Today we’d like to introduce you to Norman Golden.
Hi Norman, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
So, I got my start in acting at the age of six and was inspired by watching a series of family-oriented sitcoms in the early 90s. I would watch the kids on those shows and would think: “That must be so much fun”. This thought led to me verbalizing my desire to be an actor to my parents. Around the same time I began expressing interest in acting, my mom received some encouragement from family members to put me in an acting class or some sort of outlet for me to express my creativity. My parents eventually followed those suggestions and enrolled me in a 6-week commercial workshop in LA. At the time, we were living in North Carolina, so we had to fly out to LA once a week to attend, however, my both parents worked for the airlines at the time, so were able to do so utilizing their flying benefits. I’m forever grateful to my parents for this tremendous sacrifice and commitment! After obtaining representation as a result of that workshop, I began auditioning, which led to me booking the role of Devin Butler in Cop and a Half.
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?
A career in the entertainment industry is not an easy industry to navigate. You’ve got issues with access, competition, racism, and other unforeseen politics that you are up against. This is, however, no different than someone starting their own business or trying to launch a career in another industry. With this said, I’ve had my share of struggles, but I’ve never let them stop me from pursuing my dream,
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m best known for my co-starring role as Devon Butler in the movie “Cop and a Half” with Burt Reynolds. I starred and co-starred in several movies such as; my portrayal of Pharaoh Rivers in the made-for-television movie “There Are No Children Here” starring Oprah Winfrey, Aaron Crawford in “America’s Dream”: “The Boy Who Painted Christ Black”, starring Wesley Snipes, and the remake of “Moby Dick”, where I played the role of Pip, starring Patrick Steward and The Late Gregory Peck.
Since my days as a child actor, I received my BA in Liberal Arts with a concentration in creative writing at Antioch University Los Angeles. While on hiatus, I developed other skills and interests, such as writing screenplays, directing, and producing. My recent projects include a collaboration with Apple Inc. where I served as a producer on a short documentary entitled “La Buena Muerte” and two independent short films entitled “Hollywood Kid” written, produced, directed, and starring myself and “Misperception”, co-written, produced and starring myself as well.
I’m most proud of my recent productions. The reason is that I’ve walked the talk in saying that artists don’t have to wait on other people to make things happen. No matter the scale of the project, I always encourage creators to be proud of their creations and share with as many people who are willing to pay attention.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I probably don’t look at mentorship like most. My advice for finding mentorship is to first create value right where you are. Life is comprised of transactions, relationships, and exchange so if you are seeking mentorship from someone, it is alright to offer to assist that person in some way. Essentially, you are asking someone to carve out time and give you valuable tools that may take your career to the next level; it is only fair that you invest in that process.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.normandgolden.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldenchildii/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/normangoldenII
