Rank #1: Anjelika Washington- Booked Her First Series Regular Role With Zero Credits

Anjelika was previously a series regular on the Amazon pilot The Legend of Master Legend playing John Hawkes’ daughter. She is currently a series regular on DC Universes ‘Stargirl’, and co-starring in the upcoming Netflix film ‘Tall Girl’ releasing late 2019. She has guest starred on Showtime’s ‘Shameless’, CBS’s ‘Young Sheldon’, Marvel’s ‘Runaways’ on Hulu, and others.
Aug 12 2019
1hr 11mins
Rank #2: Brely Evans

Brély Evans is a beautiful multi-talented native from Oakland, California. She is an Actress, Vocalist, Comedienne, and Voice Over Talent. Whether Brély is making you cry in a drama, laugh in a comedy, or challenging you intellectually through her thought provoking discussions as a talk show host and radio personality she finds time to Key Note speak and serve as ambassador for several national brands.
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In the stage play, Two Can Play That Game, Brély quickly became a fan favorite. Recognized for her ability to captivate an audience she was cast opposite Queen Latifah in 20th Century FOX, Just Wright. Her comedic timing resulted in the expansion of her role as Sabrina. It was this same power packed persona that afforded her an opportunity to work with the late Whitney Houston in the SONY Feature, Sparkle.
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Brély extended into television and is recognized for her recurring role as Nichelle Nichols on BET’s Being Mary Jane as Gabrielle Union’s best friend. Her reach continued to expand with projects such as Regina King’s directorial debut Let The Church Say Amen. She was also cast in a lead opposite Lamman Rucker in the film, The Man In 3B. Brély stared in the short film, Black Rose with Tyrese and Jennifer Hudson and as leading lady in TV One’s You Can’t Fight Christmas. -
Brély recently wrapped on a comedy series, The Last Call, starring opposite Carl Anthony Payne. She is looking forward to creating her newest character, Rondell Lancaster, in the upcoming series titled, Ambition, for the OWN NETWORK. She will also be recurring in BET’s the hot new series The Family Business.
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Brély says it is her faith, drive, positive outlook, and commitment to excellence that continues to reward her with career opportunities. She coaches people in her series Get Your Act Together and Start Living Your Dreams both national and internationally through her company Water Walkers Worldwide, Inc. that has recently opened a Talent Management division.
May 01 2019
31mins
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Rank #3: Taja V. Simpson- How Her Hard Work & Faith Helped Her To Manifest Her Role On Tyler Perry's The Oval

Taja V. Simpson is a Louisiana native of West African and European decent and her colorful background allows her to constantly bring new characters to life. She fell in love with acting when she was seven years old when she and her cousins would ‘play pretend’. They would watch movies, learn all the lines and then act them out for fun. Her favorite movie at that time was Berry Gordy’s "The Last Dragon” and to this day she can still recite all the lines in the movie. “Who’s The Master? Sho-Nuff!”
Although she loved acting at a young age, there weren’t any programs or schools in Lake Charles, LA that would help cultivate that skill set. She went on to graduate from McNeese State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mass Communication and an emphasis in Broadcast Journalism. From there, she was on the path of being a News Reporter/Anchor.
After College, she moved to Houston, TX but there was a still small voice in her that kept saying, ‘you should try acting,’ so she did. She enrolled in acting workshops and ended up winning three awards for her performances. (Best Actress, Best Overall Performance and People’s Choice) Now, she was bit by the acting bug and there was no turning back. She would have never thought that 'playing pretend’ with her family as a young child would also be what she ultimately would do for a living.
Versatility is Taja's greatest accomplishments which is what lead her to guest star in multiple roles on some of the most popular television shows of our time. She received her first breakout role in The Bold & The Beautiful as Adele which she recurred on the show for over two years. Since then some of the shows she has appeared in are; Grey’s Anatomy, NCIA, The Thundermans, NCIS:LA, The Soul Man, KC Undercover, and Lethal Weapon. Taja was widely known for her role as the fun and sassy wife opposite legendary Actor and Director Tyler Perry; in Lionsgate’s “Tyler Perry’s Boo2! A Madea Halloween,“ and can now be seen weekly as Priscilla Owen in BET's newest drama,
Tyler Perry's "THE OVAL."
Taja is also a film director with over 40 plus productions under her belt from stage plays to music videos and short films. Next up is directing television and her first feature.
She can currently be seen in Christopher Nolan’s “My Online Valentine” on Amazon where she leads this film down the dating woes in this hilarious Romantic Comedy. She can next be seen in the Christmas film, "London Mitchell’s Christmas" slated for December 2019 along with 3 additional films in the pipeline. You can also see her in other films on Netflix and Amazon.
In her new book,"Cracking The Acting Code: A Practical Step By Step Guide To Becoming A Professional Actor", Taja shares her unique story and expertise from moving from a small town in Louisiana, making it on the big screen in Hollywood, and becoming one of the most trusted names in the entertainment business.
Taja’s hobbies include: writing, watching and studying films, learning new words and cooking. Her personal interests involve, spending time with her two dogs, working out, boxing, traveling and always being open to learn new things.
In order to succeed in the entertainment industry its important to be multi-talented both on and off screen. From behind the scenes to being in front and center, Actor, Author, Director and Keynote Speaker Taja V. Simpson has proven just that.
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Jan 07 2020
1hr 3mins
Rank #4: Danielle Pinnock- Actor, Playwright, Coach and Co-creator or Hashtag Booked

