Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Cooper.
Taylor, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in Hartford, CT. However, I moved to ATL three years ago to pursue acting professionally. I’ve always had an affinity for the performing arts and developed a passion for dance, music and fashion early on. Beginning at age five and throughout high school – I excelled in cheerleading, drill team, concert band and marching band.
However, with the exception of a few small productions at church and school – I didn’t do a ton of acting growing up. Surprisingly, this is largely due to my own shyness, fear and insecurity. I always wanted to act, yet I kept this desire hidden from those who probably would have supported me in hindsight. That includes my immediate family and some of my friends.
I was convinced the best time to explore this passion would be adulthood; when I had the freedom and independence to make my own decisions. I began researching Performing Art degrees and universities. Ultimately, I allowed self-doubt to overshadow my true aspirations once again and opted for a traditional degree at a traditional college.
Nonetheless, everything changed my sophomore year at Temple University in Philadelphia. I took my first acting class with the encouragement of one of my Public Relations professors. He emphasized the importance of public speaking in the PR industry and recommended an acting class to help develop this skill.
Little did I know this would be the second chance I never knew I needed. Finally, getting the opportunity to learn about and partake in acting fundamentals lit the most glorious fire in me. That experience reinforced everything I’ve felt and longed for since childhood.
Fast forward to the present day, I am courageously pursuing my dreams! I acknowledge the challenges and extreme difficulty of breaking into the entertainment industry. However, I’ve found the one thing that motivates me every single day – acting. For that reason alone, I’m committed to this journey. Journey being the most important part of that statement because I recognize it doesn’t happen overnight.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
One of the biggest struggles has been maintaining a day job. I’m a full-time preschool teacher when I’m not acting. You don’t see much financial gain in the early stages of your acting career. In fact, you have to invest in things like classes, headshots, self-taping, sometimes traveling for jobs and maintaining your outer appearance. These things are immediately very costly.
I’ve always had multiple jobs and streams of income to support myself and my acting career. At times this has taken a serious toll on physical and mental health.
In 2019, I worked full-time as an Associate Teacher while completing a year and a half teacher-training program at the Montessori Teacher’s Education Institute of Atlanta (MTEI). At night I worked a retail job which would put me at least 12 hour days between working commuting.
I’d spend every spare moment auditioning, attending networking events and trying to learn about the business because acting is a serious grind.
Fortunately, I graduated from the program in October. I’m officially a lead teacher and I resigned from my night job, so I more time and energy for acting.
Moreover, the sacrifice of leaving my family and friends to live in ATL has been tough. They are very supportive and I know it’s all going to pay off one day.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
Since moving to ATL, I’ve been doing a ton of groundwork to reach my goal of being a series regular. That includes: taking acting classes, attending workshops with casting directors, auditioning regularly, participating in showcases and much more. I’ve been involved in several successful social media projects like “Starrkeisha’s Christmas Carols” by Cameron J Henderson. I recently finished filming my first lead role in a Sci-Fi episodic directed by Gennard Johnson.
Ultimately, I think this chapter of my story is one about perseverance and self-love. Two qualities I’m working on constantly. In order to follow my dreams, one of the biggest challenges I had to overcome was insecurity and self-doubt. As Sanaya Roman would say, “loving yourself involves faith and trust and belief in who you are, and a willingness to act upon your trust in yourself”. Once I began to trust and believe in myself, things began to align in my favor. I would encourage anyone who’s ever had doubts about their dreams to start within.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My immediate family and friends are really supportive in general. They help me anytime I ask for it with auditions and self-taping. My best friend has helped me self-tape auditions via Skype when I needed a reader. My older siblings were really helpful financially in helping me relocate to ATL. My extended family including my godparents and godsister also helped by allowing me to live with them shortly before I relocated.
My grandmother has always encouraged me to be whoever I wanted to be and do whatever my heart desired. My mom’s best friend has also always motivated and encouraged me to follow my dreams.
Contact Info:
- Email: coopertj2011@gmail.com
- Instagram: taycooper1
- Twitter: _Taylor_Cooper
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
