We were lucky to catch up with Stephanie Alecia Rose recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie Alecia, thanks for joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

The last job I had, I was a debt settlement specialist. I quit my previous job because I didn’t like how management was treating some of my coworkers. I truly wanted to be in a place where the company cared enough about me as an employee. However, it was a bit of the same thing in the sense that it’s always about money. Every day, I would come into work, and I would try my hardest to focus on my job, but the majority of the time I was thinking about the next short film that I was going to be producing. I was thinking about new story ideas for scripts. I was creating posters from a previous short film I had produced, written, and filmed. It was then that I realized more so that a regular job was no longer going to satisfy me. It actually never did. No matter how hard I tried to concentrate on the job, I was always thinking about my next project. I was thinking about what I was passionate about, and it wasn’t that job! Unfortunately, and yet fortunately, I was laid off from the job. That was back in June 2018. I took that as a sign from God that I needed to go ahead and pursue my career as an actor, director, filmmaker, photographer, etc. I have not had a regular job since June 2018. I have 100% been working as an actor, director, filmmaker, photographer, etc. It is truly a blessing to be able to wake up each day the Lord gives me to do what I love! I am very much happier now than working a regular job. Nothing against those that work regular jobs. I know for me it was never fulfilling. It is fulfilling for me to be able to be in front of a camera, be behind a camera, be on stage, be backstage, holding a camera to do photography or videography, having a pen in my hand or typing on my laptop the latest script idea that I have.

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

I started out performing on stage since I was 10 years old. I decided to crossover into TV, film, and commercials in 2010. A few years later, I started interning at a high school with a friend/mentor as an assistant director. A couple years later, I directed professionally for the first time. I am still directing professionally to this day, as well as continuing to act on stage and for TV, film, and commercials. I have representation and became SAG-AFTRA eligible this year!

I also love photography! In 2012, I needed some new headshots, and I didn’t have money to schedule an appointment with a photographer. So my mom invested in me, and bought me my first camera. I started taking my own pictures. From there, I decided to turn my hobby into a small business, and now I provide budget-friendly, yet quality photography, and videography services for actors and small business owners.

I started filmmaking in the summer of 2017. Spiritually, I was moved to start producing my own work. Earlier that year, I was overcome with inspiration, and I sat down and typed out several short films within 5 to 6 hours. So in the summer of 2017, I started producing some of those short films. From 2017 to now, I have produced 11 short films. Out of those 11 short films, I have filmed ten. The beauty and hardship about producing your own work is that you wear many hats. Not only was I writing my own scripts, directing, and filming them, I was also casting, responsible for wardrobe, and hired people to help with production. I’ve had a producer, wardrobe, make up artist, set designer, etc. I’ve also been responsible for locations, and in 2021, it was the first time that I was actually able to pay actors and crew. When I first started producing my short films, it was truly a blessing to be surrounded by like-minded individuals who are so eager and just as passionate as I was to work together. With little to no money on most of my projects before 2021, I will always be forever grateful to everyone that was a part of every single one of my short films. Most of my short films have won in several film festivals from Best Director to Best Actors to Best Drama or Comedy, etc. What a ride!

What I’m most proud of is my mindset of never giving up. My faith and relationship with God is the number one driving force of why quitting is not an option for me. God has placed so many amazing people in my life, including my parents and family and church family whom are very, very supportive of me. Without God, the support from family and friends, I would not have had the strength to continue to pursue what I love. This business is very, very, very tough, and can be ugly at times. My faith keeps me grounded, keeps joy within me, and brings me so much peace. I’m truly grateful that I’m able to take the time to look back, and see how far I’ve come in my career, and it really puts into perspective why it is so important to stay focused and never give up. Anything good in life takes time, and I have learned to enjoy this journey!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I don’t think there’s enough space to truly illustrate my resilience in this journey of success, but I will give you a glimpse. Once again, I owe it all to my faith in God, and the support from my family and friends. In May of 2015, I surprised my mom for Mother’s Day by driving from Tulsa to Texas. When it was time for me to come back to Tulsa, I had this overwhelming sinking feeling in my stomach that I was going back to a place that I loved, but I felt that I needed more for myself. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved what I was doing, I had directed my first play professionally. However, I really couldn’t understand the sinking feeling in my stomach. I went to my mom and I told her how I felt, and she asked me, “If you could wake up again today, and do it all over, what would you be doing?” Without hesitation, I said, “I’d be on set.” My mom responded, “Then you know what to do.” It was then that I made the decision to move to Los Angeles, California. I had no money saved up, only the money that I had from the job that I was currently working as secretary of my church, and any other income coming in such as directing or acting. But I was tired of making excuses so I made the final decision that I was going to move to Los Angeles. Two of my brothers helped me pack up, and we drove from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Los Angeles, California. I landed on Los Angeles soil on a Tuesday evening November 17, 2015. For the first couple of years I lived in South Central between someone I knew who previously lived in Tulsa, but moved to Los Angeles a few years prior, some church family, and coworkers. And yes: what I saw in the movie Friday by Ice Cube is what I saw in South Central! Truly a culture shock for an Oklahoma girl! But I quickly adapted to my surroundings, and learned early on to navigate the bus system to get from one city to the next. I was auditioning. I was sending emails to agencies and casting directors. Soon I was booking. At one point, it all became so overwhelming that I had to slow down, and take care of my health. When the bookings stopped coming, I had to get a job. After a while, I wasn’t able to afford rent so I moved in with some church members and was sleeping on the couch. Soon I moved in with some coworkers and I was sleeping on the floor on a pull out. But thankfully, I ended up in a city outside of Los Angeles. in a home with an awesome friend and her two dogs. From walking alone at night in South Central from a bus stop just to get home to almost being stuck in Burbank to spending $40, $50, or $60 to get to downtown Los Angeles or Hollywood for work and to get back home to working jobs as an audience member to getting paid only to be spending most of that money on a taxi to get back home, the first couple of years I just felt like I was in a twilight zone. But I kept pushing through. I was surrounded by so many people in Los Angeles who were just as hungry as I was to make it in entertainment, and I honestly feel like that energy helps a lot when you live in Los Angeles. No matter what obstacles I ran into: my car being stolen, and my house being shot at before I moved to Los Angeles, getting my phone stolen right out of my hands while standing at a bus stop on the corner of Slauson and Vermont, almost witnessing someone about to stab someone on a city bus on two different occasions, living in a place with roaches, being houseless for a work shift (literally packed all I could and went to work with a suitcase not knowing where I was going to live), and more, I never gave up. I continue to stay focused.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

One of my many goals that drives me is booking series regular for a comedy TV series. A family comedy TV series would be ideal. I absolutely love making people laugh. This world is tough enough, and I want to make people laugh and feel happiness even if it’s for 30 minutes, or and hour or two. My mission is to always walk in my light, teach and learn, grow, and always choose peace. I do what I love because it is a gift from God that I must share with the world. I also want to continue to give back to my community of Tulsa, Oklahoma with my gift, and one day be able to retire my parents from their jobs!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Stephaniealeciarosephotography.com
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@thestephaniear85?si=lX8BOo4IgX2Ad0Hr

Image Credits

Stephanie Alecia Rose, TSET, TTCU, Mazzio’s, Fowler Automotive, Nick Fernandez (Holy Flicks!), 7Eleven, Andrew Nichols, After Meredith