We recently connected with Shari Albert and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Shari, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I like to think that all my projects are meaningful in some way or other. I hope so, anyway. But presently, my most meaningful project is a feature script that I’ve been working on with a partner, Laura LeeLun. It’s a love story with comedic elements called, Double Happiness. It’s about a Jewish widow who falls in love with a Chinese restauranteur who has been serving her family every Christmas for 40 years. It’s about second chances and acceptance. Hopefully, it’ll make you laugh and cry!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started in the business as an actor and evolved into writing to take some sort of control over my destiny. As an actor, you have to wait to be chosen but as a writer, you can create daily. This excites me to no end. I love to write about women who reinvent themselves a little later in life. Wonder why? Seriously, though – it’s exciting to me to see what happens next in my career. I have ideas as to where I want it to go, but I’m open to surprises! I just want to keep writing and shooting things. Until I can get paid to do that consistently, I write commercial treatments for directors as my day job. This also got me into the idea of directing my own stuff. I basically ghostwrite how the commercial will be directed on paper. It’s definitely the best day job I’ve ever had as it’s creative and collaborative – two things that are a must for me with everything I do.

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

I think the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the actual act of creating something that you can share. You never know the kind of impact you’ll have on someone when you make something that hits people in the right way at the exact right moment. It’s like getting a message from the Universe that you need to hear or feel. I think art in all forms – painting, theatre, film, and certainly in the last bunch of years – TV, can have a significant effect on people. Good art makes you feel less alone – it can make you feel seen, I think that’s what it’s all about.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

My entire career trajectory has been one of resilience! Lol! I used to be self-dubbed as the ‘almost’ girl. As an actor, I came so close to so many potentially life-changing jobs it’s ridiculous. Like, screen testing for what went on to be huge hit TV shows or iconic plays that were on Broadway. I guess that wasn’t in the cards back then. But I took every one of those moments and created a sort of alchemy out of them. Those moments are what have fed me and inspired me to keep going and become a writer. If others weren’t going to give me the opportunity to touch people’s lives in the way I know how then I guess I have to create them myself. I am no longer the ‘almost’ girl. I am now the ‘make it happen’ woman.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @Shazziz

Image Credits
Stephanie Diani for all the headshots.