Today we’d like to introduce you to Cherie Danielle.
Hi Cherie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was always an outgoing child. I remember my parents taking me to see the Urban Nutcracker when I was young and I would get up and start performing in the audience. My first performance as an actress was when I played Ariel in “The Little Mermaid” at a production at my summer camp when I was eight years old. Before that, I had only taken dance lessons and I wasn’t a great dancer at all. When I did “The Little Mermaid,” I knew I wanted to act and perform for the rest of my life. I continued to do the plays at that summer camp every summer. Then by middle school, I got into a school of the arts and went on to high school “Dekalb School of the Arts.” In high school, Acting was my major. I got a chance to perform in many plays and theatre festivals.
After high school, I moved to NYC to continue my studies. I discovered my acting coach Marishka S. Phillips. It was through her “Intimacy Workshop” and the “RHYTHMCOLOR Associates” staged-reading workshop with Kim Weston-Moran that I developed my solo show “The Diary of an Afro Goddess.” Shortly after the show went on to be nominated for an Audelco “Viv” award for Outstanding Solo Performance. I had the honor of performing at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, The DC Black Theatre Festival, The Shabazz Center, and The Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center here in Atlanta.
Around the same time as my solo show, I began to book work in TV and Film. I had my first co-star movie appearance in “Barry” on Netflix. Then I was featured in a co-star role on the show “The Deuce” on HBO. I also started to create my own work in film. I produced the short film “Razor Pains,” which was featured in the “Katra film Series”. Shortly after I created the film “#UndercoverSidechick”.
My success with my solo show led me to explore stand-up comedy. I had made up my mind that I was leaving NYC to move back home to Atlanta but I wanted to give stand-up my all before I left. I did a few open mics the ended up winning a four show residency at the Broadway Comedy Club in NYC. I also did my first paid gig that happened to be recorded at Joe’s Pub. Then I submitted that tape to the ABFF Comedy Wings and I was selected. We competed in early May 2021 and I was crowned a top 5 finalist at ABFF Comedy Festival sponsored by Warner Bros Discovery.
You can currently catch me on Prime Video in the award-winning short film “Clout” by Dennis Williams and starring Denzel Whitaker. Be sure to look out for me in season 2 of “Woke” on Hulu. I am continuing to hit every comedy club I can in Atlanta while developing my first stand-up special. I am also writing a pilot and in the beginning stages of producing my next short film. I am beyond excited about what the future holds and to be performing at the American Black Film Festival this June in Miami.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has been far from smooth. Yes, an artist’s rejection is a part of the game. This is why you have to stay confident in your passion and your gifts. I’ve auditioned for hundreds of roles over the years and only hear back from a few. I have been dropped by a manager and without any representation before. These things can be heartbreaking and discouraging but you have to push through the obstacles.
I think one of my first big struggles was my first year in NYC at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. I attended a predominately white acting school and felt like an outsider every day. Growing up in Atlanta, I never knew what it was like to interact with white people when they were the majority. The school had people that had never been around black people before so I felt an overwhelming amount of pressure to be an example and teacher of my race. I dealt with a lot of racism from comments made about my hair to a teacher telling me to “act black”, to being cast as a slave multiple times where the teacher selected the roles.
While at the same time, I was discovering my own identity as a young black woman. Although this was a tough time; I was able to grow more in who I was, which served me as an artist.
I think my biggest rejection so far was not being invited back to complete my second year of acting school after everything I had to push through and experience that year. It broke my heart and put a scar on the way I viewed acting schools. I’m thankful that I had parents who believed in me, never gave up on me, and encouraged me to continue to pursue my dreams. They supported my move back to New York City which saved my life. Being in Brooklyn specifically and witnessing so many creatives of all different backgrounds who made their own rules inspired me to create mine. This experience really encouraged me especially as a black artist because I was eventually able to gain confidence in producing my own work.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am an actress, comedian, screenwriter, and content creator. I think most people know me for the work I have produced on my own. That is something I’m most proud of and it sets me apart from others. I was able to inspire so many people with my solo show “The Diary of an Afro Goddess.” I took stories from my parents’ and grandparents’ history in the civil rights era and tied them into the current times. It was my old soul and unique way of storytelling through my acting that helped me touch everyone that came to see the show. They got a dose of history, comedy, and Afro-Futurism all in one show.
My standup is very different from my solo show but still has a similar intention. Through all of my work, I want to showcase the many sides of black womanhood. Through standup, I express my ups and downs in the dating world and my sex life in ways people wouldn’t expect. I always tell people that nobody can steal my jokes because they are too unique to me. If somebody can steal your joke and do it better than you it was never yours, to begin with. Writing my own scripts and stand-up jokes has given me a freedom that I wasn’t finding in the acting world prior. It is one thing to act, it’s another thing to portray stories that are a true reflection of the community you love.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory would be anytime I was being filmed on camera. When I was really young, my dad would record me dancing around to Disney songs every morning. Then when I became a little older, I got my own video camera for Christmas. I would make silly music videos and I even made my first film around 12 years old, called “Robot Kid” with my cousins. I directed it, filmed it, and edited it. I remember using a piece of paper for the captions. We had the most fun when we did our talk show reenactments of “Maury” and “Jenny Jones.” Every weekend we looked forward to acting out a storyline of a child gone wild, parent, and shady talk show hosts. It never got old.
Contact Info:
- Email: cheriedanielle1@gmail.com
- Website: www.cheriedanielle.com
- Instagram: @actresscheriedanielle
- Facebook: facebook.com/ActressCherieDanielle
- Twitter: @cherie_perfoms
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/freelycherie
Image Credits:
I don’t have the names just the brands. Fifth Place Comedy (blue background pics) ABFF Comedy Festival (Black background pics) Captured by Drew (Comedy hype pic) and Maurice Bagley (Last 2 pics).
