We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Eugena Gardner. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Eugena below.

Eugena, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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?

Not to sound cliché, but I have always been talented, unique, quirky, and extraordinary. Being ordinary is okay, but I wanted a life that offered more. I have found more trials, impediments, and challenges that appeared never to pass, being extraordinary. However, that’s the journey I chose to embark on because I know what is at stake. A man once said, “If you do not sacrifice for the thing you want, the thing you want will become the sacrifice.” I continuously sacrifice my time and social life- and sometimes sleep while pursuing my Oscars and Emmys. Talent is a natural gift that cannot be taught. However, the techniques, methods, and processes that showcase talent can be learned and crafted through meticulous and detailed work and coaching. I started acting at the age of eight years old. I learned through acting classes, coaching, and watching television. I watched a lot of Disney Channel as a child, especially Hannah Montana. I loved the contrast between her dual lives and how both unified; it was always a beautiful yet riveting sight. I always knew I wanted to be on TV, so I told myself and my parents that I would not stop until it happened. Fast forward, it has! I am still working and accomplishing the work.
I obtained most of my knowledge of directing, producing, and writing in college, as one of my college degrees heavily concentrates on film. I had an incredible professor who was passionate about the subjects. His class was intensive, but I always left the course with a new tool to use in the future. Learning to direct is also about learning from, with, and about individuals. I am naturally a people person; I love people. I love making new connections and speaking with other individuals. With directing and producing, there is a line I had to learn to draw for myself. Though I share a lot of passion for people, I still had jobs to get done. I learned to direct by being direct but not in a rude manner.

Directing takes a lot of people skills, patience, and collaboration. I used to compromise my vision due to collaborating. Finding the balance of still executing what took forty-plus hours of pre-production to develop shot lists, script lining, and storyboarding while taking into account other slight changes was challenging for me at first. However, the more I direct, the more I grow. I am not the director who screams at everyone and bosses them around. I am the director who completes the job with respect, order, and intricate planning. I am detail-oriented; my brain craves details, completion, and organization. Since this is a skill I hone, producing comes naturally. I often spend numerous hours constructing location agreements, call sheets, and high-level executive meetings for a smooth production flow.
Being a visionary is another crucial role in directing. I may only sometimes be able to explain what I see, but I can put actors in place to display the vision. Sometimes I am directing, producing, and acting simultaneously, which is immensely rewarding. In those moments, I learned how to trust my skills so I could focus on guiding my other actors on set.

I know a few things now that I wish I had known then. The first is always shoot on location first if you can. In my personal experience, I found that shooting scenes outdoors first is most suitable. Everyone has their methods, but that functions most useful for me. To continue: always have everything in writing, take an acting class, and read acting and personal development books- the more powerful you are as a person, the better the actor, director, writer, or producer you will be. Also, make sure you are taking the time to watch television shows or films that you typically would not watch- be bold and broaden your horizon. Do not be afraid to stretch yourself as an actor. Knowing all the things listed above could have sped up the process. Though these lessons have helped in my career, it is essential to stop and smell the roses. Sometimes we are so busy and rushing we miss the finest things in life, which are often right in front of us. Enjoy where you are while you are on the way to who you will become.

Lastly, learning to be vulnerable is one of the most challenging aspects of being an actress. I once saw a quote that said, “Actor. When you are vulnerable… You will see yourself in them, and we will all see ourselves in you.” Being vulnerable is vulnerable and uncomfortable; it is a battle. Vulnerability can either be rewarding or heartbreaking. In acting, it is rewarded, and where some of the best performances are delivered. To answer the last question, the obstacle in my way was myself and me holding back my vulnerability. It is still a journey that I commit to each day.

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

Hi, my name is Eugena Gardner, but most know me as Gina, who illuminates every atmosphere I walk in. My presence is warm, inviting, and vibrant. I am a bold, confident, persistent, willing, and God-fearing actress, director, writer, and producer. I started acting at the age of eight. My parents often chuckle at the fact that they believe I was born to act. As a child, I was a bit sassy but always classy. I never backed down from a challenge and have consistently stood for what I believe in. My father once told me, “If you don’t stand for anything, you will fall for everything.” My determination has propelled me to soar in my multitudinous career fields. I am also on my way to becoming an attorney. I am not always motivated, but I am incredibly self-disciplined. Once I say that I will do something, I will. I do not believe in excuses. If you know me, the job gets done. Once the mission begins, I will see fit once it is complete; it is the way that I was raised. It helps me to keep my word, honor, trust, and goals.

Though I am goal-oriented, I am still a human being. Somedays, the world, even myself, forgets that. I guard my focus and heart above all else. I have learned how to process the days when I feel more human and as if it is me against the world. However, I will honor my emotions, workload, and feelings to understand their meaning. Learning to process and control my emotions assists me in my career. It is genuinely me vs. me, and let me tell you- I am all in.

