We were lucky to catch up with Pierce Williams recently and have shared our conversation below.
Pierce, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
I couldn’t be happier to be able to make a living as an artist/entertainer. When I was in elementary school I started noticing other students and teachers applaud me for my creativity in classes and I really took pride in that gift. I’ve always excelled more in creative/artistic pursuits more than the opposite. I’ve just been very lucky to have parents that have always supported me in pursuing my passions. I know I wouldn’t want a regular job for a lot of reasons haha. Some people really like going to the same work location every day and doing the same type of job, but for whatever reason I can’t stand it. I’m always looking to mix things up and try new experiences/opportunities because for me that’s the only way I grow and stay inspired. Also, I guess I just get bored really easily. I’ve never been great at doing things I don’t want to do either, and so when I worked as a GNC sales associate for 6 months until I quit, even though I enjoyed learning more about fitness and nutrition, there was also a lot of time I spent doing things like stocking shelves and waiting around that made me feel like I could be using my time to do things that could potentially earn me more than minimum wage. I think most people’s biggest fear about leaving the job they dislike to pursue something in the creative/arts/entertainment space is that there’s no job security in it. Well, the truth is, no job is secure, whether you’re in the arts or not. I definitely don’t advise just quitting your job without some sort of plan, but for the most part, once you jump, you’ll figure it out and land on your feet. Doors start opening themselves for you in mysterious ways once you start making deliberate actions toward your dreams.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
For me, everything I do has been because of my dream of being a great TV/Film actor since I was in the 7th grade. I did a few plays in high school, then became an acting major in college. In college I noticed that modeling would be a good industry for me to get into as well because of how much it ties in with the acting industry. Though I played sports from elementary through highschool, I stopped in college but focused on building an attractive body in the gym. Motivated by wanting to be prepared for any shirtless scenes on camera or on stage of course. Since college, these 3 focuses of acting, modeling, and fitness have always tied together for me and have been the trifecta of what I’ve built my lifestyle around. Each discipline helps to improve and inform the other ones in different ways. Recently I started my own online personal training business called Hollywood Fit Coaching. It is catered towards actors and models that want to get in their best shape even on a busy and unpredictable schedule. As a model and actor myself I understand how our lifestyle and needs can be different than those of most other people.
I’m most proud of myself for having the courage to step out of my comfort zone and auditioning for my first play back in high school. That choice showed me how important it is to do the things that interest you, even if they scare you or intimidate you. Don’t be so scared of failing that you don’t even try. It’s the best way to grow and evolve into your best self.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When I was in college as an acting major, part of the curriculum was the 2-year Meisner program, which was based around the programming of a 2 year acting conservatory. The program was really intense; you have to take a year of acting classes and then you get one chance per year to audition to get into it and only a select few get in. Also, the teacher can kick you out of the program at any time for basically any reason they seem fit. I was really struggling with the Meisner exercises for the first couple months into the program. It was so bad that I could tell the teacher was starting to lose some faith in me and that I would probably get kicked out of the class within the next week if I couldn’t improve dramatically. This was very stressful for me because I didn’t know what I would do if I got kicked out of the program. I didn’t want to choose a different major or change schools or anything and I knew I would feel like I wasn’t fit for this industry. After an intense outside of class practice with another student I broke down crying by myself, and for the first time I doubted that I was even mentally capable of being an actor and considered quitting. But in that moment, I decided that if I am going to be successful in anything I’d have to stop allowing negative thoughts and opinions in about myself and that my view of myself needs to be more important than anyone else’s. I started paying close attention to the words I call myself and the thoughts I allowed myself to think, and to make sure they are all positive and encouraging. I stopped being so self-conscious about myself and started being more present with my classmates and scene partners. This mode of positive thinking and self-talk helped me to turn things around dramatically to where even the teacher was shocked by how rapidly I made improvements. This showed me how much believing in yourself and maintaining a positive mindset can make the difference between you being successful and unsuccessful.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
That it never really feels like I’m working, and that my careers are always motivation for me to keep becoming my best self in every way. The most humbling thing about this journey has been everyone that has told me I’ve inspired them in some way, as well as everyone that has come to me for advice on acting and modeling. It always blows me away when someone sees me as someone who is far along or qualified to give advice. I think because there is so much I still want to accomplish and I still feel like I’m just getting started. But it’s so humbling because it reminds me of when I was first getting started and I didn’t know anything about getting started in these industries and how much I was just looking for proper direction. It reminds me to be grateful of how far I’ve come since starting and to do what I can to help other people be successful in these industries.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.piercewilliamsmodel.com
- Instagram: Main acct- @pierce.will Actor acct- @Pierce_actor Model acct- @pierce_models Coaching acct- @Hollywoodfitcoach
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PierceWilliamsActor/
- Other: My link if you want to apply for Hollywood Fit Coaching: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeyrPiC3ydQvzw8rPhgysfnQzahlxiDH1_LoU5fCDChtfNfAA/viewform
Image Credits
J Monroe Thomas Concordia Don Harris Steve Reganato Noemi Rojas Kiamarie Lambert