Ciera Payton first joined us back in 2017 on Season 1, Episode 6, "Biracial Casting, Hollywood Diversity, and Envisioning Your Future" where she spoke to us about her Shameless audition and her day-to-day after moving to LA. Now, 5 years later, Ciera is accomplished actress, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Recently, Ciera portrayed Wendy Williams in the Lifetime biopic and stars as Lilly Winthrop in BET’s The Oval. Ciera takes us through her experience with stardom and "making it", how this career always involves ebbs and flows, and the value of knowing that what's meant for you will come to you. Off-camera, she manages The Michael’s Daughter Foundation; her non-profit that serves communities affected by incarceration.

02:12 — Who Ciera Is, Where She Comes From, and Where She's At 05:01 — Auditioning For & Working with Tyler Perry 09:40 — Fantasy vs. Reality of Booking the Role of Your Dreams 17:51 — The Work of an Actor & Pressure of Expectations 20:44 — How to Support Actors During Their Peaks & Valleys 26:09 — The Wendy Williams Movie 29:56 — Acting Process Evolution 32:15 — The Aftermath of a Big Premiere: Self Tapes, Rejection, and Burnout 44:57 — A Message from 2017 Ciera to 2022 Ciera 47:43 — What's in the Works for Ciera

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Ciera's online magazine, The In Trive
• Ciera's IG
• Ciera's IMDb
• Ciera's website
• "Ciera Payton" YouTube Channel 

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