Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Melissa Cowan Rattray. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Melissa, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
One of my goals growing up was to become a model, that had always been a dream of mine. I grew up in Jamaica where back then we weren’t exposed to a lot of social media and I was one of the children who were very sheltered so the chances of being exposed to certain things (the necessary resources to achieve my goal) were very slim. I spent most of my childhood years looking through magazine and watching TV and I used to say to myself. ” I’m going to be doing this one day”. As a child I wasn’t thinking about modeling and acting professionally but as I grew older and started meeting industry professionals I realized that if I’m going to pursue this at the highest level it has to be at a professional level. I started doing my own research, doing so I have met a plethora of people who changed my life for the better, I started taking classes to of course…..PERFECT MY CRAFT and it has been an amazing journey thus far.
Melissa, 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?
I am Jamaican born and raised, I migrate to the US in 2009, I have 3 beautiful children here in the US and 1 in Jamaica (my bonus baby), I am married to Lucien Rattray Sr. 10 years now, been together 16+ years. I got into the industry just by a simple invite, I was invited to a friend’s (Michelle Stevens) birthday party and there I met Roger D. King (may his soul rest in peace), and Donna Taylor, she introduced me to some more people Perry Norman (I knew him before the introduction but only in a work setting) Veronica Ingram, Deon Wingate, and Lee Williams. You may be wondering why I’m listing all these people but I’m doing so because after meeting each of them my life changed, the journey to pursuing my goals begins. They have motivated me in more ways than one and I will forever be grateful. In addition to me being a model and actress, I also wear the hat of a director, I still have a long way to go as I started my journey officially in December of 2018, one thing I would tell anyone aspiring of being an actor is to make sure this is something you want because this industry is not for the weak, it takes a lot of work and most importantly, dedication, you’re going to get a lot of no’s but you have to find a way to turn those no’s into yeses. What I found to be my biggest challenge was SELF until I met my wonderful acting coach J.D. Lewis, his teachings have taught me that I was getting in the way of my own success, doubting myself, not taking on difficult challenges and the least bit of what a normal person deals with in their everyday life, me not living in the moment but in my head , I have lost a lot of friends a long the way but I am grateful for the ones I do have now, because they support me and my dream 100%, sometimes you have to take some of the weight off inorder for you to get further and those “friends” were definitely holding me back. I was able to quit my job officially this year (2022) to become a full-time Actress and believe me when I say; it was not easy! Doing so I had to leave one of te most influential persons in my life, my manager or work mom if you would, Lenora Nelson, her and Julene Taylor definitely keeps me in check when needed along with Amber Barnes and Lucien Rattray Sr. My biggest motivation for this is my children, if there’s ever a time I feel like giving up I just think about them. I remember every audition script they’ve read for me, every “I am proud of you” uttered from their mouths, Leilani telling me “mommy I suggest you read over your lines before you start and make sure to smile when you slate” see, we think that our children are not listening but; news flash….They are! Melissa is not only an actress or model but I also do some sort of charity every year, in addition to that I have counseling sessions with teens and adults or just anyone who needs an ear and life lessons to get then out of their darkness. What sets me apart from others is that I do not seek validation from others, and thoughts of my kids are a great aid when it comes to motivating me, I am self-motivated and determined, I don’t stop until I’ve succeeded. I am most proud of the wonderful children that I birthed, I am proud of being able to become a full-time Actress and getting signed to agency (I wanted to wait a little longer but I needed to be taken more seriously) which is amazing by the way. I am proud that I am self sustained, and overall just proud of all my accomplishments!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an actor is that I get to bring these characters to life and give the audience a true life experience on-screen, another is seeing how proud my children are when their friends are flabbergasted when they tell them about their mom and can pull up a link, a photo or clip for reassurance. Another aspect is meeting different creatives that can help me in my career and this journey called life.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
My story may be a bit different from others but contrary to others belief, I’m very shy and so when it comes to approaching others I find it a bit challenging but the way I grow my audience is just by being me and not worrying about whether they’re going to like my content or not, I’ve learned that we can’t please everyone and the only way to know for sure if they like it is to put it out there. The best advice I can give anyone is to remain authentic and be and stay on a steady trajectory of positivity.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Melissa Cowan Ratray
- Facebook: Melissa Rattray
- Youtube: Melissa Cowan Rattray
Image Credits
Jamie Hensen