Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Emilie Pierre-Paul. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Emilie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I’ve always known I was destined to be an actress. At five years old, I was reciting lines from my favorite television shows. Since I was a child, I had a strong belief in infinite possibility. I have always had a keen intuition. I was aware that there was more to life than what meets the eye. At 14, I made a decision. I decided I wanted to dedicate my life to the arts. Every part of me was creative. Acting was my favorite extra curricular. I was in every school play, and when it wasn’t theatre season I wrote my own scenes. My very first self written monologue was called “To Be A Black Girl”. It is a monologue created about my black experience. Years later I posted my monologue online and it became my first viral video. 14 was a defining year. That year I got my headshots and began auditioning. I was booked on my second audition! It was an ethereal experience.

Emilie, 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?

Hello, I am Emilie Pierre-Paul. I am an actress, writer, business woman and all around creative. I am from Long Island, New York however as you most likely anticipate I now reside in Los Angeles, California. I was born to be an actress. Since I was a little girl, I knew I was destined for the big screen. In kindergarten, I was reciting lines from my favorite television shows and putting on performances for my family. My family tells me my light was effervescent. I was a bold, confident child who gravitated to the spotlight. I loved to alchemize. As previously discussed, 14 was my defining year. That was the year my dreams began to manifest. It was the year the world began to discover my talents. I will never forget my first few viral videos, and it’s accomplishment. At 18, I went to university. I graduated with a Bachelor in Fine Arts Degree. In May of 2021, I moved to the city of angels and feel very blessed to have the opportunity to let my wings soar. I have been featured in countless commercials, music videos, and print as I await more theatrical work. I have amassed 75k followers on TikTok and am growing daily! I give all glory to God. I thank him for allowing my feet to levitate. I feel chosen.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

It is my mission to broaden society’s view of black women. Black women in society are stereotyped. We are depicted to be strong, domineering, short tempered and combative. Black women are WOMEN. Black women are HUMAN. We are not the other. Society treats us as if we are alien. As if we are our own group of very different, unalike homo sapiens. We are human, with all of our intricacies and nuances. We are sentient beings with ambition and objective. We are soul. In this realm we are mind and heart. We are the most marginalized, yet the most hard working. My job is to rewrite the narrative.

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

I have much gratitude towards obtaining my Bachelor in Fine Arts degree, however as I often discuss I’ve experienced immense racism at the university I attended. Prejudice came from not only my peers, but the professor’s themselves. I was seen as the “strong black woman” and I was put into a box. I was expected to solely portray the white authorities pre conceived stereotype. I was narrowed into portraying anger and assertion only. I am a way maker. I am a remarkably strong, resilient, black woman. However, to truly express and illuminate who my community is, is to depict who we are at the core. My job is to depict what it means to be human.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: emiliepierrrr
• Other: TikTok: emiliepierrrr

Image Credits
ABC Network, Sam Khan Photography