We were lucky to catch up with Nicole Cates recently and have shared our conversation below.
Nicole, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your creative career?
I worked as a clinical psychologist at a women’s prison for 5 years and learned many valuable lessons that translated into key skills towards being a business owner. I learned that listening to others, truly listening, is of the utmost importance when it comes to connecting to your audience. I established NiCat Productions to tell the stories of those who often go unheard. While at the prison, I was afforded the opportunity to meet women from all walks of life and hear their stories, their dreams and their fears. As an actor and the owner of a production company, I feel it is my duty to ensure every character in our productions are represented in a way that is authentic and represented in a true and honest way.
Nicole, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
For as long as I can remember, I have been a performer. From banging on pots and pans as a child for my parents to singing on stage for my high school chorus group, I have always found joy in entertaining. My journey truly began when I moved from Wilmington, NC to Raleigh, NC after completing my master’s degree at UNCW. I threw myself into the world of acting, applying for any role I could find in every production. I was lucky enough to be given a chance by a local film maker, Austin Bitikofer, and the rest is history. For the last 7 years I have worked hard to study my craft and broaden my skills not only in front of the camera, but behind the camera as well. By 2023 I finally felt I was ready to establish my production company, NiCat Productions, and put together a team of industry professionals to make my dream of telling unique and interesting stories a reality. NiCat Productions is currently in pre-production for “Border Lines”, a story about a mother and daughter discussing life, love, and friendship as they navigate the dynamics of their relationship. We are proud to say that our primary aim is to inspire women of all ages to be their true and authentic selves through our productions.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
At our core, we are all human beings striving for love and acceptance. No matter what path you take in life, there will be highs and lows with barriers to overcome. As a creative, I believe there are some key differences in the types of struggles we see in our line of work simply due to the nature of our jobs. Creatives are passionate, sometimes to a fault, about their work. It can take a lot of time to garner success and recognition in the world of art, film, music, etc. I worked for four years as an actor on low-budget passion projects, only being paid with food on set before I was able to acquire the experience and skills necessary to be cast in paid productions. The people in my life who were not in the industry thought I was crazy for working for free but I assured them it was all “part of the process”. Creatives are typically not driven by financial gain but by a need to express themselves through their art no matter how long it takes for those around them to see the true value in what they do.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
My father bravely battled cancer for 14 years before passing away in 2011. His strength and determination to never give up left a profound impression on me and on everyone who was lucky enough to know him during his 50 years of life. This was an incredibly difficult time for me as one can imagine. Not only had I lost my father but I was in my first year of college trying to support myself and my education with a minimum wage job. I took a break from the film industry and focused on completing my studies and improving my mental health. By 2017 I had graduated with my master’s degree, moved to a new city, and began working as a psychologist. Despite these accomplishments in my professional life, I felt something was missing. I decided to return to the film industry in 2019 and throw myself head first into my artistic pursuits. I believe my father’s legacy and my ability to overcome this tragedy through the support of friends, family, and mental health professionals, has served to inspire my work as an actor and a producer.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ncates20.wixsite.com/website
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicoledcates/
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/vfDiZ0KzSME
- Other: IMDb Page: http://imdb.me/nicolecates Actors Access: https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/nicolecates
Image Credits
Miles Sherill, J. Wagner, Brent Jones, Melissa Shaul