… change your relationship with failure. I’m working on embracing failure rather than being afraid of it or avoiding it, especially when it comes to acting. Acting, whether it be auditioning, or on the job, should be fun! I am working on reducing the pressure I put on myself to get it “right”. For me, that means looking for failure, in other words, taking a risk and doing something I’ve never done before.
One of the major things that choke me up in auditions, is worrying about forgetting my lines. The thought of failing at that can be debilitating in my acting at times. What’s been helping me, is making the moment I’m in and the person I’m talking to more important than what I am about to say next. Focusing on something outside of me, rather than myself, can relieve some of the pressure in auditions.
As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Gabrielle Graham. Gabrielle is a Canadian born artist from Toronto who is of Jamaican and Montserratian decent. Gabrielle has had a passion for the arts for as long as she can remember and has been showcasing her talent through dancing, singing and acting from a young age. She began her in-depth study of theatre/film acting at York University in 2010. After graduating in 2015, Gabrielle continued to be active in both film and theatre. She continues to study acting at Lonsdale Smith Studios in pursuit of her ongoing development as an artist.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up and what brought you to this specific career path?
When I was young, my friends and I had this dream of being a famous singing group, like destiny’s child and living in this mansion that was right by the public school we went to. So, the performance bug has always been in me. I don’t think I really knew I wanted to be an actress until I got to high school and took drama class and performed in plays. I’ve always been pretty shy and I found that acting gave me the permission to be myself and express myself in way I couldn’t express to most people in person. I fell in love with it because I felt incredibly free within it. And it has been my goal to act for a living ever since.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I was auditioning for a play. I barely moved my head, and my whole….entire….wig fell off in the middle of my audition. I immediately put it back on, but was completely out of it for the rest of the session. The lesson learned…secure your wig before an audition.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I am co-starring in this awesome Indie film called Relax I’m from the Future with Rhys Darby as the lead. It’s filming in Toronto. It’s written and being directed by Luke Higginson. I’m excited and scared because it’s a role very different from what I’ve done so far. I think it’ll be challenging but I’m excited to learn new things about myself through this character. Also excited and a little intimidated to be acting alongside Rhys Darby who is an incredible comedic actor.
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
I’d say change your relationship with failure. I’m working on embracing failure rather than being afraid of it or avoiding it, especially when it comes to acting. Acting, whether it be auditioning, or on the job, should be fun! I am working on reducing the pressure I put on myself to get it “right”. For me, that means looking for failure, in other words, taking a risk and doing something I’ve never done before.
One of the major things that choke me up in auditions, is worrying about forgetting my lines. The thought of failing at that can be debilitating in my acting at times. What’s been helping me, is making the moment I’m in and the person I’m talking to more important than what I am about to say next. Focusing on something outside of me, rather than myself, can relieve some of the pressure in auditions.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
For me, it’s feeding my creativity and doing things outside of acting. Sometimes I get so focused on the development of my career, that I forget there are other things that I love to do outside of acting. For me that’s drawing, painting, dancing in my room for no reason with the music on blast, reaching out to a friend or family member that I haven’t spoken to for a while, taking myself out on an artist date; to an art gallery or aquarium to be inspired.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My acting teacher. An incredibly talented, wise, loving, beautiful black woman named Michele Lonsdale Smith with a beautiful perspective on life and a deep love for the craft of acting. One thing she’s instilled in me was the importance of discipline and consistency and how the lack of it in my life affected how serious I took my acting. For a long time, I was a very lazy person. About 4 or 5 years ago she told me to start waking up at 8 am in the morning (which isn’t even that early, but at the time I panicked at the thought of it). She told me to work harder at getting to places on time, making my bed every morning and keeping my room clean. My lack of discipline was affecting my life and in turn affecting how serious I was taking my career. Art is life and life is art. I’m not perfect at it, there are times that I slack off but I continue to be committed to working on it.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what’s next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little. The artist never entirely knows. We guess. We may be wrong but we take me back to sleep in the dark– Agnes de Mille
I find that a big source of my panic and worry is around trying to gain control over the things I have no control over, especially when it comes to my career, there is so much to be unsure about. This quote reminds me that, if living is a form of not knowing, then maybe I’m on the right track. It’s a reminder that a lot of the joy in my life will come from the risks that I take, not in knowing how things are going to go. It’s a reminder that I’ll probably never have life figured out and that’s okay because it’s not meant to be figured out.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Rihanna. I think she is an insanely cool, down to earth, crazy confident human being and I would love to know the work she did to be so confident and sure of herself. I also dream to share her stylist one day.
Daniel Kaluuya, he’s one of my favourite actors. I dream of acting with him in a film one day. I think he is extremely talented and I would love to know what his process looks like when he’s acting or preparing for a film.
Sophie Okonedo is also a favourite actress of mine. She’s insane, in the best way. I don’t know what we’d talk about, I don’t know what I’d ask but I simply want to be in your presence and soak up as much information a can about acting, life, and sustaining a career in the industry. Would also love to work with her someday. The learning would be insane.
Ari Lennox, she’s just sooo DOPE and down to earth. I love her music and her voice and I want to be her best friend. Ha!
How can our readers follow you online?
Yes! you can follow me on Instagram, @grahamgabrielle
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Rising Star Gabrielle Graham: Why You Need To Change Your Relationship With Failure was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.