Today we’d like to introduce you to Ginger Renee.
Hi Ginger, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
“Life is not a dress rehearsal.” That quote shifted my frame of mind completely, making me question if I was simply competing with my peers or living the life I desired. After graduating from university, I was climbing the corporate ladder and traveling around the world, but something would always trigger a thought in the back of my mind about acting, making me wonder “What if?”
You see, growing up a military brat, we moved every few years; hence adapting or playing a new role in each city became the norm. In high school, I was scouted by an agency at the mall and ended up starring in a short film. The lead female declined the role, which gave me the opportunity to step in. I absolutely loved it! But shrugged, acting off as a hobby rather than a career.
Several years later, I saw a few friends from high school that had moved to L.A. and started booking TV shows, proving what was possible in my own little universe… this took me back to “What if I finally follow my passion for acting? What if I move to L.A.? What if things work out?”
I started taking Chubbuck Technique acting classes, made my way to Atlanta, and started auditioning (and booking) at the tail end of the pandemic.
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’m lucky in that my parents and friends have been very supportive of my career-180. With my parents, there were only two rules:
1.) financially support yourself and
2.) enjoy what you do. As for my friends, there’s a very competitive waitlist to be my +1 at red-carpet events. However, as they say, “There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But there are no limits.”
One of those obstacles in my journey occurred after I moved to Atlanta while I was still studying acting: there was a corporate restructuring, and a new person became my boss. He constantly belittled me in public settings, spoke over me, took credit for my work, and spread lies about me. As miserable as these months were, they created the urgent inspiration I needed to leave my job and go all in on pursuing my passion for acting. As a “parting gift”, I reported him to Human Resources so he couldn’t treat others in the same vein – he was prohibited from managing people and eventually fired.
The next challenge came in the way of transforming my mindset. In a corporate setting, you find very tangible deadlines and deliverables with clear career paths. However, as I discovered with acting, that’s not the case. You continuously interview for roles, wait to hear if you’ve booked, and have various paths you can follow. This degree of uncertainty and consistently putting yourself out there took months for me to adapt to. I’ve grown to not base my worth on booking a specific role but rather on appreciating the moment, having faith in what’s to come, and celebrating the little things along the way.
As Denzel Washington said, “It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.” Why waste time worrying about something in the past?
My agent friend from L.A. always used to tell me, “Ginger, all it takes is one yes. Just one”. Which is so true; it doesn’t matter what 99 people think if the 100th is your biggest champion and makes the difference.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Thank you! It’s been a very exciting year. Just last month I attended the red-carpet premiere for my new feature “Evil for Evil” –a thriller that’ll be hitting the film festival circuit before streaming.
I was fortunate to come across two directors early in my acting career who I continue to work with – both specialize in Horror. The first is Chris Helton – my second film with him, “Blood Thirst,” recently came out on Amazon Video. The second director is Omar Rogers who just released on various streamers: “Watching Amber,” where I play the lead, and “The Bad Visitor,” where I play a detective. Both Chris and Omar are distribution monsters and amazing storytellers.
I’m also putting the final touches on a short film script I wrote. It’s about to begin filming, and separately, I am looking for an animator on another short film my co-writer and I won several awards for, called “Dog Gone”. Next spring you can catch another horror feature film where I play the lead.
Regardless of the type of role I play, from sweet girl next door to manipulative boss to stripper, my corporate background engrained a high level of professionalism in me that I bring to each set. After all, it’s show business, and I am here for the marathon. I can even say that I’ve ventured into producing – something to really keep an eye on – as I’m currently co-producing a comedy series pilot and can confirm we’ve lined up some serious backers…!
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Alongside acting, my biggest longtime passion is Animal Welfare. I’ve always been an advocate for cruelty-free products, knowing what you’re buying, knowing where the food on your plate comes from, and ultimately how to be a conscious consumer. Even as a child, I was the girl saving insects at school or helping injured birds recover. It was an opportunity to speak up for the voiceless, and something I continue to do to this day with tree removal petitions or shelter volunteering.
As I grow in my film career, I’d like to serve as a spokesperson for animals and the environment. This blending of all my passions – animals, environment, and acting – is my north star and I’m grateful to be living my purpose.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @msgingerrenee
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/DciXQhF9az8
- Other: imdb.me/gingerrenee
Image Credits
Blue suit (1): Joe Funk Photography Tie dye night shots (2): EchoPhotographiX
