Samora Smallwood is an award-winning, classically trained actor, writer, & feminist of West African & Caucasian descent. Fluent in French, proficient in Spanish, and a lover of action, she’s trained in stage combat, fighting for TV & Film, and archery. She is also an elected Councillor at ACTRA and the founder of The Actors Work Studio, an innovative acting studio in Toronto. Samora features in the highly anticipated OWN/Warner Bros. new series “The Kings of Napa”. We caught up with her to discuss the series, her career, and more!
Samora, thanks for taking the time to speak to us about your work. How and when did you decide to fully embrace acting as a career?
I was always a loud, charismatic, show-offy kind of kid. Never in an obnoxious way. I just wanted to involve others in my shows and on some level even then I was building community. I do not come from a family of artists, so it seemed a “for fun” kind of thing to do that might have ended up being relegated to the “hobby” realm, but when I was applying to university and saw that theatre was a degree program, I was not able to ignore the voice inside that told me to “go for it.” I’m so glad I listened to the call, although I did also study French and women’s studies, I’m proud of proving to myself and my family that I could make a career and make a living as an actress!
Who has been most influential in your career and why?
It has been a lifelong journey so there are many people who’ve influenced my career. Let’s start at the very beginning: my grandfather was the first person who sat me in front of the camera and asked me to do skits, voices and tell stories. He saw my spirit and storytelling and instead of ignoring or simply tolerating it, he purchased a fancy Canon camera to capture it. He encouraged me. Looking back, I’m not sure I’d be here if not for those first years with Gus Smallwood as my director and my cheerleader. He was the first one to see my star quality as a performer and it was in front of his camera that I got my first training. Thanks to the (hours and hours) of video he took, I have irreplaceable memories and evidence that I was a born performer. This past Christmas, I watched those home movies with my family, and I was overcome with emotion at the unconditional love I received from him and my Nan, Gloria. Their home was my safe place and my first stage.
You’ve accumulated a significant body of work. You’ve appeared in The Expanse, American Gods, Coroner, Shadowhunters, Good Witch, Star Trek, the Murdoch Mysteries, and now Kings of Napa, to name a few. To date, what has been your most memorable experience working in the industry and why?
Each job and each role teaches you something so every job is memorable and every single one teaches you something. “Star Trek” introduced me to a community of fans worldwide who are so supportive and incredible and for whom I will always be grateful. “Death She Wrote” is a film that was my first time as # 1 on the call sheet, as the lead of the movie. That was a position I had really worked toward, and I rose to the occasion. We filmed in the dog days of the pandemic and were in lockdown. Our director, Sharon Lewis, and our cast and crew banded together to make art during such a stressful time, and when I watch it, I see a performance of which I am proud. Currently, I’m on the “Kings of Napa” which airs Tuesdays 8/7c on OWN and Hulu where I play a vivacious, hilarious character. Oprah Winfrey is our Executive Producer! I am a big believer in the power of manifestation and for about a year before I booked, I was saying “I am going to work on a highly anticipated television series working alongside creatives of color I admire” and here I am! It’s thrilling to see the faith and belief in myself coming to fruition and I am so proud to be a part of the “Kings of Napa.”
More recent projects include voice work in Ubisoft’s Far Cry 6, and the award-winning feature film “Queen of the Morning Calm”, which premiered at the Whistler Film Festival. What do you look for when choosing a character and do you apply a particular methodology in researching roles?
At any given moment in our lives, we attract what we need and with what we are aligning. I am an advocate for women and BIPOC voices and stories and I attract work that aligns with that. That is especially true over the past few years when I really began to focus on how intention shapes my work. I am interested in emotional resonance and playing characters that make people feel and think. Roles and projects that matter to the community and have the power to shift our culture are of the most interest to me now.
To date, what would you say have been your biggest challenges as an actor?
Staying positive and focused amidst all the rejection. As an actor, you have to be thick-skinned enough to withstand it but remain sensitive enough to be vulnerable on-screen.
The other challenge for me specifically, as a biracial actress (I’m West African Canadian), has been overcoming the idea that you need to be easily identifiable. I have been called “too exotic” for certain roles, which just means that stories usually center on white characters, and I do not look white enough. On the flip side, as someone who doesn’t neatly check a box when productions are looking for diversity, I am often not “black enough” for certain roles. And often I see a role I am reading for and feel that it should be a darker black woman. That kind of awareness is important for representation. But overall, for me, it’s challenging because the idea of elevating one group and marginalizing others (the black best friend for example, who supports the lead role with very little development of her own) isn’t real representation and inclusion. True inclusion would be demolishing the idea of diversity as a box to check, of ethnicity and race being the most important thing, and allowing all persons to embody positions at the center of the story.
