Today we’d like to introduce you to Akilah Khari Duncan.
Hi Akilah Khari, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Growing up, I was one of those kids who always knew who they wanted to be in life – just sometimes life gets in the way. “Actress” is what I would answer anytime I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. “But you’re so shy”… “But you’re so smart,” they would say, and I was never one to disappoint, so I decided to go the practical route and pursue medicine (I’m still a lover of science btw). This was my reality until my last two years in high school. I had began taking more art classes and less STEM classes because, though I didn’t know it at the time, I was burning out and art brought me peace. By senior year I was split down the middle: ranking in state medical competitions and interning as an athletic trainer all while performing in my first school play and working on a Netflix set a month later. When I was accepted into Georgia State University, I had to declare my major. I went from being admitted as ‘pre-med’ to ‘undecided’ then finally ‘theatre performance’. When I got to campus, I just hit the ground running. I auditioned for everything, worked hard in class, and made some lifelong friends on a similar journey. Not even the pandemic could stop me. I actually had my most growth in the first year post-covid in 2021. Now, I’ve graduated early, magna cum laude, with some acting credits and a production company under my belt.
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?
My path wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but realistically, who’s is? I had to get used to hearing “No” and not let it slow me down because you get more “No’s” than “Yes’s”. Three of the 3.5 years that I was in college, my mental health was struggling. There are so many moments off-camera that don’t make the highlight reel – diagnoses, hours of therapy, personal healing, etc. There were moments, also, in my career of stagnation. I felt there was no growth, no bookings, no anything. Yet, even in those moments, you’re still growing; you just don’t know it yet.
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?
I am an actor first, always; but, I am not only one thing. I’m a producer, a director, a writer, and a co-founder of Real Imaginary Productions. Going to school pushed me to open my eyes to the possibilities of my potential. The classes I took forced me to try new things. In an industry as subjective as entertainment, there is nothing more valuable than your own self-validation. I’ve learned to think big, and even then you can always think bigger.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
If you know me in person, you know that I speak in metaphor, and I always have some crazy analogy. “Luck is where preparation meets opportunity.” “What’s for you, won’t miss you.” “Knock on that door. The worst that could happen is that it doesn’t open.” I’m a pretty spiritual person, so I wouldn’t necessarily say that I believe in luck. I don’t believe in coincidences either. I believe that we are the creator of our own worlds. Nothing in my career is by happenchance. It’s because I worked for it, and it was time for it to happen for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: realimaginary.co
- Instagram: instagram.com/akilahkhari
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/akilahkhariduncan
- Twitter: twitter.com/akilahkhari
- Youtube: youtube.com/@realimaginaryproductions
- Other: https://linktr.ee/akilahkhariduncan
Image Credits
Angelica Nicole James, GlenNeta Griffin
