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

Morris R., thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

They say the entertainment business is one of the hardest businesses to break into! That’s all I heard as a starving actor coming out of Richmond, Virginia. At 21 years old I knew I had this passion! I knew I had this talent with a fire inside. However, even though I had this desire and love for the arts, I couldn’t actually help but to wonder was I good enough to expand my horizons! Would other people think I’m a good enough Actor? With all this fear and thoughts of anxiety swirling around in my head! I knew the only way I would live with myself, and have no regrets, is if I just took a leap of faith! If I just took a risk! So just like that, a 21 year old Morris R. Austin with only $300 in his pocket and no job lined up, moved to Atlanta, GA to pursue his acting career!!! It was a calculated risk! What if I wasn’t good enough? What if no one liked me? What if I just wasn’t built for this? I eventually silenced all the noise in my very own conscious and took the ultimate risk on myself! And guess what? With discipline, faith, and hard work, the risk paid off! 2 stage plays later, written and directed by yours truly! Also I’m proud to be found and associated with BET+, Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube, and Tubi. I’d like to think, I’ve only just begun!

Morris R., 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?

Since I was a young man, I was in love with the arts! I knew I wanted to be an Actor, very early. I was in the drama club in high school, I also attended the Center for the Arts in a technical school in Richmond, VA. I then went off to college to study Theatre and Film at Saint Augustine College in Raleigh,NC. All the education and experience made me fall in love with acting more and more! Improve and memorizing scripts started to become my strength, my super power! It separated me from the rest! When I moved to Atlanta,GA at 21 years of age, I aggressively pursued more training and more experience! Auditioning for stage plays and take acting classes like a mad man! I knew if I was going to make it in this industry, I had to want it more than the next person! In September of 2014 I was led and encouraged to start my very own Theater and Film Production Company “Austin Creations LLC,” I wanted to tell stories! Real, Raw, and life changing stories with my product! I wanted to write about topics that most people would avoid talking about. I wanted to be different. If you had the opportunity to experience a Austin Creations LLC production, I wanted the audience to experience healing while satisfying their theatrical palette. The world would soon get to know the man Morris R. Austin, the actor, a little more than the Writer and Director, when I was given the chance to be apart of films such as “Marvels Black Panther”. After my very first Stunt feature in Marvels most accomplished blockbuster, I then had the opportunity to work for Tyler Perry on his hit show “Sisters” on BET+ After those amazing opportunities, I then went to take on independent films on Prime Video such as “The Price To Pay” and “Shadow Dance.” Still not yet a household name, but my determination and hard work led me to a Co-starring role on the Netflix original “Outer Banks.” Being managed by Fast Lane Talent Agency currently, the sky is certainly the limit me! I’m just getting started, as a Actor and also as a business owner.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

The goal when I put on a production is to reach out to sponsors and investors that will enhance my product and I can also be an asset to them as well. However, that hasn’t been my journey thus far. I have worked for the airline industry for over 10 years now, and with the help of my Full time job, I have built my very own capital to fund my business. I work extra and over in order to afford equipment and venues. I also pay my cast and crew out of my very own pockets as well. As a young and ambitious company, growth and a bright future with investors and sponsors are on the horizon!

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

If you’re going to have success managing a team and maintaining high morale, in my opinion, you have to make sure everyone understands and sees your vision. Great communication skills are a must! You have to be able to articulate what you want, and how you want things done. Be very clear about your goals and how to achieve them. Champion your team! Remind them of how important they are to the big picture and the operation. Team building exercises help! Trips and parties keep things light in a high stress work environment full of deadlines and tight budgets. Always be kind, you never know what others are going through.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Mraustin777
• Facebook: Morris R. Austin
• Youtube: Morris R. Austin

Image Credits
Lorenzo Cunningham Photography Courtney Thornton Photo