Omari Williams, Actor
3. Can you recall a role or moment that felt like a breakthrough in your career? What made it differ- ent? A: In terms of a breakthrough moment in my career, I’ve had a handful. The first was working on a short webseries when I first got out here that was received well enough to get a second season. In that season, we had a team of writers as opposed to just one, and they were writing for me then. Not my character, but for me to do as my character. When something is written for you, it is different in that you’re trusted more in your portrayal, rather than just writing for some John Doe character that you have to fill.
4. What’s your approach to building relationships and making connec- tions in such a competitive indus- try? A: My approach to building rela- tionships is to seek things out on a ground level. Not just going to the most popular or highest pay- ing companies. I am a member of a theatre group in LA and I want- ed to join because I believed in the people running the company. It’s a group of friends who wanted to cre- ate art together, despite how hard it is to run a business. I attended and am now running a cold read- ing group with a bunch of creatives because I love to see people put their hearts into something original. I’m not in these groups because I think it’s going to be the next big thing, but because I enjoy the rela- tionships we have fostered. If they become fruitful, then so be it, but I seek things out with the mindset of community first.
1. What first drew you to acting, and when did you realize this was more than just a dream—it was your path? A: Something that first drew me to acting was acceptance. I had a hard time fitting in growing up and I felt like whatever character I played, regardless of what their stance was, or how they looked or anything, they were accept- ed in the realms of the play/show whatever the type of media it was. When I found ways to explore my- self within the characters I played is when it turned into something more. That and the camaraderie I felt being a part of something big- ger than myself is what kept me in it.
2. What has the hustle looked like for you—auditions, rejec- tions, side gigs—what kept you going through it all? A: Hustle to me looks like taking the little things when I can get it, even if the pay isn’t great. I’ve had many acting jobs over the years that haven’t been lucrative, but I’ve made connections with people that I might not have in any other space. Many of my subsequent jobs started with me saying yes to something smaller with someone I didn’t have any relationship with, and then later they called me back for some- thing else, because they know my work ethic.
5. In what ways has your idea of success changed since you started out in the business? A: The ways that my idea of success has changed has become broader. Before, I only wanted to do television and stage with the biggest produc- tions. That way was very outwardly focused, but I’ve learned that you can be a successful artist in many ways without being in the spotlight. There are so many interests of mine that have melded with acting that I didn’t know were possible. The goal is to get paid consistently doing what I love to do, perform. That can be motion capture, commercials, audio dramas, or even short form content. The ways to get to that goal have opened tre- mendously in our time.
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