Today we’d like to introduce you to Chapelle Nichole.
Hi Chapelle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Television has been my best friend since I was a small child. I was the only child by my mother until I was 15 and growing up in my grandmother’s home did not leave a lot of room for me to get into much, so my imagination and television kept my mind busy. I would constantly reenact what I saw on the screen and try to mimic their emotions. Being alone forced me to create my own world and I played every character! Even currently, I sometimes have to playback movies and shows that I watch because I’m so wrapped up in studying the character’s expressions and recreating in my head how I would do it differently or better, if possible, that I miss the storyline!
When I was young, my mother took me to audition for the role of “Olivia” for The Cosby Show! Let’s just say I was amazing, but I wasn’t ready. You’re welcome, Raven LOL. I have always been so intrigued in the art of acting. Growing up, I was afraid to pursue acting because I would often doubt myself or fear the backlash of teasing from my peers. But I would always get my time to shine in front of my family and friends by reenacting something we all saw or heard. From as far back as I can remember people would always tell me, “Your personality belongs on TV!” or “You deserve your own show, you are hilarious!”. Still, I was too afraid to go for what I loved to do but the thought never left me. I literally think about acting EVERY SINGLE DAY!
In May of 2012, I finally decided to face my fears and audition for a role in the stage play “The Color Purple” to play the character “Sophia”. This production was setup by Producer/Director Torrey Russell. I was sooooo nervous, but I got through it. I didn’t get the part but honestly, I wasn’t expecting to, but the high I got from being on stage was a high that I knew I needed more of, and I was officially addicted. In the Spring of 2013, I signed up for acting classes and started to study and learn the craft. Later that year, a friend of mine called me to tag along on set with him for a movie that he was featured in. One thing led to another, and the Writer/Director/Producer Terry “T” Miles offered me a small cameo right on the spot in the movie! Working alongside the late great A.J. Johnson. Thank you, T. A few weeks after that, I was listening to the radio and heard about auditions for a Gospel stage play Written by Frances Hall and Directed by Antonio Fargas. The auditions were being held for three days and I finally got the courage to go on the last day and I was the last audition. I got the part as understudy for five different characters. After weeks of rehearsals, I was bumped up and landed the spot as one of the Lead characters. I played that role for three years.
After my grandmother passed away in 2018, I had a conversation with God. I realized that I had hit my ceiling in Las Vegas, and I needed to release my fears and move to a city where my talents could grow. I decided to pack up what I could, donate the rest and move me and my babies to a place that I had never been before, Atlanta! Faith the size of a mustard seed is amazing! I can’t wait to see who I become and the lives that I can help change. God led me here and I have no doubt that I will become one of the greatest to ever do it!
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?
Absolutely not but it has been interesting. I was born in Springfield, Il. and spent most of my childhood going back and forth between there and Chicago, Il. My mother had me young, so I was grandmas’ baby and always at other family member’s homes. My mother eventually had my sister when I was 15 years old which made me her second mother by default. Shortly after that, my high school sweetheart was sentenced to prison for 27 years which sparked my first experience with depression. Two years later, I was introduced to my biological father which would eventually turn my world upside down. A week after graduation, my best friend was murdered on Father’s Day. I felt like God hated me. It’s like I couldn’t catch a break. After graduating high school in 2002, I had to get away, I moved to Las Vegas, NV. A year later in 2003 to get a new start at life. I eventually reconnected with a childhood crush in 2004 and then moved to St. Paul, MN and gave birth to my first son in 2006. That relationship changed my life forever! Surviving Domestic Violence was very traumatic but yet a blessing in disguise. I learned so much and was able to see life through a lens that I would have never been able to in any other way. I saw myself and for who I really was and who I wanted to become. Domestic Violence led to homelessness and even more depression. More about that story is on my YouTube channel, that’s a novel all on its own!
After finally getting out of that toxic situation, I relocated back to Las Vegas in 2006 and had my second son a few years later in 2010. Because of what I had survived, I vowed to help every person I possibly could who came to me for help. Over the years, I allowed over five families to move into my home for free to get on their feet. Some took the opportunity to grow, and others chose to take advantage, which led to one of them robbing my home and the other began stalking me. I didn’t let that stop me from helping others, it will always bring me joy. I had so many people in and out of my home that my grandmother called my house The Underground Railroad, go figure! That same grandmother, who raised me, decided that she wanted to move into my home in 2013 until she passed in 2018. That was my absolute lowest! She was my best friend, and I didn’t know how to live without her, she was all I knew! But I knew that I had to pick myself back up and stay the course for my children. I still have my moments, but my family quickly reminds me that it’s ok to take a break, but I must keep going! Betty Boop (my grandmother’s nickname) wouldn’t have it any other way!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work is just getting started! I have done a lot of theater and a few small films, but my possibilities are endless. I have played a 65-year-old grandmother to a 30 something successful single woman living her best-drunk life LOL. I specialize in a lot. I don’t want to box myself into one genre. But, if I was to choose it would be drama and comedy, those come to me naturally. I would love to do a thriller and/or horror. I really think that would be a great challenge for me. I am a naturally funny person and I have always been able to relate to anyone. That trait has always been my golden ticket to my creativity.
Relocating to a place that I had never been to follow my purpose, not just my dreams but my purpose makes me proud everyday! As I’ve gotten older, I have peeled back so many layers that others would be afraid to show. I’m not afraid to get lost in a character. I stand in my truth and I’m not afraid to fail. Most people leave this earth never knowing what life would have been like for them if they would have at least tried to go for their dreams, and if they did try and failed at it, that’s ok because they can go without the thought “what if”.
I tell everyone who is willing to listen to me, “If I never become a household name, I will be ok with that because I will NEVER stop acting. I will always be somebody to me, whether I’m doing community theater or selling out million-dollar box office films. I will go fulfilled, but I know that God has more planned for me. The thought scares me and excites me at the same time and I love the feeling”. What sets me apart from others is, acting is not a hobby for me. It’s not something I chose to do, acting is my purpose and no one can tell me otherwise. I know that I’m extremely talented and I haven’t even hit my full potential yet but just wait! I am truly in love with the craft. It’s not about money and fame for me, even though that will naturally come, it’s more than that. Me becoming a successful working actor will open so many doors for so many families. I will be able to not only change my life but others around me all while breaking generational curses and showing my children that you CAN be anything you want to be!
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I see that now is such a great time especially for African Americans and people of color. You see us more in movies, commercials, and publications. I am so proud when I look at a billboard and see a black woman rocking her natural hair and it’s ok, it’s accepted. Times continue to change and get better, and I can’t wait to see what it will look like when my art becomes a part of the conversation. For me, my goal is to land a permanent role on a TV sitcom. I really want to become a household name, but I want to make sure that the character I play, is taken seriously. I don’t want to be “just that character” so that it hinders me from other opportunities. I definitely see myself alongside the greats and learning from the best. Having a long successful career is my main goal! I want to tap into every genre of film and television, I really want to challenge myself. That little girl inside of me watching TV wants to see herself on that screen and not have any regrets!
Contact Info:
- Email: chapellenichole@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chapellenichole/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chapellenichole
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/chapellenichole
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChapelleNichole
- Other: https://www.snapchat.com/add/chapellenichole
