Today we’d like to introduce you to Laticia A. King.
Laticia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In 2016, I relocated from North Carolina to Atlanta for a new job. Immediately after moving, my life fell apart. I look at it now as life falling together. God was gracefully rebuilding me. Perspective.
I was depressed at the time. I started going to the gym at least 6 nights out of the week to release the stress–a lot of times crying while on the elliptical machine hoping that the tears were disguised by the sweat. I pondered what was next. I prayed for direction and for an understanding of my purpose. I began recalling all the things that I did that I enjoyed as a young girl, as a teen, and a college student. Dance, piano, social and service groups, and then I remembered acting. I remembered how much I absolutely loved acting. I joined an acting studio in Atlanta within weeks of this epiphany and I remember shedding a tear in the first class because it had all come together. It felt so right. It felt like purpose. I haven’t stopped pushing ever since.
I believe we all have gifts that are meant for us to use to carry out our life’s purpose. Acting is one of mine. I remember telling my parents about my acting pursuit. My mom’s response was, “we’ve just been waiting on you to acknowledge your talent and gift.” My dad repeated the quote “people tiptoe through life just to arrive at their graves safely.” I decided that I wasn’t going to tiptoe through life. That I was going to go get what was meant for me. I encourage people to take time to discover their purpose and once they’ve identified it, go full speed and live in it.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I feel the life experiences that lead me to the rediscovery of acting was the bumpiest part of the road so far. But I use it all. My experiences have made me a better actor. Prior to acting, I was successful but I didn’t feel full. Where others thought I was accomplished and traveling around the world for work, I simply felt like I was floating through life. Once I started acting, things began falling into place. I didn’t start this career expecting to immediately get an agent and appear on tv and movie screens within six months. I’ve approached this strategically. My goal has been to train and with different coaches and industry professionals. I network with a purpose. I also spent time learning about the business and industry etiquette. Class can get costly, so even when I’m not physically in a class, I’m reading books, studying actors and learning about their stories. I listen to podcast. I’m on Youtube daily listening to different actors stories. There are acting studios located in NY and LA that have online content. I’m always learning from those.
My advice to other women is to be fearless and be strategic! You can’t make it in this business alone. Find a tribe and find a mentor. While taking classes, I’ve found a community of coaches and other actors that I know I can rely on.
We’d love to hear more about Laticia A. King.
I am an actor and a creator. I recently had the opportunity to play a lead role in a stage play that took place in Atlanta. I starred as the Lady in Red in For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuff. The chorepoem is beautifully written by Ntozake Shang. It was an amazing experience. I felt so honored to be a vessel bringing the stories to life. Though my goal is tv and film, there is something exhilarating about theater. It’s a challenge. There are not any takes or edits. If something happens during a show, you find a way at that moment to bring it together and keep things moving. The theater stage is magic. One of my goals for 2019 was to have a role in a stage play and little did I know, it would happen in the first quarter of the year. My continued focus is on tv and film. I’m looking forward to my next “yes!” In the meantime, I’m writing and working to create my own content.
I’m really spiritual and faith-based. When I’m not listening to something acting related, I try to listen to podcasts that are spiritually motivational. This business is filled with lots of “no’s” and you have to really be grounded and prepared for the rejection. This is just the beginning for me. I’m excited for things to come and I hope to one day, despite age, color, size, sex, race, or whatever… inspire someone else to walk on faith and GO GET IT.
Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
I believe with any profession, having a mentor is important to your success. Someone that has been where you are trying to get to. My advice is to slide into a few DM’s and flat out ask if that person doesn’t mind mentoring you in some capacity. I’ve done it. There has to be someone in your network that would be willing to stay connected and have career chats with you when possible. I’m a member of Women in Film & TV Atlanta (WIFTA) and the Black Women Film Network (BWFN) and part of the purpose of those organizations is to provide mentorship and networking opportunities.
Contact Info:
- Email: BookLaticiaKing@gmail.com
- Instagram: iamLaticiaKing
- Twitter: iamLaticiaKing
- Other: https://vimeo.com/laticiaking
Image Credit:
Headshots by: (Instagram handles below), its_iracarmichael, theirisphotos
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