Today we’d like to introduce you to Rayshawn Smith.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My aspirations for acting started around high school. The cliche answer is that I’ve been acting “all my life,” but it was around 10th grade when I made the decision to do something in the entertainment field. I would fool around with it for years afterward, but it was around 2011-2012 when I decided to take acting seriously and began my journey into the world of acting. I moved to ATL in the summer of 2015 to get a better feel and be in an environment where I could focus and harness my craft & opportunities.
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?
Anybody that says this acting game is smooth hasn’t really put in any work. The only road that comes with this game is rough. It’s like driving on a narrow two-lane road on a mountainside with no guard rail or lane markings. Being told “no” constantly, doing projects for little to no pay, having to juggle acting life with real-world responsibilities, these roads are constantly rocky. But we all venture down these roads hoping one day, they turn into straightaway paths.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I would say I’m an actor, but in this day & age, if you wanna be anywhere near successful or just consistently working, you have to wear multiple hats. So I’m an actor, comic, and playwright. My bread & butter is a comedy, I believe I can make anybody laugh, and I can make anybody funny. I have a natural gift of timing, and my ability to find the funny in the “not funny” is getting better every day. I know how to flush out a comedic moment and how to bring the comedy out of a person.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Networking is big in my area of work, but when you are somewhat of an introvert (or loner as my mother calls me, lol), that can be a task all in itself. Sometimes you gotta just put yourself out there, even if it doesn’t necessarily yield a return immediately. Always stay working somehow, and never wait on somebody to do anything for you, always do for self. I will say that folks you do meet, make sure you leave a strong enough impression on them that they have no choice but to speak your praises., even when you aren’t around. Also, do your due diligence and research people, just because they claim they have been in this field for a long time doesn’t mean they know their shit. Not everybody knows what the hell they are talking about or doing, so weeding out those folks is necessary as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: resumes.actorsaccess.com/rayshawnlsmith_jr
- Instagram: rlsjr_the_actor
- Facebook: Facebook.com/rayshawnlsmithjr
Image Credits
Wes Stanfield Kurt Maule Nicole Gillis Rios
