Today we’d like to introduce you to Marchelle Thurman.
Hi Marchelle, 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 grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. I fell in love with bringing new stories to life and being a voice for the voiceless. For college, I decided to attend NYU where I studied theater at the Atlantic Acting School. After college, I chose to stay in New York and pursue acting mostly focusing on short films, plays, and voiceovers. Early on in my career, I wrote, acted in, and produced a web series. That experience was the start of my journey as a creative artist, an actor who also writes, directs and produces.
Eventually, I decided to make a shift and move to Atlanta, which was a game changer for me. I immediately booked a role on a network TV show and continued to work on various shows in Atlanta. In 2020 Casey Nelson, who I met in an acting class in Atlanta, contacted me about an idea for a feature film. I was immediately on board and Casey and I co-wrote, co-directed, acted in and executive produced the aforementioned feature film titled Black White and the Greys. We filmed in Georgia over 15 days in April of 2021.
To date, the film has screened in 10 festivals across the country, received 11 award nominations, and received 10 award wins (including Best of Festival and Best Feature at Atlanta’s own BronzeLens Film Festival). We recently secured distribution and are very excited to share the film with a broader audience. I continue to act and create work in Atlanta and New York. I recently shot a short film, recorded a voiceover for a national TV campaign, and am working on creating my next film.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road. But it also hasn’t been as bumpy as it could have been, and that’s thanks to my amazing friends and family. For an actor/creative, a strong support network is extremely important.
One of my biggest struggles has been achieving a reasonable work/life balance. I have had a survival job for a long time, and I am very grateful for it. But it can be tough to balance a full-time job, acting, and a personal life.
Additionally, another struggle has been continuously believing in myself and having the drive to continue this artistic journey. There have been many times when I didn’t feel I was good or talented enough to succeed in this industry, and I’ve sometimes thought about quitting. I think that it’s natural to doubt yourself in an industry where you are constantly being rejected. But those are the times when you have to inspire yourself and connect with why this is your passion.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an actor, writer, producer, voice-over artist and director. All of these roles have extended from being an actor first and realizing that I can take artistic authority and provide opportunities for myself. I am most proud of how much I have grown as an actor and learning how to produce. The feature film Black White and the Greys is a real showcase of what I’m capable of, and I’m extremely proud of what our entire team has accomplished. There’s no way I could have completed a project of this magnitude 10 years ago. So, to see my growth is really amazing. What sets me apart is my love of collaborating and always giving 110%.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
If I’m being completely honest, I am not a big risk taker. That being said, when I look back on my life, the most rewarding professional experiences I’ve had have been from taking risks.
One of the most recent ones was moving to Atlanta. I had lived in New York for almost 15 years and was scared that whatever momentum and relationships I had created in New York could come to an end. Plus, moving to a new city is always a bit scary. One saving grace was the support of my parents who reside part-time in Atlanta. I knew moving to Atlanta was the correct decision when in less than a week, I booked my first network TV role. That’s something I had been trying to do for the past ten years in New York.
I also joined an acting class in Atlanta, and from there, I met Casey and co-collaborator Jay Jablonski who I would go on to work with on the film Black White and the Greys. That film has been a highlight in my career and without that decision to move to Atlanta, none of that would have happened. So even if taking a risk scares you, it’s something that has to be done in life. And those risks are normally what propels you to the next level.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.marchellethurman.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/marchellethurman
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/10106103041427859
- Other: http://www.imdb.me/marchellethurman; https://www.blackwhiteandthegreys.com; https://www.instagram.com/blackwhiteandthegreys/
Image Credits
Emily Lambert Paras Griffin Rehana Khan Adam Jellicorse
