Today we’d like to introduce you to Naza Usher.
Naza, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I graduated from Suny Buffalo in 2005 with a BA in Theatre. I hit the road running performing primarily in Theatre, eventually, I began to do Indie films and earned my SAG card. In 2015, I decided to leave Spanish Harlem and move to GA to focus on a career in film/television.
People always ask me where I’m from originally. The most common guesses are Nigeria, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Haiti. While I love practicing my Spanish, I am an American girl, born in Indiana and raised in both Georgia and New York. I think of myself as a Northern lady with Southern roots. Ultimately, I believe there is only one race, the human race. We are all created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27) and endowed with a unique purpose and story.
Acting is my unique purpose. I love to tell stories and become a different person for a moment in time. A little bit more about me. I enjoy cooking, especially breakfast foods. I make the best calorie filled Southern breakfast, cheese grits and hash browns on the planet. My favorite question to ask about any character I am portraying is WHY? and I will bet any five years old a dollar that my imagination is more grandiose than theirs.
Since moving to GA, my focus has become television and film! Theatre was my first love but I’ve been bit by the film/television bug, I especially love comedy. Selected film credits include Clipped Wings They Do Fly, Sincere’s Heart, Walkaway, Endless Summer and numerous other indies and short films and a handful of network television co-stars on such networks as the SundanceTV and TV One.
My regional and NY theatre credits include such theatres as Growing Stage, White Plains Performing Arts Center and Black Spectrum Theatre. I performed in Street Scene with Brave New World Repertory Theatre. Street Scene was voted number twenty-two of The 25 Best Stage Shows of 2013 by TheLMagazine.com. I am proud to have worked with Open Hydrant Theatre, the only AEA ensemble theatre company in the Bronx, NY and Emerson Theater Collaborative in Connecticut.
Great, 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?
It has not been a smooth road entirely but I am enjoying the journey. I trained primarily in theatre and had a lot to learn in regards to film and television. I also have the challenge of living with bipolar II disorder and have had a number of hospitalizations and health challenges, but I am a fighter. Money at times has been an issue but my family is extremely supportive.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am an actress, I specialize in telling stories that inspire, make people laugh and help everyone to see a bit of themselves or to understand someone different from themselves just a little better. I am most proud of the fact that I’ve never given up on my dreams despite not always getting the results that I desire. Doors often close but I believe that God is in control and that when doors close He has a way of opening up the windows of Heaven at just the right time and pouring out a blessing. My faith in God sets me apart from others because it truly is the most important thing in my life and my foundation. We are facing systematic racism, prejudice, high rates of unemployment, businesses are closing and the schools shut down around the world due to Covid-19. These are unprecedented times we are living in but I know that the world is not ending and that the sun will shine tomorrow and better days are ahead.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment of my career was booking the role of Alicia on the second season of Hap & Leonard on the SundanceTV network. It was a tiny role but you couldn’t tell me that.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nazausher.com
- Email: nazausher@gmail.com
- Instagram: @nazausher
- Facebook: @nazausher
- Twitter: @nazausher
- Other: www.youtube.com/c/nazausher
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