We recently connected with Cynthia Hilaire and have shared our conversation below.

Cynthia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

One of the most meaningful projects that I worked on was playing Nadege in A Haitian Americans Guide To Disappointing Your Family. For the first time, I got to play a first-generation Haitian American character and tell a fun family story very similar to my upbringing. The writer, director, and main characters were of Haitian descent. We spoke Kreyol and there was real Haitian food on set. Everything felt just really authentic. Most importantly, the show was true to our unique experiences of balancing our ethnic and American cultures. Before this project, I wasn’t aware of a show or movie that told the story of first-generation Haitian Americans. Actually, a year after it was released, Grand Army premiered on Netflix and I saw another Haitian American character in Dominique played by Odley Jean. I thought the show, the storyline, and the actress were amazing and so relatable. I wish I had a chance to read the script and audition!

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?

I’m an actress and writer based in Los Angeles. I’m originally from Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

Last year, I released a book and a short film called A Sit Down With Cyn: Monologues For Black Girls and it’s a collection of 13 comedic, dramatic, and reflective monologues for the modern black girl. Inside the book, there are also screen grabs and storyboards from the short film. The film is comprised of seven monologue episodes. My book is raw, it’s emotional, and it’s funny! I made a monologue book for us, by us! The topics of these short anecdotes highlight our unique experiences living in intersectionality and give voice to our common thought chatter. Often times in this industry you’re waiting for someone to open the door for you, or give you a shot. With this project, I opened the door for myself and showed people what I could do, and what I am capable of.

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

Were historians, capturing and expressing the current events, culture, and society. Were storytellers and conversation starters. We explore the human condition and understand emotions to an expert level. We also share our triumphs and trials and release that to the world. We give voice to ourselves as creatives and become a voice for others. These are all rewarding aspects of being creative.

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

In the first few months that I moved out to LA, I was asked to leave the roommate arrangement that I prepared for a year prior. This changed my plans and cause me to be without permanent housing. I found myself in a very uncomfortable situation. This would have been a perfect time to run back home but instead, I took it as an opportunity to get my own place- so no one could ever ask me to leave again. I learned that ownership is very important, and this experience has led me to seek ownership in other areas of my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cynthiadhilaire.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cynhilaire/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cynthiadhilaire
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/cynhilaire

Image Credits
Portrait: Photographer: Hamid Segunmaru Extra Photos: A Sit Down With Cyn Materials