We recently connected with De’Ja McKnabb and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, De’Ja thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Choosing to be an actress was the most significant risk I’ve ever taken. Initially, I was supposed to take the pre-med education track. I had always wanted to be a doctor, and my parents had high hopes for me to ensure a comfortable life. My father could see it earlier when I focused less on academics and more on performing arts. But my mother asked me right before college orientation if I was still going to sign up for pre-med. That was the beginning of the end. I continue to take this risk as I pursue this career path, and I have not once regretted it!

De’Ja, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi, my name is De’Ja McKnabb and I am an actress and model. My passion for acting started as just a hobby when I joined my elementary school musical. Then I auditioned for a performing arts academy, Northwest School of the Arts, where I studied Drama and Musical Theatre from 6th grade to 12th grade. It became a great love of mine and I realized that I was quite gifted in this area. So, I went on to major in Theatre at East Carolina University where I received a certification in the Meisner Technique. After school, I’ve gone on to perform my craft internationally. The work ranged from touring shows to regional theatre to short films and commercials. I love what I do so much that last summer I started a Theatre arts mission in Tokyo, Japan. I teach summer camps and workshops at schools, churches, and community centers. This mission is what I am most proud of. While it is still growing, it is thriving! My future plans include furthering my education, progressing my summer ministry, and continuing to perform on the stage and the screen!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

When pursuing my BFA in Theatre Arts, I let my lack of confidence get in my way. I spent so much time trying to prove myself to my peers and my professors that I forgot what the true purpose of this time was. The goal was not to make others like me or to make my acting fit into what others thought it should be. I should have spent my time simply developing my craft and learning more about myself. I should have seen more films, plays, and musicals. I should have thought more about what kind of work I wanted to do and what kind of person I wanted to become. Unfortunately, I didn’t do that. So, I wasted a lot of time during my training that I had to make up for afterward. The first two to three years after graduation were spent working on my self-confidence and relearning how to act in a healthy way. I read more plays written by people of color and I took the time to watch more films to learn what I like. Today, I can confidently say that I am a well-rounded person with a clear vision of my art. My advice to anyone who is starting in their craft, whatever that may be, please make sure to dedicate this time to you. Focus on YOUR wants and needs as an artist. And try not to waste precious time trying to please others. Art is subjective for a reason, so you might as well focus on your vision.

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.

The journey for an actor, and many other artists, is much more difficult and much less linear than what non-creatives might assume.

To start, not all actors are paid the same amount and not all actors have glamorous lives. Actors don’t just work in big named films. They work in independent films, plays, musicals, commercials, audiobooks, animation projects, and radio shows. And all of these projects have different entry levels with different pay. These jobs are also not back-to-back or guaranteed. You could land a very big role that only lasts 3 months. Once that is done, you are back to looking for work.

Many movies also make it seem like you do a few auditions or you hit the pavement for a few months then you make your big break. If you don’t, you’re not cut out for the industry. But many actors will tell you that a lot of the representation of an actor’s life is inaccurate. There are many avenues to working in the industry. Some actors go to school first or join the military. Some actors have been working since they were babies but don’t land a big breakthrough role until they reach their 30s and 40s. Some performers start as directors, writers, or stunt people before they start working in front of the screen. Even some of the big-name actors that we know of have large chunks of time between projects. It’s all different but all paths are valuable.

Contact Info:

• Website: dejamcknabb.com
• Instagram: missd_17