In terms of writing, I love the art of writing; it is my thoughts that come to life on paper. I do a lot of different things. I graduated at the top of my university. I wanted to become as versatile as possible in this industry and in life. I am also a fluent Spanish speaker; I appreciate the culture and language. I can integrate a lot of my Spanish-speaking abilities into my craft. I am Dominican, Bahamian, European, Jamaican, and Black; shout out to my gorgeous queen of a mom for the genes. Dad, you too. I’ll give you praise. You gave me your smile, so I am forever thankful. As a creative, I am most proud of the film I produced, wrote, led, and directed. Recently, I received the most thrilling news regarding my film, and I cannot wait to share it.

I am proud of myself. I have gotten back up with everything life has thrown at me. Something I am learning in this field is letting go of what no longer serves me peace. You can’t give something to God and keep taking it back. I am proud that I am allowing God to lead me in rooms my feet have yet to walk in. I will reach millions of people and change their lives through my gifts. This woman will work so hard that she will no longer have to introduce herself. I have also had the beautiful privilege of traveling the world to film, direct, produce, write, and act; it has been a dream come true. I am excited about what is to come! Stay tuned- Gina is coming. I was never set aside; I have always been set apart.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I pondered on this question for some time. A few missions and goals have driven my creative journey. However, this is my story to tell. Let’s start from the beginning, my childhood. My youth was one of resilience, tenacity, support, frustration, sadness, and fear- a juxtaposition of emotions. Eventually, they tied together to construct parallelism in the crucial parts of my childhood. Don’t get me wrong; I had a great childhood enriched with family, faith, and love. Shoutout to my parents, Eugene and Trish; they raised a champ. I will forever thank them for the sacrifices they made to have us in the top schools for academics in the nation. God could not have gifted me with anyone better than the loving, caring, and kind-hearted souls they are. I thank them for being my parents; they are truly heaven-sent. I struggled academically for the first three years of elementary school, which made the students pick on me. Teachers and instructors told me I would never read and comprehend beyond a third-grade level; that cut me very deeply. Well, little did they know the seven-year-old who could not comprehend reading or writing materials for the life of her would soon graduate high school with a 4.2 GPA, and multitudinous accolades would follow and flow through her life. I started elementary school a year earlier, which made me the youngest in my classes. I am an honorary college graduate. I graduated at the top of my class and in the top 2% of my university, with fluency in Spanish (4.0 GPA), numerous scholarships, and endless academic and department awards. I am now going to law school. Soon, the broken little girl will meet the powerful, determined, and persevering Attorney Gina.

Let’s take a trip back to third grade, where my emotional guards and walls were born to protect little Gina. I’ve shared this story before but not with the same mindset and lessons I have learned nearly two decades later. It is astounding how the body remembers trauma. I was in the third grade, excited as could be. Each day, I would go out to recess hoping to secure a friend, confidant, or teammate who saw me for me and where I did not have to hide how energetic, witty, and quirky I was.

The bell rang, and excitement and exhilaration filled my lively spirits. I decided to play kickball. I lined up on the wall waiting to hear my name. I knew I was the best kickball player at the school. My left kick is pretty powerful and the right, let me give myself some credit. My back began to ache as I repositioned myself on the wall, watching the other children get picked for the game. Soon, I realized I was the last person on the wall; I was “picked” as a “we will take her.” No one wanted me on their team. They knew I was talented but refused to acknowledge me. Tear-filled eyes, lowered shoulders, and a broken heart soon painted the once vibrant, kind, and affectionate little girl who lived inside. That day I met the world’s coldest, most conniving, gut-wrenching feeling, pain; the day we became teammates. Now that I think about it, I met rejection face-to-face for the first time.

A few days later, a fifth grader pantsed me. I knew I did nothing to deserve what had been done to me. I wept for days while feeling lonely, embarrassed, and tired of being bullied. Google defines bullying as “seek[ing] to harm, intimidate, or coerce (someone perceived as vulnerable).” Unfortunately, the bullying did not cease until my later high school years. I felt broken and torn down. Many days I just cried for my mom to come to the rescue. School was rough for me because of the constant bullying. My heart remained soft to its core, but I allowed bullies to make me cold to the touch. I just wanted the kids to feel the despair that they rendered me. I thought I had turned mean, but I didn’t. My heart and God wouldn’t let me. I wish I could stoop down and tell third-grade little Gina, “to get up; she will be okay and become a warrior. This little girl will change the lives of millions – it won’t be this way forever. Yes, it hurts and still does to this day, but you will survive; you already have.”

As I got older, I realized my horrific bullying experience was because I am unique. Conformity is a shield to protect oneself from the world’s harsh, terrible, and cruel bullies. I refused to conform then. I will continue to stand in my authenticity, originality, and individuality today and forever. I am who I am, and I am okay with that; I love this Gina. She is assertive, relentless, driven, focused, loving, amiable, thoughtful, quirky, dynamic, diligent, and respected.I have also been through a lot more in life. My story is one of power, rarity, and perseverance. I often cry, thinking of all my trials and tribulations. I have witnessed the unbelievable, unmoveable, and unendurable. I have shared my story before, but to sum it up, I have been partially paralyzed twice and told I would never walk, run, read, or speak again. The doctors had given up on me. God whispered in the intensive care unit, “You are still the one for the job.” I spent weeks in the ICU, unable to be life-flighted because my body would not stabilize.