Danielle Pinnock currently stars in the hit CBS Comedy, Young Sheldon, the spinoff to the popular, multi-Emmy award winning television series The Big Bang Theory. The single camera, half-hour comedy was created by Chuck Lorre and Steve Molaro who executive produce with Todd Spiewak and Jim Parsons and was recently renewed for a third and fourth season.
Pinnock, a newcomer to Los Angeles from Chicago, has already shown her star power in television and in animation. Pinnock has worked alongside Viola Davis and Kerry Washington in Scandal as
well as Ray Romano and Peter Bogdanovich on Epix’s Get Shorty. Her other television appearances include: NBC’s critically acclaimed, This Is Us, TV Land’s Teachers, Comedy Central’s Workaholics. Pinnock is working with DreamWorks and Cartoon Network on multiple animation projects. .
In addition to her incredible acting ability, Pinnock is also an accomplished playwright. Her one woman show, Body/Courage, premiered at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble in Chicago in 2016 and is a tour de force. Through multiple characters, Pinnock gives voice to the complexity of living and loving one’s body. Body/Courage was awarded a 2016 TimeOut Theatre Award and Pinnock received rave reviews with Chicago Reader calling her performance a “tremendous feat in acting.”
Pinnock is a vocal activist in the body positivity movement. Her written work on body awareness has been featured on Buzzfeed, Shondaland, National Eating Disorder Association and other publications. .
Pinnock is a graduate of Temple University and received her MA in Acting with First Distinction Honors from the Birmingham School of Acting (United Kingdom). She has studied with famed solo performer and documentary theater playwright Anna Deavere Smith and is a Bob Curry Fellow with The Second City. Pinnock is originally from Teaneck, New Jersey and is of Jamaican-American heritage. She lives in Los Angeles and continues to write and support diverse artists voices through her company IronPrint Artists.
Jul 17 2019
50mins
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Rank #5: Anthony Meindl- The Art Of Being You; Teaching Actors To Be Vulnerable, Removing Facades & Taking Risk

Anthony Meindl is an LA-based Writer/Director/Teacher/Founder of AMAW studios worldwide, with studios in LA, London, NY, Santa Fe, Vancouver, Toronto, Sydney and Atlanta. He has also taught internationally in Sofia, Rome, Capetown, Melbourne, and Paris. He has guest lectured at the Gaiety School/The National Theatre School of Ireland, the prestigious Moscow Art Theater, the Actors Centre London, and is the guest acting teacher at David Lynch's Masters of Filmmaking Program in Fairfield, Iowa. He is the author of three books: The best-selling At Left Brain Turn Right, Book The Fucking Job and Alphabet Soup for Grown-ups.
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Sep 10 2019
45mins
Rank #6: Nakia Burrise

Nakia booked her first series regular role as Tanya Sloan the yellow ranger on Power Rangers while still a junior in UCLA's theater program. She talks about how she balanced an acting career while being a full time student and all the many things she learned along the way.
Nakia discusses her love for producing and creating her own family friendly content, maintaining work life balance and the importance of having a solid support team. She also gives tips to up and coming actors looking to get started in the acting business.
Keep up with Nakia through the links below:
website: www.nakiaburrise.com
Instagram: @nakiaburrise
Twitter: nakiaburrise
Facebook: nakia.burrise
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Jun 16 2018
45mins
Rank #7: Rhavynn Drummer

Rhavynn is the creator of two digital series “Good Girls” and “Brooklyn Blue Sky.” Brooklyn Blue Sky was acquired by BET in 2017 and can be seen on bet.com and the BET App. For more information go to www.rhavynndrummer.com.
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Mar 08 2019
36mins
Rank #8: Elise Neal- Talks About Her Successful Career Spanning Over Three Decades