You won the “Best Actress” Theatre Windsor Award for your portrayal of May Henning in Norm Foster’s “The Affections of May” and was nominated for a 2020 ACTRA award for Best Series Ensemble of work in “Tokens”. I’m sure you value these accolades, but what is your proudest achievement so far?
Being a working actor and making a living from my craft. When I was waiting tables and working at M.A.C. cosmetics, my dream was to make my living from acting. I’m also extremely proud of the healing journey I’ve gone on and how I empower others to see their potential. My mantra is “Manifest Yo Shit” which means no matter where you come from, no matter what happened to you, you have the right to pursue your dreams, and the ability to make them come true.
You’re an elected Councilor at ACTRA as well as the founder of The Actors Work Studio. Can you tell us more about these roles and what they involve?
My work with ACTRA came from my passion to make good change. It’s always centered on making more opportunities and obtaining equity for BIPOC performers and women in film. The Diversity & Inclusion committee’s work is focused on the diversity of race, ethnicity, ability, religion, sexual and gender identity. Every initiative we created and launched had more representation and inclusion for traditionally marginalized folx in mind. We created workshops that provided access for our members with top decision-makers in our industry: Directors, Casting Directors, Writers. I am proud to have created along with my co-chair, “A Different Lens: A Demo Reel Initiative” which provides quality demo reel footage to members who want to pursue roles beyond bit roles that are often stereotypical and one-dimensional. It was a tremendous success even during a pandemic so I’m excited to see the next incarnation of it. ACTRA Toronto really stepped up in a continued commitment to improving working conditions for our members, and really understands the additional obstacles that diverse members face. I’m so proud of the work we do and look forward to more.
The Actors Work Studio is one of my greatest sources of joy. I absolutely love helping actors improve their craft, find their confidence, and explore their authentic voices as artists. I was sick and tired of coaches who adhere to the Svengali style of terrifying, belittling, or humiliating their actors. I’ve experienced it myself, and it’s very common and just results in actors who have no instincts, no confidence, and look outside for validation. Of course, in this biz you need others to see and appreciate your talent but when you perform and immediately look to see if someone else approves it can be very detrimental to the mental health of a person. It’s bad for the art too in my opinion. So that’s where the idea of my studio came from, and ever since I have been blessed to attract a community of actors with a drive to get better and a commitment to self-confidence, which is how you discover your unique gifts.
You now feature in the highly anticipated OWN/Warner Bros. new series “The Kings of Napa”, Please tell us more about the series and what we can expect?
The world is in for a treat with the “Kings of Napa”! It’s a primetime drama about a wealthy black family that owns a vineyard in Napa Valley. After a tragedy in the pilot episode, the family is pitted against each other as they vie for power and control of the vineyard. It has scandal, suspicion, betrayal, beautiful shades of melanin poppin’, stunning fashion, family secrets, lies, and lots of hair and makeup inspo. My character Maddi is a chic, cool, insanely funny gynecologist. She is besties with both the head of the King family, August, and Bridgette Pierce. We are “the crew.” Maddi was a HUGE blessing to me. As I mentioned, characters always come bearing gifts and they come to you at the right time. Maddi allowed me to be bold, unapologetic, sexy, playful, and powerful. There are so many amazing characters in the world our creator/showrunner Janine Sherman Barrois created. The representation in this show is expansive, nuanced, and inspiring. I cannot wait for people to see it. This is the stuff of the ancestors’ dreams.
What other projects can we look forward to?
There are a number of exciting projects on the horizon but what I am most excited about is a series I have created that is currently in development. It is a crime thriller called “Gone” and it is a story about a disgraced female cop on the hunt for a mythical sex-trafficking kingpin. In the process, she uncovers repressed childhood memories that may lead her not only to him, but to the truth about her family, and even the decades-old mystery of her missing sister. It is an intersection of race, gender, and the generational effects of trauma. It is a deeply personal story of mine and a story of healing.
Where can our readers find out more about you?
Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @SamoraGloria
I love to share my authentic self and my mantra “Manifest Yo Shit” which is about the power each of us has to manifest our dreams. No matter where you come from, or what happened to you, you have a right to pursue your dreams, and the ability to make them come true.
Thank’s Samora. Best wishes with your projects!
Photo credit Robert Obumselu
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