We were lucky to catch up with Josh Rhett Noble recently and have shared our conversation below.

Josh Rhett, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

“The greatest risk is the one not taken.”

The entertainment industry is an incredibly volatile, unstable career to embark on. Your entire livelihood relies on those in charge believing in what you bring to the table as an artist. There’s great risk in following the path as it is. However, making the decision to uproot your life and move back home after years of garnering connections in another city was an enormous risk…and one I now know I would do again in a heartbeat.

In the summer of 2019, before anyone knew what Covid-19 was, we made the decision to leave the city that I ultimately called home for 15 years, New York. The large brunt of my career as an actor was in musical theatre, and NYC was THE place to be. When my late Mother Janet was diagnosed with cancer for the 3rd time, I made the shift into on camera work in order to stay put and be her caregiver. That experience completely changed the trajectory of my career with a new found love of TV/film and voiceover work. I landed spots on staple shows like LAW & ORDER: SVU, the poignant series TIME: THE KALIEF BROWDER STORY, several commercials and spent 3 years working on and off doing voice and motion capture for the Rockstar produced game, RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2.

I was finally to the point where the casting teams across NYC knew my name. It seemed I was on the path of booking that “next big thing” to catapult my career.

However, when my father-in-law’s health continued to decline, it seemed only natural to make the transition back home to Georgia to aid in his care. Though I had worked in several theatres across the Atlanta area, I would essentially be starting over within the TV/film casting community. I knew I could maintain my agencies in NYC and fly back and forth as needed, but I had to begin the search to find representation in the southeast market.

A good friend recommended the ladies at Kathleen Schultz Associates. They were the very first agency I met with in person upon arrival…and I felt the immediate connection to Lori, Sally and Kathleen. Before I knew it, 3 hours had flown by and I walked out that day knowing I’d be joining their team. Agency found. Check.

Then…COVID.

The industry came to a screeching halt. Not only was my future in the entertainment business uncertain, everyone’s very LIFE was uncertain. Everyday activities became a risk. Simply going to the grocery store could expose my sick father-in-law to a quickly spreading virus.

The world watched cases rise, the death count rise, the ultimate creation of vaccines, medications…2 years passed yet we all felt stuck in the year 2020.

Then, signs of hope. Cases began to decline, hospitals became less burdened and all industries started slowly growing again. Entertainment included.

Auditions began to flow in. The ability to escape into someone else’s life when my own was difficult became almost like therapy. I relished in each character that came my way. And soon those auditions became bookings.

I was home. Home on set. And, most importantly, home in Georgia.

We lost my father-in-law this past January. He fought an incredibly hard battle with cancer and dementia, continuously defying the odds time and time again. I feel so lucky to have been there as a part of his last years on this earth. He was a truly loving, remarkable man who accepted me as his own. And, just as I do for my late father and late mother, I continue on pounding the proverbial entertainment pavement in his honor. I would not be where I am today without him.

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

I was born here in Atlanta and grew up in West Georgia in the small town of Tallapoosa. I dreamed of one day being a professional performer. Creating an escape for others is what I have always loved more than anything else. I had no idea as a child how much opportunity would be right here at home in Georgia.

You can currently check me out in the Selena Gomez produced film THIS IS YEAR and the Bruce Willis film WRONG PLACE (both streaming) as well as the new FOX series MONARCH opposite Susan Sarandon. This fall, you can catch me in the new BounceTV show FINDING HAPPY opposite B. Simone and next year finds me landing on ABC’s THE WONDER YEARS. I am thrilled to be home and to see the entertainment industry booming.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

To me, the most rewarding aspect of being a performer is the impact you have on the audience. I was an entertainer the second I arrived. Once I figured out I could aid in other people escaping their everyday struggles, I was addicted. I truly had no inhibitions as a child, always eager to tell a joke, sing or even dance on the table of my late parents’ local restaurant. Luckily, I was blessed with a mother and father that encouraged my love of the arts. The arts bring people together, strengthening a community’s character. The arts form connections that transcend all. Artists make the world an enjoyable place…and how blessed am I to be a small part of joy for others.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My drive comes from the belief that artists are truly essential to our society. What is life without art? I want Atlanta to be an epicenter for artistic expression that allows the artist a true living wage. We have so much talent right in our backyard, yet so many actors are still brought in from outside cities. My goal is to support others within our community and to see each of us fulfill our dreams.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.joshrhettnoble.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshrhettnoble/
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/JoshRhettNoble
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshrhettnoble
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoshRhettNoble
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/JoshRhettNoble
• Other: http://IMDb.me/joshrhettnoble

Image Credits
Finding Happy Image: Donna Permell/Prime Phocus