Today we’d like to introduce you to Yassin Adam
Hi Yassin, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
It’s an honor to be able to share my story with you all, so thank you!
My family moved to Atlanta in early 2017. At the time, my grandfather’s health was rapidly deteriorating, so having to travel 5+ hours for any and every medical emergency was a nuisance, to say the least.
Prior to that move, I lived in Nashville, Tennessee. I was born and raised there. In regards to any passions I had during that time, I’d say that I had very few, if any at all. Acting wasn’t even a thought in my mind until a few months after my family made the move to Atlanta, Georgia. But I will say, a big part of what allowed me to give into my impulses to try out acting, was being a fan of the Korean group, BTS.
I’m a fan of theirs. I even “ran” a few fanpages a few years back and was able to grow a pretty decent following. Through that experience as a whole, I learned a lot about what goes into connecting with a large audience, and being able to mobilize a fandom to reach specific goals
Looking back, a good takeaway from that whole experience was that it showed me the lengths that people would go in order to help you reach your goals, no matter how inconceivable they may seem, when they truly believe in you. Your goals become their responsibilities, somehow. You don’t force it upon them, or give them a handbook. They’ll figure it out themselves. What’s most important to them is that you remain truthful and authentic to yourself, and that the quality of the work you are putting out is the best that it can be. As an artist, that is very important to me. I hope to be able to resonate with an audience like this at some point in my future.
Anyways, shortly after my family relocated to Atlanta, we found ourselves always crossing paths with the local booming TV and Film industry. My parents would drive us to and from school, and oftentimes, we would see a production filming on the side of the highway.
One instance in particular that I tend to attribute to being a factor in me pursuing this craft, took place in the summer of 2018. Clint Eastwood was filming “The Mule,” and a location scout had put flyers on all the mailboxes in our neighborhood, asking that those who are interested in having a film shot in their home, simply call the phone number that they shared on the letter.
After begging my mom, with the help of my siblings, she ended up calling the location scout, and he came by, took some photos of our home, and also very kindly entertained any questions I had regarding the film industry.
Unfortunately, they didn’t end up filming at our house, or in our neighborhood, but this instance was very inspirational for me and sparked something in me to finally give this creative pursuit a fair, not half-assed shot. I did some researching online and ended up signing up for a pretty expensive acting class during my break at work.
Lastly, another big influence on me getting started was a friend that I had met on social media, also through being a BTS fan, who is a working actress in the industry. Her name is Bryana Salaz.
She has given me tons of advice on how to start out in the industry, and things to look out for. She has always been a source of motivation and inspiration for me in many ways, and being able to watch her succeed in this industry, but also in music, has always been a joy.
I’ve only been pursuing this for roughly 3 years now, but I feel like I’ve made it quite far in that short time span.
The biggest issues I’ve been struggling with as of late are in regards to pacing and setting goals. I struggle with these ideas, but I believe what has gotten me to this point in terms of confidence and mindset, was that I was able to remain patient, persistent, and I took breaks when I felt that I needed to.
I’ve always had this burning passion to “make it” in this industry when I was starting out, and of course, it gave me tons of drive, but it also caused me to be hard on myself when I didn’t reach certain expectations that I set for myself, which can lead to self doubt and lack of motivation, ultimately. It burned me out.
There are too many things that are out of our control in this industry, as actors. Therefore, we cannot allow our perceived lack of success to dictate whether or not we are talented, or determine our self worth. We also have to become creatives, and create opportunities for ourselves when we’re able to!
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?
Yeah, man, this hasn’t been the smoothest journey, but for obvious reasons that, for the most part, I expected.
Financially, I’ve had ups and downs. As of late, it has been mostly downs. This is a main aspect that I expected to be a problem from the jump. Also, it’s fair to point out that most relatively “good” quality acting classes aren’t known for being “affordable.”
I wasn’t fully aware of the “financial commitment” side of pursuing a career in this industry, prior to becoming an actor. With that being said, I’ve invested quite a lot into my career thus far, and I think it’s fair to say that it was definitely more than I would’ve liked to, but it is what it is.
If I could equate being an actor, in terms of finances, to digging a hole in your backyard by ANY means… I would have to say that it’s basically like you digging down to the core of the earth and MAYBE making a penny back… and then you drop it down there on accident. But, if you love it, it’s worth it. Fuck that penny.
Right now, I work a part time job. I’m just not even really able to support my passion and my family at the same time. It’s one of those things where I have to pick and choose, sometimes. In all fairness, I am very lucky to be able to be in any kind of position, where I can just choose whether or not I want to pay my mom this week without getting the lights cut off, or getting kicked out of the house. I’m just praying that this all works out someday.
The dream scenario is being able to quit my day job and just focus solely on my craft. I’d like to believe that I’d be really productive, as well! I just got into writing and directing my own projects, very recently, and I just need more time to myself to be able to bring these ideas to life.
I’m currently in pre-production for my first short film titled ‘My Pleasure’. It is a comedic short film, and I am about to start a crowdfunding campaign to attain my budget.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Sure! As I’ve stated in a previous answer, I am an actor, but recently I’ve gotten into directing and writing my own projects. I’m not necessarily known for anything yet, though. I haven’t booked anything outside of a small one-line role in a short film, that has done pretty well at local film festivals.
Here’s the thing though, I believe part of my lack of bookings as of late is due to the recent industry shutdowns and strikes. During that time, I started to watch short films from independent filmmakers all around the world, and began to follow editors and DP’s from those projects on social medias, and I’ve also been able to ask for and receive some great pieces of advice in regards to creating my own projects.
I’m trying to see where I fit in this constantly growing and evolving industry, while also trying to make opportunities for myself and others.
I think this recent drive I’ve had to make my own projects and prioritize that has helped me shift from a mindset that I feel many actors starting out have. We all want to book. We want to work on these big budget and major studio projects. We want to receive accolades for our work. But, we can’t get into the bad habit of putting so much power into the hands of casting directors and producers. I don’t want to be desperate for a “yes” from them. I want to greenlight my own projects, and give myself my own dream roles. As an actor, you shouldn’t feel like you need anything from any casting director. They invited you into an audition, and they need to see you.
What does success mean to you?
As of right now, success is being able to turn this passion into a career, and to be truly happy. Right now, I’m just stressing by worrying about how things may or may not work out. Am I just really wasting my time these days? I don’t think so. For now, I’ll just have fun and see where this takes me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/yassinjadam
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yassinjamaladam/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@yassinadam?feature=shared
Image Credits
Headshots: Brad Carter Photography
https://www.bradcarterphoto.com/
Athens Film Festival Credits:
Merrielle Gatlin
https://www.instagram.com/merrielle.g?igsh=MTlibjdsZDNlOGRydw==
https://www.instagram.com/p/C–rXhWxJ8h/?igsh=bHh5NDI5dnMyeTkw
