Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to LaKeta Renèe Booker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

LaKeta Renèe , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

When I was around 14; I was performing as Sojourner Truth in the musical “The Life of Sojourner Truth. After the show; a man came up to me in the lobby & told me something that I’ll never forget. He shared with me that he was going to give up on life but instead he decided to come to the show. He told me that seeing me perform inspired him to keep going-to keep living.
It was then that I knew what I was doing was a huge part of my purpose.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is LaKeta Renèe Booker & I am a mother, actress, singer, writer & acting coach. I am a creative through & through!

I started acting at the young age of 9 when my teacher entered me into an acting competition in which I performed an interpretive monologue. I won 1st place & from there I began to get into more musical theatre & theatre within my community.

I was a semi-finalist on VH-1 Divas & American Idol season 3 in which I competed amongst fellow contestants such as Fantasia Burrino & Jennifer Hudson to name a few.
After competing; I then went on to venture into tv & film & have been doing that for over 13 years. I have been on networks such as HBO Max, Netflix, Starz, Hulu & BET+ to name a few. I will be on set in July working on a feature film entitled Heathen. I will also be filming a new drama series at Tyler Perry Studios entitled Route 187 shortly afterwards. I have only just begun to make my mark in this industry & as a creative.

I created a princess character for child entertainment & am working on several things within that business.
I also teach acting lessons through my business The Talent Houz & am currently accepting new students!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I am a mother of 3 & I moved me & my children out of my hometown in order to be able to live a full life. I had reached a ceiling in my hometown & I needed to be in the midst of more opportunities. My twins weren’t in school yet & my oldest daughter was in first grade. In my prayer time, I heard the voice of God tell me to “Go!” I trusted His voice & let Him lead me to where I needed to go & what I needed to do. It was scary but I did it without hesitation b/c I felt in my gut that it was time. Moving was & has been one of the most challenging things that I have done. I thought about going back home to familiar several times but when I looked at my children I knew I was exactly where I needed to be.
Fast forward to today & we are still here & God’s “Go” was in fact what I heard. The journey has not been easy but it has been rewarding.

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

My director from “Dreamgirls” once told me that my daughters’ first example of greatness was me. That has stuck with me for years & continues to be one of the main things that drives my creative journey.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @laketarenee
• Facebook: @laketarenee
• Other: http://www.imdb.me/laketabooker

Image Credits
Brian Jones Photography (only for headshots provided)