Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sundra Oakley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sundra, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

To be able to call yourself an actor much less earn a living as one is a gift like no other. The journey to become a professional actor, however, is rarely as easy and seamless as it may appear in magazine articles and social media posts; there are usually more swerves, potholes, and detours than one cares to admit or count! Some jobs you book and while you may be grateful for the opportunity (because remember, the odds of working as an actor–especially in a major city– are crazily low), the particular job may feel like nothing more than a paycheck. However, there are those special moments when a job comes along that ignites your spirit, feeds your soul, and is something so much more than another ‘gig’.

For me, one of these moments came in the form of the recently released biopic “Bob Marley: One Love” where I had the fortunate honor of portraying Bob’s longtime lawyer and confidante, the incomparable Diane Jobson. A woman for whom the word ‘dynamic’ was created. A force of nature who unabashedly marched to the beat of her own drum in a day and culture that didn’t always encourage women to do so and who continues to do so to this very day.

Though there have been at least two documentaries on Bob’s life, in the almost 43 years since his passing, there has never been a biographical portrayal on screen. Being Jamaican, I’ve heard rumblings of various scripts floating around for over 20+ years–none ever materialized past the grapevine of whispers. Until now.

When I knew this project was greenlit, I became a bit, shall we say, obsessed. I had to be a part of it. I just had to. I asked my reps in Los Angeles to please for the love of God find out who was in charge of the casting and what roles were available. To be a part of it, I told them (probably to their chagrin) that I would be willing to be a waitress serving coffee in a scene, and I meant it wholeheartedly. This wasn’t just another audition, another potential job. This was the major motion picture studio production of the life of one of Jamaica’s national icons–the man whose music has covered every crevice of our globe and has been sung by people whose only knowledge of English is the lyrics to his songs. I’ve always half-way joked that you could go to the most remote village in Mongolia (only chose there because it felt the furthest in my mind) and mention to a local that you’re Jamaican and it’s almost guaranteed they’ll say, “Bob Marley!”. Our little 150 mile wide island has had a stalwart presence on the international stage in very large part due to that one native son from Nine Mile. So to be a part of the telling of this story went so much deeper for me. As an actor, as a Jamaican, this…THIS movie permeated my soul.

In a case of “you just never know where your path will take you”, I was linked with the amazing, awesome Jamaican based casting director, Kareen Blake-Chin, through my cousin who was working on the production. I introduced myself, gave her my little ‘elevator pitch’ (so she didn’t think I was just some rando calling her!). She said they were still looking for the role of the doctor who treated Bob the night he was shot. “Perfect!” I thought; I’ll gladly audition for that! Then she said, “We’re also looking for the role of his lawyer.” That was when every single hair on the back of my neck stood up and when it felt like a literal electric shock coursed through my body. I may even have stood up from my seat at that moment if I recall correctly. I remembered her from the documentaries I watched but had no idea she’d be in the movie. Diane Jobson. Once you see her, hear her speak, I guarantee you’ll never ever EVER forget her.

Color me obsessed.

I sent in my audition for both parts but in an act of self actualization literally said out loud to myself, “I want the role of Diane.” Cue the adrenaline let down. It’s what tends to happen after preparing and doing an intense audition, especially one that you love.

The hardest part as an actor when you’ve auditioned for a project is letting go, releasing the attachment to the hopes and dreams of booking the job. Oooof, it can be a test of your will but oh how very necessary it is to do so. As with many things in life, and for sure in this business, you literally have no control. Cut to me hearing that someone close to the Marley family had also auditioned for the part and already had long locks as Diane has. I cried. Yep, I cried. Because I thought with that combination, there’s no way they’ll consider me, even if I knew in my gut I knocked my audition out the park. After feeling like I was punched in the gut with that piece of information, I pretty quickly came back to myself (I’ll attribute that to my Capricorn will lol). I just remember being at home and saying/praying out loud, “Ok, God, if she’s to be blessed with the role, then just let her do an amazing job with it and let the whole project be amazing because this is so much more than any one person.” And just like that, I felt this peace come over me. That’s the only way I can explain it–a peace…a release.

But then after days/weeks (the time really is a blur), I get a call that I’ve been approved by the director. Then another call God-knows-how-long after that that I’ve been approved by the studio. Whoa. WHOA! This…is…happening?!?

Next thing I know, I’m walking out of the airport in Kingston and seeing someone waiting for me with a luggage cart and a sign with my name on it. Being flown home to work, to work on the long, long, long awaited biopic of our most popular figure to be born on the land and known and loved worldwide was just……wild.

Filming was beautiful, surreal, exciting, profound in every way you can imagine. One thing I could feel amongst every single one of my cast mates was the enormous sense of pride, responsibility, and distinct privilege we all had. Every one was either Jamaican born or of Jamaican parentage and thus extremely linked to our heritage; so to be actors with the crown of telling THIS story bestowed upon our heads was a honor that never escaped us, in fact it fueled us daily. Mix that with the jaw droppingly, fantastically accurate wardrobe and set design, actual historical locations in which to film the tale of the man, his music, his message becoming a movement, and this is when a job transcends a paycheck. This was, dare I say, spiritual.

I don’t know if I’ll ever find the perfect words to describe how much being a part of this project means to me, but perhaps, the words aren’t meant to come to me–it’s just meant for me feel.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I was around 13 when I first said to myself that I wanted to be an actor. I had been a dancer pretty much my whole life but for some reason the bug bit then, and it felt like a pretty synchronistic step. Now so many many years later, I’m proud to say that I AM an actor, still a dancer (raised on tap, ballet, and jazz, grew into modern, African, musical theatre, and presently immersed in Tahitian dance), also a martial artist (Kung Fu), now an author (my multilingual children’s picture book “Why Do I Get All the Kisses?” is on Amazon!) and also a producer, wife, mother to two amazing sons, and all around lover of life! And because the creative life never ends, I also recently became a certified yoga teacher which brings me a tremendous amount of joy.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

There are two books that I highly, highly recommend to people living a creative life of any kind. The first is “Renaissance Soul: Life Design for People with Too Many Passions to Pick Just One” by Margaret Lobenstine. The second is “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert. These two books give such eye opening ways of reframing our thoughts on our individual creative journey, especially if we choose to go down that path as a career.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn the idea of success looking a particular way and being on a particular time line. The idea of (fill in the blank) shows you’re successful and that it had to happen by (fill in the blank) age. How freeing it is to be unshackled from those ideals! Life is so much broader and more diverse than these human-imposed ideologies of how we’re supposed to live. When you’re from a culture or era where certain beliefs are ‘norms’ it’s so easy to just fall into that stream of belief and action. Often, it takes a lot of bravery to decide you’re going to chart your own course on your own ocean of discovery. But when you do, as I feel I’ve done, it’s rewarding like no other, even with all the bumps, crashing waves, lost navigation, and still waters.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sundraoakley.com
• Instagram: @SundraOakley
• Facebook: @TheSundraOakley
• Twitter: @SundraOakley

Image Credits
Personal photo and black dress with straps: James DePietro