I am living the American dream. I'm not kidding. Sometimes I have to pinch myself because what my life has become is only the stuff of dreams. So I can say with confidence, dreams do come true. And continue to. The little girl who grew up on 22 square miles of Island surrounded by the Atlantic ocean found her way to the United States and felt the universe aligning and her dreams unfolding. 

 

I have always wanted to be an actor but on a tiny island, that just wasn't possible. As a hobby yes, but not as a career. So I went about pursuing a future that most do in Bermuda, a life in finance. Of course I did repertory theatre as much as possible just to keep my sanity and my creative juices flowing, but a hobby it remained. At 28 years old I fell in love with a Bostonian and left the trading desk in Bermuda to live in the United States for the first time.  I joined a theatre group, which led to a commercial booking which led to one woman show which gave me just enough validation to audition for a TV movie and I booked it! I was Janine Mackay, hospital administrator. A theme that has stayed with me. You know the phrase, “i’m not a Doctor but I play one on TV?” That’s me. Doctor, psychiatrist etc….

 

I finally realized I had the chance to do what I had always dreamed of. But if I was going to become a real actor, I knew I was going to need training. I set my sights on the best training in the world in my opinion…LONDON!! I found the perfect program at Arts Educational School London. They auditioned all over the world and only accepted 20 students so the stakes were high but I believe it was possible. A week after a grueling but exciting day long audition in London, a big package arrived from Arts Ed. I had been accepted into drama school at 33. Life was about to change forever. That year, still remains one of the best years of my life.

 

After 2 glorious years in London, I spent 4 1/2 years in Los Angeles where I booked a few commercials and then my first feature film, Beginners. L.A. had been tough. Especially for a mixed race woman in her 30s. They didn’t know what to do with me back then. After much thought, I decided it wasn't quite my time yet so I left and moved to a kinder gentler life in Charlottesville. I started an acting school and settled into my new life. I thrived as a teacher and business owner. And with the support of the community, my business grew quickly. I kept my acting machine well oiled by dabbling in the local indie scene. Then, when the time was right, in 2014, I decided to get back in the saddle in a real way. I submitted my materials to Susan Tolar Walters at STW Talent and within months I was booked as a recurring co-star on The Vampire Diaries, followed by Devious Maids and then Southpaw, which would change the course of my life, again!

 

Antoine Fuqua, our director in Southpaw, commented on a few occasions that I would do well in New York. Well I listened. When we wrapped I went back to Charlottesville, rented my house and moved to New York City the very next month. I moved there with 3 TV shows on my resume and a handful of films. I took a leap of faith and I haven’t looked back since. I believe it’s all about timing and the wonderful and not so wonderful people who were put in my path to take me to the next destination. I reflect on my life in Bermuda, that little Island girl watching the ocean flow persistently against the Island, never giving up, never stopping until it found it's way to the other side. I believe the ocean was my teacher. To never give up, to believe there is always a way. It taught me to go with the flow of life and to conquer my obstacles. I have no idea what each day will bring, but I remain eager to watch it unfold.  I do my work, I show up and I believe that anything is possible. The rest is up to the universe…and the producers. :-) #makeithappen