We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Simoii Dalgetty-Douglas a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Simoii, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had started sooner?

I didn’t pursue my career as an actor until my junior year of college. At the time I was certain that my career path would be in the fashion industry as an aspiring fashion designer. Although art and illustration have been my creative outlet since I was a child, I realized performing was my real passion and where I felt the most expressive. I am grateful and appreciative of the classes and work I put into visual arts but I do wish I sought out the same resources for acting as well. However, that doesn’t mean I am not satisfied with where I am now. As a young adult, I do have time to utilize those resources now by fitting in classes where I can and consistently learning how to better my craft. I chose this career, during one of the most transformative years of a person’s life and it has truly been so helpful to learn things that I am capable of and to consistently test and push myself.

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.

I’m a SAG-AFTRA actor and model born and raised in Brooklyn New York. I studied visual arts at Fiorello H LaGuardia High School and Fashion Design and Psychology at The New School University. My primary area of interest is in TV and film, but currently, I am looking into more theatre work as well. Although my studies were focused on art and illustration, my first introduction to the acting industry was by working on a few production sets around New York City. During my college years, I took several outside courses for acting and voiceover work. I’ve starred recently in a few recent short films titled “Son”, “My PTSD Will Never Win Best Picture” and “River”, which has been selected for several film festivals. For some of my recent theatre work, I played the lead role of Amanda in “Nocturama” and the lead role of “Karen” in “The Beast in Your Woods”.

Currently, I’m putting more work into modeling as well. I’ve had the opportunity to work with brilliant fashion designers and it encourages me to continue in that field as well. Photography is another creative outlet that I particularly enjoy both behind and in front of the camera. Creating images feels like another way to express my artistic side even if it’s not sketching in a book or painting on a canvas.

I truly feel my happiest and in my element when I’m working on set. You get to meet so many incredible and talented people, all the while working and collaborating together to produce one great project. It is something I find to be constantly inspiring and motivating,

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist/creative is having the opportunity to show the world who you are. It’s freeing to know you have control over how you want to express yourself. Sure the perks of success are another great part of it, but what truly makes being an artist special is simply doing what you want to do. As an actor, you have the chance to learn how to be somebody else and step outside of your comfort zone. Or even better, you can connect and find yourself within a character. As an artist, you get to open yourself to a community of both like-minded and different thinkers. Working and collaborating with these people can truly create some of the most beautiful and intriguing pieces, which further build on new ideas and culture.

Have you ever had to pivot?

The point at which I had to pivot in my career was during the pandemic. I think a lot of people can relate to having to have a “wake-up call” moment during this time. I was in my senior year of college pursuing a degree in Psychology and Fashion Design. As much as I do love psychology and getting to learn about and understand why people are the way that they are, I just wasn’t sure I wanted to commit my entire career fully to that field so soon. Life changed so quickly and was so uncertain. I found myself being disappointed with not fully pursuing my other passions and I sort of felt stuck in my current choice. After I finished my degree and graduated, I pushed everything aside and invested in all the tools and resources I needed to establish myself as an actor. We live one life on this earth, and with such limited time, we should always encourage ourselves to push for the things we really want to do and what ultimately brings us joy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://simoii.portfoliobox.net/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sim_oii/?hl=en

Image Credits
Julian Peeples, John Carafo, Lydia Hudgens, Khalid Riley, Miguel Herrera, Natalie Occhino