We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chapelle Nichole . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chapelle below.
Chapelle, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
Well, it kind of came naturally. It was far from intentional. From childhood, I would unknowingly study every tv show, movie, commercial etc. that I saw. I found myself hypnotized by how the actors reacted to certain situations in the scene, not only physically but emotionally. I was fascinated with their facial expressions and movements. I remember thinking in my head “You have completely forgotten that nothing you see is real, but yet I can feel the actor, I can relate to how they think…” and I thought, that was the most amazing thing I had ever felt! I wanted to learn more, but I had no idea how to get started other than studying what I saw in television shows and movies every day.
With what I felt I had learned along the years and with the natural talents I was blessed with, I started to do my research on what it takes to become a professional working actor. First, I searched for auditions, at this point I knew I wouldn’t get the part, but I wanted to immediately confront my fear of putting myself completely out there. A year later in 2013 I enrolled into Acting School. I found an acting school in my area that worked with my schedule. There I learned more about Monologues and the basics of feeling more comfortable with being uncomfortable, to the point where it becomes comfortable, if that make sense LOL
I started reading more about the craft and the arts. I studied The Chubbuck Technique, The Lyndon Technique, Respect for Acting Written By Haskel Frankel & Uta Hagen, I downloaded audiobooks and ordered acting books online. I have so many because you never want to stop learning and adding to what you already have. I put a lot of my energy into taking in as much information as I possibly could about the craft and the business.
To speed up the process, I would have started when I originally felt the urge, jumped on those creative ideas when I had the thought other than doubting myself. I would have auditioned more and entered competitions. With all of that being said, I am right where I need to be.
Throughout the process you naturally pick up some great skills. The one that helped me the most is being able to take advice from ANYONE. Being in this industry can become overwhelming, underwhelming, confusing and satisfying all at the same time. You have to be able to listen and take everything with a grain of salt. You can learn anything from everyone. It has helped me with acting when it comes to being able to adapt to the constant changes, understanding different perspectives and learning who you are and who you show up as. I can’t lose track of my purpose.
Self-doubt has always been my #1 enemy when it comes to learning more. Sometimes I can become afraid of success and what that brings. I can only speak for myself. Life is always going to bring you trials and tribulations that will make you doubt/question things that should never be questioned. With me knowing that, I must have a solid spiritual foundation and support system to check me and remind me of my goals.
Chapelle, 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?
Well, I was born in Springfield, Il. and was raised between there and Chicago, Il. As a child my godparents got me into modeling, and I did a few local shows in Springfield. Rumor has it… when I was very young and we lived in Chicago, my mother took me to audition to be “Olivia” in The Cosby Show and they “wanted” me, BUT I blew it at the end. Not because I wasn’t good but because I wasn’t ready. I was not used to that much attention and that much pressure. I just knew I had fun doing it. The person meant to have that role got that role and it was made for her. But certain people in my family never let me forget it LOL
After graduating high school in 2002, I moved to Las Vegas, NV. to get a fresh start. A lot happened over time that involved me getting into a Domestic Violence relationship. All the dreams I once had about acting slowly faded away and I didn’t think that I could be anything more than what that situation made me feel. That ordeal led to me being homeless and pregnant in different shelters, moving from state to state to escape the abuse. I had to start my entire life over. I finally planted my feet back in Las Vegas in 2006 after having my oldest son in Minnesota. I later had my second son in Las Vegas in 2010. After I finished Acting School in the Spring of 2013, later that year I heard about an audition for a play over the radio, that was going to be Directed by Antonio Fargas. To make an extremely long story short, I was one of the last to audition. I was hired on as an understudy for 5 different characters but once the production was ready to hit stage, I became 1 of the main stars of the show with my own dressing room. Talk about BLESSED.
From there I did several different productions with that show that ran over a 5 year span. Overtime I started to question my drive. After surviving domestic violence, it does something to your self-esteem. Every doubt that you could possibly have about yourself I had at that time. Even after accomplishing getting my first leading role, I questioned my purpose. I had to keep going and I refused to let that situation stop me from what I am destined to do. Since I was young I have documented my life. I created my YouTube Channel to not only showcase my talent but to transparently share my journey from escaping that situation to finding myself, handling being a fulltime mother while pursuing my dreams while also still enduring the aftermath of domestic violence which comes with ptsd. My YouTube is not like most, I don’t want to be YouTube famous. I don’t really care about the numbers, what’s important is I show my journey and possibly help someone else, it’s real life. I show the good/bad/ugly of the industry and my true life. You get an idea of who I am inside and out beyond anything I’ve been through.
What sets me apart is, acting is not something I chose to do, I was chosen for it. I eat, sleep, and think about acting. My love and passion for the art drives my motivation on top of me knowing that acting is my true purpose. Not many know their purpose in life, I have been blessed to know mine. Through acting, I will show myself that I can be anything, break generational curses, help even more families, and truly enjoy what I love all while doing it. In due time with the right team and guidance behind me… I’ll be unstoppable. There is no Plan B LOL
I always knew that I wanted to act but fear of backlash from my peers and self-doubt always kept me from pursuing. I have always been told I had the personality for entertainment and that comes from people who have known me for 15 seconds to 15 years. It’s just in me. This industry chose me but for a bigger purpose. Getting into the Entertainment industry is not pretty but for me it’s very fulfilling, no matter how many No’s I hear… “HE” has the final say. My platform is for all the Survivors who are still dealing with or have once dealt with self-doubt. You can do it! I know that it sounds cliché but NEVER GIVE UP!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
My moment came after my #1 fan passed away. I was raised by my maternal grandmother and she was always pushing me to go after my dreams even if it didn’t make sense to her. When she passed in 2018 I had no idea what to do and where my life was going. Acting was the last thing I was thinking of doing even though it made me the happiest. I had to search within myself and shut down everything in my life. Losing someone so close can make you question life. How could I possibly go out to an audience and not see her there?
I didn’t want to lose everything I had worked so hard for but I didn’t know how to move forward. I had to start forcing myself to study and record. I reached out to some friends and people that I look up to in the industry for guidance. I had some decisions to make and I had to make them fast because I was not getting any younger and I couldn’t let my story end there. After some time, I made the decision to relocate my family to Georgia sight unseen to further my career. Once I made that decision final, so many doors started to naturally open for me. That’s why giving up is never an option for me. This is destined!
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I believe that my mission (purpose) is to help as many people dealing with domestic violence as possible through my craft. I believe that I was given “acting” as my purpose because I naturally love to do it, it gives me the greatest joy, and I WILL be successful at it. There are so many that did not get the opportunity to tell their story and see their dreams come to light, because their lives were cut short because of this topic that is typically swept under the rug. And once the dust settles and the smoke clears, sometimes the survivors’ support system slowly starts to fade and it’s like nothing ever happened. Through different stories and characters I may be able to reach someone, and when they reach out to me, actually be able to provide them with resources to fulfill their dreams and truly LIVE. Acting is the door to so much more. Being a survivor opened my eyes to a world that so many endure but the resources are extremely limited. I hope to one day help end that crisis. How can I fail when it was God Given!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chapellenichole/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chapellenichole/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chapellenichole
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/chapellenichole
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/chapellenichole
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chapellenichole?lang=en