Today we’d like to introduce you to Maurice Johnson.
Hi Maurice, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My entertainment career actually began in California where I was a 3D Artist working on AAA video games. I have an undergraduate and graduate degree in the field of Game Design. I transitioned from that into the aerospace industry doing classified work for the government as a virtual artist due to my background in the military. I am a Marine Corps Veteran. Not being content with corporate culture, and wanting a lifestyle change, I started looking for more opportunities for myself on the other side of the entertainment business outside of Game Design. I initially created a fashion modeling portfolio after signing with a boutique in Florida. Not impressed with what they could do for me, I used my familiarity with the entertainment industry from California to start self-booking myself for fashion shows and paid commercial work… Eventually, I decided to also pursue acting where I started being casted for short films and festival films in Orlando, Florida. This helped me to create an acting demo reel. 2 years ago, I decided to move to Atlanta to further pursue my acting career. This was the best decision I made in regards to my professional career and lifestyle. Now I am a full-time Actor, I have been trained in Chubbuck Technique and have used my new skills for television shows and major movies. My goal is to get a recurring role on television, and I have done some stunt work for major networks.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There has definitely been struggles and hurdles in my journey. When I left Florida for Georgia, I did not have the support system outside the entertainment world to motivate me along the way. I left with just the money in my account and most of my personal things in storage out of state. Therefore, I had to become my own motivator and redirect positive energy into my goals for a better quality of life. I suffer from depression and have had to counseling due to some traumatic events that were happening in my life with situations outside of my control at the time. It is always a struggle, but now I try to surround myself with like-minded people and I try to keep myself busy, so my mind doesn’t have a chance to wonder. I like to workout in between my free time and live an active lifestyle to keep my body film ready. I go to events and attempt to be social. I am a big believer in men’s emotional health and fitness and have been fortunate to live outside of the country while in the military which has shaped my mind to having more of a global perspective on life in general.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I do have a creative side outside of just acting. I am still into being a game designer. I sometimes do work for clients through my LLC as a side hustle. Being an Artist, I can sometimes can be designing logos or creating full movie posters for local directors and talent for their projects. I have even wrote a few blogs and have done general consulting for indie video game projects and even VR /AR! When I have free time, I create my own video game projects using game design tools such as Unreal Engine. Ultimately, I would like to get to a place professionally where I am getting consistent acting roles that will allow me to focus more on those types of projects, so I ultimately sell them to other gaming/education companies. I think what sets me apart from other talent is the fact that I did come from the gaming industry. I am a Full-Sail Alumni and I feel like because I know the production side from film as well as being an Actor it allows to me talk to a variety of talent on any set. It could be VFX Artists, scriptwriters, set dressers, sound designers, lighting, etc. The film students worked right beside the game design students while I was in school. We even use some of the same software packages that are used in movies! I think being able to speak to a multitude of different disciplines as an artist as well as an actor gives me a unique perspective on a scene that a one-dimensional talent may only have. I am most proud of just setting short and long terms goals for myself and achieving or making forward momentum to achieving them. I have been fortunate in seeing some of my hard work paying off, but I try to stay humble about that. Everyone in the business is working hard.
What matters most to you?
I want to be better Actor and leave a good legacy for my family. I don’t have to be the most known actor; I just want to work with people better than me so that I can continue to learn and grow as a talent! I have responsibilities outside of myself so that strives me to be the best version of myself that I can be, and I want to work! I can’t stand periods where I may be in between work so I will find something to keep myself busy! Being an Actor to me is just not about being known but it also affords me a lifestyle where I am in 100% control of my time. There is more to it than that, but I generally want to just to be able to make a living off acting and my God-given talents I believe EVERYONE has their special talents and should learn to monetize them for themselves. If you are fired from a job or laid off those talents don’t disappear just because you may not work for someone else anymore. I believe more people should take calculated risks and make smart decisions in their own lives to do the things they truly enjoy! Lastly, I just want to be known and remembered to make my God, my kid, and my ancestors proud and to be able to make a comfortable living off the things that I enjoy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thejohnsonbrand.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricetjohnsonactor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MauriceTJohnsonOFFICIAL
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Maurice87010305
- Other: https://linktr.ee/mauricetjohnson