Neal is a theater, television and film entertainer known for her many roles in television series as well as the films Rosewood, Scream 2 and Logan.
Elise began her career as a dancer from an early age, first in ballet and later musical theater. After she graduated from Overton High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, Elise received a full scholarship to attend The University of the Arts in Philadelphia and then moved to New York. She quickly landed roles in musical theater and found herself traveling the world with various touring companies, including a stint on Broadway in Maurice Hines' production of Oh, Kay!, eventually finding her way to Los Angeles.
With many television credits to her name, Elise had regular series roles in The Hughleys, SeaQuest 2032, All of Us, and Belle's. Other TV credits include K-Ville, Scandal, and Hangin' With Mr. Cooper. She made her film debut in the 1997 film Rosewood, followed by roles in How to be a Player, Scream 2, and Mission to Mars. She portrayed Gladys Knight in Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B, and in 2017 she played Kathryn Munson in the Marvel blockbuster film Logan. She has also performed in many music videos as well, including Chubb Rock's music video for Just the Two of Us, Black Sheep's 1992 video for Strobe Light Honey, Father MC's 1991 video for Lisa Baby, Aretha Franklin's 1998 video A Rose Is Still a Rose and Vanessa Williams' video Work to Do.
Nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for the film Hustle & Flow, Elise received an additional three NAACP nominations, two of which were for Best Actress in a Comedy for The Hughleys. As a producer, Elise has created and developed several multimedia projects, including a reality show based on her R&B group, "Assorted Flavors," a fitness and lifestyle brand, and multiple feature projects and development deals.
--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/theactorslounge/supportJun 07 2019
40mins
Rank #9: Khalilah Joi- Talks Winning ABC's Talent Competition & Her Powerful Role On 'Grey's Anatomy' As A Rape Victim

Born in Thomasville, Georgia and raised in Hampton, Virginia, Khalilah Joi is a bonafide Southern girl–freshwater fishing, debutante balls and all. With aspirations of being a broadcast journalist, she attended The University of Virginia, where she received a bachelor’s degree in English. After graduation, though, she chose The Studio Theater Acting Conservatory in Washington, D.C. over her acceptance to NYU’s Graduate School of Journalism and hasn’t looked back.
After a year on the east coast theater circuit, Khalilah drove across country to Los Angeles, where she has worked consistently in television, film, animation and theater. Some of her most notable roles include starring in three seasons of the hit digital series “Sexless,” a recurring role on BET’s “Being Mary Jane,” and appearances on “S.W.A.T.,” “Rosewood,” “Marvel’s Agent Carter” and “The Good Doctor.”
Khalilah’s recent guest role as assault victim Abby in the “Grey’s Anatomy” episode “Silent All These Years,” which deals with consent and was specifically inspired by Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony regarding Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, received critical-acclaim and generated immense online conversations around the #MeToo movement. The episode showcased Khalilah’s most nuanced, impactful on-screen performance to date and garnered considerable Emmy buzz, landing her a feature in Variety’s contenders issue.
On the heels of Grey’s Anatomy, Joi had a recurring guest role on the second season of HBO’s Emmy-winning hit “Big Little Lies” and is currently filming a new project to be announced in the fall.
During her career, Khalilah has been fortunate to receive a number of awards and acknowledgments for her work. These include winning Best Actress at the American Black Film Festival, winning the Best Supporting Actress SOFIE, (short film award,) for her performance in the critically acclaimed “Jonestown,” winning the Grand Prize in ABC Entertainment Group’s Digital Casting Competition, and winning Best Female Newcomer for her work in “Sexless”.
Sep 25 2019
43mins
Rank #10: Angela White- Film Producer Gives Advice To Actors Who Feel Stuck & The Importance Of Having A Presence In LA, NYC and ATL

As a new evolution in the movie industry emerges, one of the people breaking down barriers and leading the way is Angela White, a film producer and member of the Producer’s Guild of America, who specializes in creating compelling commercial stories with a distinct multi-cultural perspective. Angela White is the founder of Silver Lining Entertainment, LLC, a family owned Multimedia Entertainment Company based in Los Angeles, California.
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As an executive, filmmaker, entrepreneur, producer and talent manager, Angela has not only worked shoulder to shoulder with the Hollywood elite, she has opened the velvet rope for newcomers by guiding their careers and giving several stars of today their big break. Angela's films have been highlighted on ABC News, CBS, Good Morning America, Fox News, Bravo's Watch What Happens Live, Washington Post, NY Times, USA Today, LA Times, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Deadline Hollywood, Huffington Post, The Real, and Dish Nation, just to name a few.
May 07 2019
25mins
Rank #11: George Pierre- Top Atlanta Casting Director Shares His Knowledge Of The Casting Process