Though the doctors gave up, I never did. I would say, “No, watch how God turns this around- he already has.” The nurses would come into my room each night around 8:30 PM to sing a song from the movie White Chicks-as it played each night habitually at 8:00 PM. By the Grace of God, I am still singing, walking, laughing, loving, dancing, living, and breathing. God’s not done with me telling and living my story. My support system and God have carried me through the challenges. A special shoutout to the Task Master, my childhood mentor who drastically changed my life. I love her and will forever be grateful for the lessons she instilled in me at a young age and into adulthood- she is my best friend; she does not know it yet. That’s okay; we are working on it.

So, finally, to answer your question. The mission that has driven me in my creative journey is to use all the gifts God instilled inside me. He has blessed me with the gifts of being an actress, director, writer, producer, executive at a high-level company, storyteller, friend, daughter, future attorney, and more. The mission is to be malleable by God- he can use me however he needs to until he is finished. If I only touch one person, then I am okay with that. The job is complete if one more person knows they are treasured, cared about, and seen. The mission is to reach billions through my crafts. Each morning as I prepare for whatever battle the world has in store for me, I always say, “Thank you for another day, God. I don’t like what I have to go through, God, but I will do it until you say I don’t have to. I am doing it, God, and I won’t complain. Chin up, chest out. I can’t quit now. I have Oscars and Emmys to win.” Let’s do that damn thang!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

There are many ways to answer this question. I always say, if you do not know what to do, just start. The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is integrating the right side of my brain- where creativity, art, free-thinking, and imagination transpire. I find it exhilarating when I allow my imagination to roam. I am still shocked at how creative I genuinely am. I love the way that I think and execute. I often work in silence to let my success be my noise. I find liberty in the mere fact of being able to think quickly yet effectively. One of my college nicknames was “The Machine” because I can carry out challenging tasks accurately, smoothly, and relatively fast. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. As an actress, rejection is something that comes with the job. During the commencement of my career at the age of eight, rejection was the antagonist- my rival. My enemy stirred feelings of inadequacy, unworthiness, and agony in the deepest parts of my core. However, as I got older, I developed an appreciation for the once stinging, profound, and gut-wrenching pain evoked by rejection. Now, I will not say that it does not still hurt at times nor act as though rejection and I are best friends- I’ve been in the season of learning to make peace with it as it is a lifelong journey.

As a director, producer, and writer, it is rewarding seeing as I say, “the words come off the paper and dance a little bit.” I love seeing my vision accomplished with excellence. The assiduousness, resilience, confidence, and boldness of being a creative also equipped me in my personal life. I am a better person because I believe in always treating people with kindness. The gifts God has given me can come to life as a visionary.

Another rewarding aspect of being a creative is the off-set relationships I’ve formed with my on-set crew. I have met some of the most incredible creatives on set. I appreciate them because they are respectful, balanced, and consistent and value the craft. I will forever respect that. The bonds made on-set often turn into a season or lifelong connection. I have walked away with a lesson from each crew member. My prayer is always to be a student and willing to learn.

Lastly, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is seeing the final product. The sleepless nights of screenwriting, countless hours of script memorization, scene analysis, crafting call sheets, script breakdowns, location agreements, non-disclosure agreements, budgeting sheets, and meetings with the crew and cast finally pay off. I desire longevity in this industry, so I am okay with the tiresome workload. I can never quit; I have too many Oscars and Emmys to win. I also enjoy that my family, especially my lovely and remarkable parents, can see the vision that took months to prepare.

To my dad, your little girl is still “Going West!” For those who do not know, I starred as the lead in the fifth-grade school play “Sacagawea” as a third grader. I got the part amongst some of the most talented individuals at my elementary school. To my mom, I love you, girl. Thank you for showing me how to show my heart and be okay with it. Thank you for loving me through the storms. To both of you, thank you for instilling and pouring life-long God lessons and blessings into my life. I love you both. To God, thank you for it all. I will continue praising and glorifying you as you have turned little Gina into a miracle who will touch millions through her craft. To all reading this, thank you for your time.

Contact Info:

• Website: I am still in the process of making a website
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ginanaa_/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@Euuugeeena
• Other: TikTok Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@ginanaa_

Image Credits
Image Credits Headshots: Dwayne Boyd Photos Names for his credits: Eugena Gardner Red Headshot2, Eugena Gardner Leather Jacket Headshot Photographer: Christopher Brannon Jr. Photos Names for his credits: Eugena Gardner Beige Look 1, Eugena Gardner Beige Look 2, Eugena Gardner Brown Look,Eugena Gardner Red Dress Look