We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Samantha Jane Williams a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Samantha Jane, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to start by getting your thoughts on what you are seeing as some the biggest trends emerging in your industry.

Some of the biggest trends I am seeing in my industry is the pivot towards making social media/influencing the priority. Higher ups have prioritized profit over art and feel if someone has a big following that automatically means big dollars. I understand the business logic behind it but as someone who will always stand by the craft and authenticity of it, I feel like it waters down our industry and the work that is being put out there because in the end of the day followers and fame may bring dollars but that doesn’t mean you’re good. The art and the story ends up taking the back seat and we loos all sense of appreciation for the storytelling. All I’ll be able to focus on is the fact that you want to sell me something.

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.

It has been a long journey up until this point. I think I decided I wanted to be an actor when I was in high school. I have always been artistically driven, playing the flute, singing in the chorus in school, but it wasn’t clear until after I took my first acting class at Westchester Community College. Now we weren’t learning Checkov or Meisner in this intro class but there was just this sense of artistic freedom, imagination and exploration that I just found addicting. I wanted to be realistic, considering I had two brothers already pursuing the dream in Los Angelas. I knew how difficult it was gonna be. Representation wasn’t even on my radar at the time. I knew that becoming as actor was something that was hard, a long journey, lots of no’s but also not impossible. I knew I wasn’t getting discovered in a mall. I somehow knew what I was signing up for. I put myself through community college studying marketing and advertising along with performance art just incase I needed a back up. I left school for about ten years to pursue it full time and made little strides along the way. Up until that point I had manage to book a job being Gabourey Sidibe’s stand-in on The Big C on Showtime and getting into Sag. I had always seen myself as a theatre actress but after my first work day I was like yeah I wanna do tv and film. Being on set and watching everyone work together was just so amazing to me. Shortly after that ended, I decided to go back to school and finish my theatre degree. I graduated from New Paltz in 2019 and have since booked work in theatre like playing Hattie McDaniel in Boulevard of Bold Dreams and on shows like Law and Order: Organized Crime, The Resident and Dr. Death.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I think the most rewarding thing about being an artist is when what you’ve done something that makes someone feel good. As much as I love drama in theatre and on-camera, comedy has always been my first love. 90’s black sitcoms inspired me to become an actor. Family Matters and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to be exact. Sister Act was inspired me to do musical theatre, despite being a film. I had it on VHS and probably watched it all summer the summer of 1992. I never went outside. I didn’t discover improv until college and I have been studying it ever since. After doing a set, the most rewarding thing is hanging out after or leaving the venue and someone says “great show”, “that was so funny, thank you!”or they repeat a line that made them laugh. I would also have to say the amazing friends I have made through my artistic journey. We support one another no matter what medium we are in and the ideas, inspiration and art that comes out of it is just amazing.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Growing up I wish I knew about the theatre camps, workshops and summer stock. It wasn’t until I was going to New Paltz that I saw other students auditioning for summer stock shows and getting to do theatre all summer. I unfortunately was a working student. I was paying my own rent, groceries, car payments and insurance and couldn’t afford to do theatre all summer. I had to wait tables. I saw people being able to pour into themselves in hopes of getting better as artists and having these experiences and I wasn’t able to do that. I always felt bad about that. I think that’s why today I am always willing to go without if it means taking this class or taking this workshop.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://samanthajwilliams.com
• Instagram: @Samantha.Jane.Williams
• Other: *I am on an instagram break but will be returning soon! :) But that is my handle :)

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