Today we’d like to introduce you to Alanna Washington.
Hi Alanna, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Since I was three years old, I’ve always known that I wanted to be an actress. Watching icons like Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry, Angela Bassett, and Reese Witherspoon (just to name a few) made me feel as if I could not only do anything that I put my mind to but that I can also inspire people through my work. The only problem is that I didn’t know where to start. Unfortunately, due to my lack of knowledge about getting started in the industry, I put acting on the back burner for a long time. I pursued other things, such as track and field, dance, and wrestling. However, it was the end of my sophomore year in college when I realized that Journalism, my current degree, is not what I truly wanted to do. It is not something that I have a passion for. I truly had to sit back and ask myself, “What do I really have a passion for?” “What can I see myself doing for the rest of my life?” Instantly, my answer was acting, so from there I looked up different avenues to take to at least start building a résumé and getting experience. Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to have appeared in music, videos, commercials, and I’ve had the pleasure of playing the lead in a couple of films. During my first booked job, the minute I stepped in front of the camera, I knew that this is something that I wanted to do for the rest of my life and I was going to stop at nothing until I reached my dreams.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would say my biggest challenge has been finding how I want to establish myself as an actress. I’ve actually decided that since I have a youthful look, that I’ve had much better opportunities and I mainly apply for high school or even middle school roles. Also another challenge has been the balance between school and acting. I’m a college student and it can be difficult to put my focus on both and acting actually takes the lead most times when it comes to priorities.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’ve been specializing in acting for the camera, which includes film, television, and commercials. I’m currently taking classes to help further my craft while auditioning and working on projects. I hope to get signed to an agency soon and get even further in my career. I’m most proud of the two lead roles that I’ve been fortunate enough to play because they’ve helped me to truly understand how to work the set, interact with crew members, and meet the most amazing people.
I think what sets me apart from others is my look. It’s pretty versatile. Although I do choose to focus on portraying younger roles, I could easily play my actual age of 20 and with the right clothing and makeup, I’ve been mistaken for 22!
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
The goal with acting is to not only prove the naysayers and the doubters wrong about my dream and about myself but to prove it to myself that I am much more than what they say. At one point, I found myself searching for validation from others. However, I realized that that is no way to live life. If you’re looking for validation from the rest of the world, you will never truly be happy because there is always going to be someone who is going to doubt you. However, it’s up to you to ignore the noise and live life the way that you want to. For every critic, there will always be hundreds of people who love you and what you and I think that’s what is most important; the fact that I am so positive and focusing on myself. I don’t give into any negativity.
Contact Info:
- Website: alannawashington.com
- Instagram: @alannajeanwash
- Twitter: @alannajeanwash
