We recently connected with Ammunikee Gomez and have shared our conversation below.

Ammunikee, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

That would be at the age of ten, but at the age of eight I was already seeking my passion and it was the first thing I could do to make a change in my family, the world, and be recognized for it. I had always love movies and analyzing actors and their great work, deciphering what made the so great. so at the age of ten I had written my first play ‘Bullying in School’ my teacher at the time loved it and asked that I cast, direct and because it was a group project I got to act in it also. This later caused the effect of an after school Drama group, which I participated in for another four years. In that time we participated in talent shows and won prizes each time, until we transition to a film, ‘After The Loss…,’ my director wrote for the cast at the time.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Ammunikee Gomez I was born in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines but I grew in Barbados where I spent most of my life. In my last days of Secondary school, also known as high school, my passion only grew. I wanted to do more acting stuff outside of an acting school program, I guess I was like Ariel- wanting to be were the people are, on the big stage and TV that is. One of he teachers at my high school had basically adopted me at this point so I often refer to her as my second mum, she helped me in my career by commencing its progress. She had collected and gave me some forms to fill out for acting summer camps. I chose the one no one had ever heard of because it was new and i wanted to leave a mark. This decision changed my life forever. Turns out it was a musical theatre camp known around the world now as Operation Triple Threat (OTT), as some would say the Julliard of Barbados. At this summer camp in 2011, later changed into a year round program, I learnt to Sing, Dance and Sharpen my acting skills on numerous Musicals such as THE WIZ, INTO THE WOODS and MATILDA to name a few. After 10+ years at OTT I transitioned to America where I attended and became a graduate of The American Academy Of Dramatic Arts; I enrolled here for 3 years. This was indeed my dream come true. I am currently auditioning and meeting wonderful people along the way in my career.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I wasn’t born into a wealthy family in fact money was such a scarce commodity as soon as it came it went because of our priorities, “our” being my mum and myself. At one point my mum had I think two Jobs and it was barely enough to send me school, pay rent and buy food. Fast forward and I’m with OTT for 5 years and the hardest part of being there was watching others come into the program and transition and me still being there. people had chosen the school they wish to attend and travel and I stayed clinging to a dream. But reality of the situation was I had no money to pursue this dream of mine and there was no family to chip in and help. This is where you either accept the hands your dealt in life and give up on your dream or you finds ways to achieve it and so I did. I started working at a construction company sweeping the workshop floors and washing dirty machineries. I enjoyed my time there but, it was only momentarily, I had hit a ceiling and after a few years working there I couldn’t see my dream getting any closer. Pay was great but it seems the more money I came into, the more the responsibilities grew. My mum no longer had a stable income, she was self employed and that came with its own complications. Its 2016 and I am saying goodbye to the others who would have joined the OTT in 2012 I was indeed the last one left with new faces and energy, the official oldest one in the program. I started to doubt my time and i was getting too comfortable in my position at work. I would save motivational videos and listen to them instead of music everyday, visualizing myself on a plane coming to New York..at some point i was just on autopilot doing these things but lost all hope and faith. then i was loading sand on a truck and I heard in my headphones it said “sometimes you have to believe in somebody else’s faith in you until yours kicks in. Then my director, head a chat with me and it had occur to me at that time she never for a second given up on me leaving. She had bought me a bag to attend school even though we had no solid proof of me going. my belief came back and it was like snow everything started trickling in I had to go back to school and build my grades before auditioning for the academy, I was still taking part time personal classes for my benefit whilst working and had the sole responsibilities of everything at home, I was even working at OTT teaching and mentoring; The job never ended.

2019 came and I got to audition for the school of my dreams whilst awaiting a potential sponsorship. My mum had given what she had made for the trip. This later resulted in our eviction notice, turns out my mum had been saving some of the rent money to give me for my trip and on the day she gave me the full months rent for my one week trip. Covid happened and we couldn’t vacate the house by law, so we had to stay in the building but, the landlord had cut the water for his money and I was fetching buckets of water every night after my classes and teaching. I was also fired from my job because my exam was on a A few work days after my vacation. I had to defer from enrollment twice and was told if I do a third time I would have to reaudition. I was still waiting on a sponsor and trying to figure out how I am going to pay for this school I just got accepted into. I found myself another job and kept working towards it, I was later able to move my mum out of that house and into a new space. I didn’t have all the funds but was told by my director that we only managed to secure the 1st semester and we can use it and attend or wait for the rest. I took the opportunity and ran with it, not knowing if it will come but having faith it would. Just being at the school of my dream for one semester was enough for me at the time. Then I got a call one night from my directors saying I should book the flight for tomorrow just incase I was approved for my Visa the following day “move as though it already is…” she said, and so I did. Everything was approved and before I knew it I was on a plane to New York over watching my island two thousand plus feet in the air.

At anytime I could have thrown in the towel and quite but I didn’t, I believed and when I lost that belief and faith, I had others around me that rekindled the fire of my dream and soul. Today I am working towards making this dream a reality for others who are experiencing the same thing in my country, I am nowhere close yet but I aspire to be that foundation they can call upon or rely on.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

They most rewarding aspect of being an artist is seeing how you cure someone with your truth and emotional circumstances. As actors we don’t always act, some of us live in those moments. only through living in moments can we truly affect others and have a lasting effect on them, well some of us do that when we’re not as good too. But for me its hearing “I was dealing with this…and just seeing you go through that really helped me…” Being a catalyst for a good or just good, giving that hope and belief, is enough for me. Once I do justice to the story I am telling then I feel most accomplished in my craft and self.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ammunikeegomez/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005037168808

Image Credits
PHOTOS TAKEN BY: Andrew Browne Bronwen Sharp Allison Winkel Photography