Nadine Marissa was born on July 4th in Houston, Texas. She moved to Dallas to study theater and film. She is an actress best known for The Walking Dead (2017), Better Call Saul (2015-16), Dawn (2014) and Ritechus Cry (2013).
We had an awesome opportunity to speak with Nadine. Check it out below.
Hi, Nadine! Thank you for granting the interview. It is a pleasure to speak with you about your career. You have guest starred in several high-profile television series, such as The Walking Dead and Better Call Saul. What inspired you to choose acting as your career?
To be honest, you can say I was born into it. My mother was a theatre actress when she was younger and started me early. I love to create stories and bring them to life. When I was younger I would create characters with personalities and talk to my mom as those characters. She would laugh and talk back to me as the character. She would tell me I was so good at it. I loved watching movies and how they could inspire, influence and emotionally move people. I found what I could do best and did it.
How has the experience been, thus far?
Amazing, I’m having a blast. I’m always learning. I’ve been blessed to meet talented people and work on some of the best television shows. Not to mention I’ve been meeting some of the best fans in the world.
Let’s talk about what it takes to be an actor in today’s changing climate.
It’s exciting. Getting to work in this current climate is inspiring. Women are being heard more than ever and that is inspiring. We are now seeing shows that are new and fresh. The actors of today look like every day human beings in all shapes, sizes, and religions. It is a great time to be an actor.
Would you agree that roles for women of color are improving?
YES! Absolutely, I think that change has been happening for quite a while. Actors like Issa Rae, Lena Waithe, Kerry Washington and Gina Rodriguez are holding their own leading shows that all audiences can enjoy.
Let’s talk about breaking the mold and being a breakout star. Is it a role or the script that can make it happen for an actor?
I personally think it is a mixture of both. A story must be captivating and catch an audience. A good role can help launch an actor and show the world the range an actor can portray. That’s where the magic comes in. You can have an amazing role but if the script is challenging and not in a good way, it’s a waste of a great character. I haven’t run across one of those scripts; lucky me, I’ve had some great ones.
You recently completed a role in a short film called “Blocked,” where you play Maggie. Tell us about the film, your role, and character.
This was a voice over project for a friend of mine about an author and her being unable to complete a book. I play her boss Maggie.
How do you continually hone your craft?
Training is mandatory. All types of training such as networking, diction, script analysis. You are never so good that you don’t need training and learning. I’m a reader and I love knowledge. It’s just like any other job; you should always learn to do it better. I must exercise the acting muscle.
Thus far, what has been the best experience working in the industry?
For sure working with talented people and getting to tell a story and be able to work and create. When I first arrived on set in season 7 of The Walking Dead, seeing the set of the Kingdom, I was in pure awe.
Do you have any upcoming projects that we haven’t mentioned?
Ironically, I always seem to work on projects that require NDA’s, so right now I can’t speak of anything but keep a lookout.
Complete this sentence, if I had an opportunity to do anything I want, I would do ___________.
Be doing exactly what I am doing. Living my dream and maybe win the lottery. Hey! We never know what may happen! If I had to pick anything other than my passion it would be traveling. I LOVE traveling so maybe I’d be a travel agent.
Thank you for taking the time to interview me. I CAN’T WAIT TO READ IT!
Connect with Nadine:
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5802417
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iam_nadinemarissa
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamnadinemarissa
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nadinemarissa
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