man are just people skills, being kind and present. Learning to look outside of myself and operate out of love intentionally, I believe is one of the most important “skills” someone can learn. I say it’s a skill because in this industry, I’ve been pushed and at times my mindset wasn’t always in a place of peace. Learning to not lose myself in situations and within the journey was something I had to learn through experience and make sure I controlled my own mental space. The obstacles that stood in my way of learning more were my own pride and ego. It’s still a process. It seems like every level I grow to I notice at times when I am operating out of pride or ego and I have to address that in those moments. This Industry is very ego-based and although it’s important to have a sense of self-pride and ego, it is important to not allow that to overshadow the other parts of who I am while remaining confident in everything I do. Over time, pride and ego are something that everyone on this journey will have to confront, some more than others but I believe it is important to identify those early in the journey. It will help build healthy relationships and allow the ability to be coached.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Randolph G. Summiel II, and my nickname is Trae, because I am actually the 3rd Randolph in the family, but the 2nd Randolph G. Summiel. I know, it can be a little confusing. I am an actor/writer/producer born and raised out of Glassboro New Jersey. I also have a workshop I travel with called “Blume” which focuses on acting. It is great for all levels of expertise because it gives us as artists a place to perform and work on our work. I’ve had many different professionals attend this workshop and it has helped them free themselves of some fears and build confidence in their everyday life. What I’m most proud of is my growth and relationship with Jesus Christ. I believe I’ve been on a journey that’s very real and relatable and that’s placed me in an interesting position in how I navigate life. Acting has been something in life that not only is a profession to me but it also helps me be a better person. After every project, there’s something that I learn. I gain perspective through character development and the people I work with on set and find something new about myself.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
What I struggled with in my career with those who are “Non-creatives” in the business world, is the mental capacity that creatives have to have. At times it’s hard to even think clearly if there’s a project on my mind or I haven’t been able to complete it or I haven’t created something in a long time. Which I believe is relatable to non-creatives when it comes to their own personal jobs that they care about. It’s that sometimes as a creative before we are able to bring in income, we have to do what we do for the love of it and then continue to find a way to make money while still creating out of love. The priority for creatives tends to be to create and at times we forget even important “life” priorities that we’ll put on hold or use expenses immaturely. I know I’ve learned through trial and error. There were times a job was more important than my creative work and there were times I slept in my car because I couldn’t get away from creating and my funds were low. I know it sounds odd, but I had to learn how to balance business and passion. It’s still a learning process that develops over time but I learned through trial and error. Some of the things that I sacrificed financially years ago, I’m receiving the fruits of that labor for now. It’s a growing journey that even creatives don’t truly understand until we are very much in the middle of it.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I believe COVID-19 is a prime example of a story that illustrates my resilience. When the pandemic took place, I lost my apartment and 3 jobs. I worked for the LA Clippers (NBA shut down) at Equinox Gym (Gyms closed) and as a working actor (The entertainment industry was put on hold) I had to move back home with my family and pretty much start over. I worked a few different jobs to get back on my feet once jobs started hiring again. I worked at a warehouse and I delivered for Amazon. These were both jobs that I never wanted to work again. I worked at warehouses to save money to get to LA prior to getting a Master’s Degree and I found myself going back to the jobs I thought I walked away from. I was blessed to have those jobs and humbled as well. I went from being on national television to coming home, working, and people saying “I just saw you on TV what are you doing here.” It was a very interesting experience and I’ve met some of the hardest-working people I know. It was something that also checked my pride because one moment I was living in an apartment with a friend of mine, acting and living in LA, coming back home, living with my parents, and picking orders post-Master’s Degree. I had to realize there’s nothing wrong with that and my journey is personal and there’s no specific route and there’s nothing wrong with working at warehouses, and delivering at Amazon. I kept those jobs and worked my way back to California. I believe that was the resilience illustrated because I didn’t give up no matter the circumstances and continued to work and move forward while also learning valuable lessons.
Contact Info:
- Website: Randolphsummiel.com
- Instagram: Randolphsummiel
- Facebook: Randolph Summiel
- Linkedin: Randolph Summiel
Image Credits
Steph Girard – Headshot