GEORGE PIERRE, CSA – CASTING DIRECTOR
Since opening its doors in 2007, Pierre Casting has had the pleasure of casting for CNN, TBS, BET, DISNEY, TV ONE, FOX, NBC UNIVERSAL and most recently OWN. Pierre Casting has worked on feature films like: NO GOOD DEED, which was number one in the box office for 2 weeks straight. Other features include Ride Along 1, Ride Along 2, A Meyers Christmas, Night School, Little to TV shows such as Being Mary Jane, The Quad, Superstition and most recently Lee Daniels STAR, along with Ambitions, American Soul and TALES. Most recently Pierre Casting has been accepted into the CSA. Pierre Casting looks forward to casting new projects and meeting new talent
Oct 29 2019
41mins
Rank #12: Kelcy Griffin- Shares The Key Factors That Have Helped Her Book More Work

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Aug 19 2019
32mins
Rank #13: Tasia Grant- Talks Transitioning From Her Corporate Career To Becoming An Actress in Film & TV

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Sep 02 2019
54mins
Rank #14: LaNisa Frederick- Actress, Content Creator, Voice Actor and Co-creator of Hashtag Booked

Midwest native LaNisa Frederick is an actor, voiceover artist, and educator. She arrived in LA in 2017 and honed her craft in Chicago performing at the Tony Award-winning Victory Gardens Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf, the acclaimed Second City Chicago and performed worldwide including London and Singapore.
No stranger to the camera Frederick has exploded on the screen on Chicago Code, Young Sheldon, Chicago PD, Teachers, and the Emmy-nominated Brown Girls. As an accomplished voiceover artist, she has been behind the mic for clients like Teach for America, Comcast, McDonald’s, ComEd, and AT&T. A recipient of Edge Studio’s Voiceover Competition, LaNisa is also the voice in several major video games. Understanding this niche market, LaNisa trains and coaches actors on the business of voiceover with a specialty focus on artist of color who are new to the field.
LaNisa has worked with all ages in both traditional and non traditional education settings. Quitting her full time non-profit career in 2013 LaNisa worked a teaching artist, grant writer, program director, and curated arts based programming for incarcerated/recently released youth, those with severe cognitive disabilities, and those most at risk. Still passionate about education and access, she continues to provide consul to youth based organizations on effective, impactful programming and teaching styles. She is also currently an acting lecturer at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy College. LaNisa is a graduate of Loyola University (Chicago,BA), University of Essex (UK, MA), and the School at Steppenwolf.
And most importantly, she is a new, first time Auntie to a perfect little niece named Elle.
---Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/theactorslounge/support
Jul 15 2019
28mins
Rank #15: Keena Ferguson

Classically trained in both drama and dance, Keena Ferguson has performed in a vast array of TV guest roles on many hit TV shows including those such as, Two in a Half Men - (CBS), Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street - (Amazon), and in last year's breakout hit for FX, Atlanta. Keena's television work experience also includes co-hosting The Way We Do It on BET with comedian Ricky Smiley.
Keena's filmography includes a star billed role in the theatrically released action-packed thriller, Red Line, a supporting lead opposite Stephen Dorff in the screwball dramedy feature , American Hero,, indie drama, Daughter of Fortune, and stylized digital action feature, Forever No More.
Keena Ferguson's achievements in legitimate stage productions include clinching the prestigious 2016 NAACP Award for Best One Person Show. In addition to her acting and dancing passions, Keena is an accomplished writer and producer. Her current project, the docuseries From the Fly gives viewers a chance to take a bird's eye view of regular people actively pursuing their dreams. Previous films produced by Keena have screened at 35 international film festivals and been picked up for television distribution and garnered multiple awards including the HBO Shorts Series at the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival.
--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/theactorslounge/supportFeb 06 2019
52mins
Rank #16: Jasmine Wright

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Aug 24 2018
56mins
Rank #17: DaVida Chanel- Talent Manager Of Etcetera and Company Talks About What Makes Actors Marketable & Best Ways To Seek Representation

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May 15 2019
54mins
Rank #18: Tiffany Daniels- After Booking Her First Speaking Role She Booked 12 More Back To Back.

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Aug 08 2019
1hr 1min
Rank #19: Sasha Compere

Sasha Compere is a native of Detroit, Michigan and is of Haitian parentage. Her mother and father are both from Haiti. Sasha moved to a small town right outside of Detroit at a young age and attended schools in the metro Detroit area where she began acting and learning about production. She performed in theater productions throughout high school, during which she continued to pursue working in television, film, and on stage in New York and Los Angeles.
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Dec 21 2018
1hr 14mins
Rank #20: William H. Bryant Jr.

William talked about his very first audition in Los Angeles for OWN's Greenleaf and how he ended up booking the role of Aaron Jefferies on the hit show.
He also discusses some of the challenges he's faced along the way, what motivates him to keep going and some key tips that all actors should know about the business.
Follow William on Instagram at @thewilljr and be sure to catch the two night premiere of Greenleaf on August 28th and 29th on OWN.
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Jul 13 2018
35mins