We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Deak J. Smalls a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

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

I was always a shy kid but at the same time wanted the attention from people by entertaining them by performing as characters. I’ve had a huge imagination so I always knew I knew I wanted to entertain audiences. Since the second grade, performing in my very first school play I knew I wanted to be an actor.

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

I grew up in Charleston,South Carolina by the way of Mount Pleasant. I was born overseas in Germany where I spent my early years on the military base with my father serving in the army. I started doing school plays, church plays, neighborhood theater and after I graduated school I attended school in the upstate South Carolina to further my education in the performing arts. In 2013 I got my first acting in film gig in the Sundance film festival screening America Street and since then I have appeared in numerous of film projects and tv commercials and even went back to theater to perform Shakespeare’s. I’m continuing to become better in the craft and expanding my brand.

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

I feel like I’m rewarded by the acknowledgment by people for something I passionately love to do. Something that I would want printed on my tombstone as being an awesome story teller. Making audiences use their imagination by viewing my characters going through their journeys.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I’m a fan of Don Miguel Ruiz book The Voice of Knowledge, the Power of the Actor : chubbuck technique and Denise Woods’ The Power of Voice. They’ve helped me understand the whole meaning of my existence in not just wanting to be an improved actor but mostly being a better progressive human being in managing my life and what I want to be surrounded.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @deakjsmalls
• Facebook: Deak J. Smalls
• Twitter: @deakjsmalls
• Youtube: Deakj Smalls
• Other: IMDb: Deak J. Smalls TikTok: @deakj

Image Credits
• Anthony Paderewski • clmcharleston • Mikki Mcgarry • scene courtesy of JadeIt productions